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My Father, Hugh Lawrie, volunteered for the RAF volunteer reserve in September 1939 immediately war broke out,but was not accepted because of his High Blood-pressure-he was then aged 18. He then volunteered to go to Finland, but this country was overrun by the USSR. He then volunteered for the Camel Corps! and was on the waiting list of the London Scottish Regt. When medical standards were lowered he was accepted by the RAFVR as air-crew in June 1940. Early training was at Blackpool, and while waiting for air-training he was on Ground Defence at Montrose, Scotland. He had two narrow escapes here - German aircraft frequently machine-gunned the aerodrome, and on one occasion he fell as he was running to the gun-pits and the man in front of him was short in the back and killed.

Air-crew training as a Wireless Operator and Air-gunner was at Yatesbury, Wiltshire - on one training flight a pilot took them under the bridges on the Severn. The next day Hugh was scheduled to fly with the same pilot, but at the last minute was asked to change with another man - they were all killed. Hugh married Katharine Waddy (my Mother) in June 1941 before he was posted to 9 Squadron (3 Group) Bomber Command stationed at Honnington, near Bury St Edmunds. He took part in raids on Essen(2) Brest (2) Lubeck and Cologne and the search for the Scharnhonst. In February 1942 he was in an aircraft that was trying out new equipment over the Irish Sea - both engines of the Wellington failed but the pilot managed to get to the Isle of Man, the lights of a runway under construction were switched on by a sentry who thought the plane was in trouble.

Hugh was reported Missing from the Cologne raid on the night of April 22nd - 23rd 1942 - this was 5 weeks before the 1000 bomber raid. Only 4 aircraft were reported missing on April 23rd. On May 6th his name was brodcast by Lord Haw-Haw as a Prisoner of War - the Air Ministry telegram said this should be treated with reserve but my Mother knew he must be alive because he gave the Germans the address of the hospital was broadcast where my Mother was working as a Physio. After 6 weeks the Red Cross notified my Mother that he was a POW at Dulag Luft, transit camp.

The aircraft was shot down in flames over Cologne - Hugh was Air-Gunner in the front turret but could not get out becaust the hydraulic system had failed. He said he then became quite calm and sat back and lit a cigarette. The second pilot, Green, wound the hand mechanism to turn the turret and got him out. He baled out ( and therefore became a member of the Caterpillar Club for having saved his life by parachute) and landed in a field outside Cologne. He could not see any other members of the crew and he was so tired he went to sleep - at dawn he decided he ought to make his way westward. As he passed a farm he saw a well and tried to get a drink, but an Alsation held him at bay until the farmer's wife came out with a gun - it was then 9 hours since he had landed. He and the other WO/A G McKay were put in a small van with the burnt and unrecognisable body of the Navigator Henry Scheumn (the only one who was killed) - the Germans said "It is your Captain" but the Captain, Alan Hale had landed unhurt on Cologue railway station - the average age of this crew was 21.

From Dulag Luft Hugh went to Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan. Air crew were not allowed to work for the Germans so through the next 3 years Hugh learnt watchmaking from Bernard Channing. Hugh took part in all amateur dramatic productions in the Camp and became a member of the Catering team which endeavoured to make reasonable menues from the Red Cross Parcels.

From Stalag Luft 3 he was transferred to Thorn in Poland, and then to Stalag Luft 6 in East Prussia, then to Hanover.

As the Allied armies approrached Germany POWs were marched out of the camps away from the fighting and during the forced marches they had no Red Cross parcels and at one time were existing on 5 new potates a day and no means of cooking them.

On the final march, April 1945, Hugh and a friend were last in the column marching towards the Elbe - they met a small party of sick mean being taken to a hospital by 2 guards, so Hugh and his friend tacked on since they were going towards the Allied lines. When they found themselves in No Mans Land the guards deserted and the POWs sheltered as best they could until the 11th Armoured Division came up. Hugh was flown back to England from Celle and was home 3 weeks before VE Day.

Soon after the war he met McKay in London who said the other column were marched to the Elbe and had been given the promised food parcels - while they were eating, our Typhoons came down and machine gunned them and 100 were killed.

My Father was a Sgt. when he was shot down. As the war progressed POWs were given promotion and he became Flight Sgt and then Warrant Officer II (Second Class) while in Germany. Hugh stayed in the RAFVR for 18 months after the war and was Catering Officer at Biggin Hill where he was a Warrant officer I.

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