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My Grandfather Bernard was a wireless-operator airgunner on a Liberator of 86 squadron, Coastal Command. Their job was to keep the merchant convoys safe in their journey from American to England. If U-boats were spotted they would investigate and if found, drop depth charges, and straffe with machine gun fire.

In 1943, whilst doing a routine anti-submarine patrol, the crew spotted a U-boat on the surface making steady speed towards the location of a nearby convoy.

Jack, the pilot banked the Liberator into a tight turn to make a run straight across the sides of the U-boat. The crew of the U-boat had already spotted the threat and opened fire with light machine guns and the deck gun. As the Liberator flew over the first time the gunner manning the single browning in the nose opened fire trying to clear the crew from the deck gun, and Bernard fired his 4 browning machine guns from the rear turret. Jack turned the aircraft round for another turn, again with the gunners returning the U-boat's fire. The bomb aimer had set the depth charges and dropped 2 of them either side of the U-boat. Just as the Liberator passed over a shell from the U-boats Deck gun blew a large hole in the left wing, inbetween the 2 Pratt and Whitney engines. The crew of the U-boat evacuated the deck and started to dive. On the third pass more depth charges were dropped and soon after one of the Liberator crew spotted oil on the surface. This was usually a good indication of a sunk U-boat, but it was never confirmed.

On the return back to base, the crew began to survey the damage. The no.1 engine cut out, due to the cut fuel line. So any extra ammunition was throw out of the aircraft to try to make it lighter. The Liberator wasnt easy to fly on 3 engines, unlike the more nimble Lancaster.
Through some great flying Jack the pilot managed to land the aircraft perfectly and the crew returned to base in Northern Island.

The crew and ground staff looked closer at the aircraft and it appeared that the shell from the U-boats deck gun had managed to pass inbetween the rotating propellor blades of the 2 enginees, without knocking them both out!

A real case of luck, and I'm so thankful to God for looking after Bernard as he has been the best grandfather I could have ever wished for. This account is told as accurately as I remember.

Bernard has fond memories of his time with the crew, unfortunately the pilot Jack was transferred to a Mosquito squadron and was killed in action in 1944.

"Ad libertates volamus" - 'We fly to freedom'
86 Squadron Motto.

Lester Wade.

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