Unforgettable days with our Veterans.
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Although these picture are not in the order of the day, they show the days events we had together.
Hethel museum to Wymondham Abbey, Wymondham Railway station, Carlton Rode Church, The Green Dragon Pub and last the Worlds End Pub all told it was a full and wonderful day for all.
Earl Zimmermann
Guest of Honour
November 10th 2007
Robert Card (Navigator based at Hethel June 1944)
Robert Card gave us an unexpected vist here at Hethel he came with his lovely wife and daughter all the way from Largo Florida it was a cold and windy day but that did not deture him he we so pleased to see what had been done at the museum and told us he was only here for a short while then October 15th 1944 was shot down and was a "guest of the German prisoner of war camp" I only managed to get one photo of him but by kind courtesy of our historian in America Kelsey McMillan she has sent me a photo of him from the time he was here.
Whilst Robert was talking he told me a short story this is how it went,
Whilst on a mission to Germany the plane was under heavy attack they got shot at least 50 times and also they were hit in the tail so they bent thus making flying very hard and it made the plane head upwards so the plane was put on auto pilot this made things a bit better once the plane was made steady but they were told to head back and land on a runway that was extra long but they wanted to go back to Hethel so they told a bit of a white lie and radioed in there was an injured man on board (when they were attacked they had to get the gunner out so in the hurry he cut himself or got his by flak!) they put the flare up and headed home, the ambulances and fire engines made ready for the landing, again remember they were on autopilot so when they had to go back to manual pilot things got a bit tricky they thought they would not make it but with the good piloting they got down in one piece and when they saw the injured man with just a cut thumb they never said a word, Robert said they were very relieved to get back but expected a telling off.
All I can say is I think everyone was just pleased they made it home!
If anyone remembers Robert or any of his crew please let me know.