T= pilot of an R.A.F. bomber described recently to the "Manchester Guardian" how his aircraft was set on fire over Cologne when an anti-aircraft shell fragment blew up a big flare which the bomber was about to drop. A hole ten feet long and three feet wide was torn in the fuselage, and part of the front turret was blown away, but in spite of this damage and the fire which followed the bombs were dropped and the aircraft came safely back.
The bombers target was the railway yards at Cologne and all was ready for the attack when the machine was hit. "There was a blinding explosion from the front." said the pilot. "The perspex of the front turret was blown away, and there was another terrific explosion in the fuselage. The shell had touched off the flare.
"The observer and the wireless operator were both injured, and a loft. hole told the tale of the rear explosion, but not quite all of it. Nor did we see the hole at that moment. We were busy.
remember asking the bomb-aimer if he had dropped his bombs, but the only answer I got was 'I've been hit.'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.