A very interesting and eloquent talk was delivered by Bill Knaggs on Thursday 22nd September, 2005.

1559141 ex F/Sgt William Robert Knaggs, a former Bomb Aimer in 106 Squadron, was warmly welcomed to Tullibody Civic Centre by Susan Mills – Alloa's Museum and Heritage Officer - as part of the 'Their Past Your Future' project.

He related the story of his experiences in the Second World War, evading capture in Occupied France, 1944 after he was forced to bale out of his crippled Lancaster Bomber over Pommeréval, North West France.

Bill Knaggs began by describing the Pre-Flight Briefing in 106 Squadron’s operational base at the RAF Station Metheringham, Lincolnshire.

He related to the assembled audience how that evening’s mission over northwest France was to be carried out in four “waves”. Bill’s Lancaster bomber was to be part of the second wave.

Bill then went on to explain that his particular target was identified as a rocket construction site at Pommeréval. They were to attack at 6,000ft.

The weather proved to be a fine clear night with a full moon. Intelligence Reports suggested that there would be little resistance – the mission would meet with little anti-aircraft fire, that there wouldn’t be any enemy night fighters about and that it should be a “short, easy trip”. This was to prove to be far from the truth.

As Bill’s Lancaster bomber made its final approach, Bill guided the pilot in to the target, and just after the payload was released, and “Bombs Gone” given, their ’plane was raked with cannon fire from what Bill believed to be a Junkers Ju 88 Night Fighter.

The plane had been hit from nose to tail, two engines were on fire and the hydraulic fluid was leaking. The pilot gave the order to bale out. Only Bill Knaggs and the flight engineer Bill McPhail managed to escape from the doomed Lancaster before the port wing exploded, and the aircraft spiralled into the ground, just outside the target area.

This was where the main part of the story took place, with many tales of his subsequent Escape and Evasion back home to the UK. He was full of praise for the help and assistance provided by the French civilians in Occupied France, at great personal danger to themselves, as they ensured that Bill eventually got away to safety.

That phase of Bill’s adventure lasted for about 2½ months.

Once Bill got back to the UK in early September, 1944, he had the sad task of contacting the families of his other crew members, still posted as “missing”.

The audience in Tullibody were most appreciative of the related tales of modest bravery and courage, and David Bytheway proposed the Vote of Thanks before the rest of us showed our approval in the usual way.

The illustrated story of “The Easy Trip” by Bill Knaggs has been published by Perth & Kinross Libraries.

ISBN 0 905452 34 8