Crew of Lancaster KB722
"Hecklin Hare II"
Lancaster KB722, VR-A, nick named "Hecklin Hare II" after a 1941 Bugs Bunny cartoon
was one of 419 squadrons veteran aircraft. Credited with 63 operations each displayed as
a carrots on the side of her fuselage.
On the night of January 5th , 1945 while being piloted by P/O N.D. Mallen, Hecklin Hare II
found itself in one of those situations that are hard to understand at least maybe by those who
have never flown on a mission in dangerous darkened skies.
While outward bound for about two hours into an operation on Hanover the crew found themselves being fired upon by another Lancaster in the formation which was flying slightly ahead and below them.
The gunner of the unidentified Lancaster had somehow misidentified the huge bomber for a night fighter had opened fire without properly checking the target then called for a corkscrew to port which the pilot carried out as they dove out of sight.
The rear gunner of Hecklin Hare very soon saw liquid spraying from one of the engines then in a few moments from port engine. The hits had been on both inner engines which began to spurt fire. The two engine fires were extinguished by the Graviner system stopping the raw gas fed flames from spreading further. In addition to the damage to the engines the intercom, blind flying instruments and the lighting system were now all out of action.
With the two engines feathered the weight of the bombs needed to be dealt with, after safely jettisoning them the pilot F/O Mallen decided to they needed to change their heading and go away from the Dutch/German border and back towards Brussels rather then land in enemy territory or near the ever changing front lines below him. He then made a course change to head for an emergency field at Juvencourt which was found to be fogged in. His next thoughts were to make it to RAF Manston back across the channel.
On only his second operation, Mallen was making extremely good use of his skills in trying to get his crew to safety. By chance a gap in the fog allowed him to see and prepare for a landing on a farmers field. It would have to be a wheels up landing and hope for he best.
And indeed it was a heavy touch-down and the crew and aircraft were thrown about badly. As luck would have it they had landed two miles from Guise near a road to St. Quentin and an American Military Hospital which had been set up there. Four of the crew were injured in the landing and between the local infirmary at Guise and the American Hospital they were right place to have come down.
Those who were uninjured were taken to the RAF base at Epinoy and flown back to England. Although some books report that none of the crew returned to 419 squadron, Sgt. C Drinka did return and continued flying with F/O Smith's crew until the end of the war.
On the night of January 5th , 1945 while being piloted by P/O N.D. Mallen, Hecklin Hare II
found itself in one of those situations that are hard to understand at least maybe by those who
have never flown on a mission in dangerous darkened skies.While outward bound for about two hours into an operation on Hanover the crew found themselves being fired upon by another Lancaster in the formation which was flying slightly ahead and below them.
The gunner of the unidentified Lancaster had somehow misidentified the huge bomber for a night fighter had opened fire without properly checking the target then called for a corkscrew to port which the pilot carried out as they dove out of sight.
The rear gunner of Hecklin Hare very soon saw liquid spraying from one of the engines then in a few moments from port engine. The hits had been on both inner engines which began to spurt fire. The two engine fires were extinguished by the Graviner system stopping the raw gas fed flames from spreading further. In addition to the damage to the engines the intercom, blind flying instruments and the lighting system were now all out of action.
With the two engines feathered the weight of the bombs needed to be dealt with, after safely jettisoning them the pilot F/O Mallen decided to they needed to change their heading and go away from the Dutch/German border and back towards Brussels rather then land in enemy territory or near the ever changing front lines below him. He then made a course change to head for an emergency field at Juvencourt which was found to be fogged in. His next thoughts were to make it to RAF Manston back across the channel.
On only his second operation, Mallen was making extremely good use of his skills in trying to get his crew to safety. By chance a gap in the fog allowed him to see and prepare for a landing on a farmers field. It would have to be a wheels up landing and hope for he best.
And indeed it was a heavy touch-down and the crew and aircraft were thrown about badly. As luck would have it they had landed two miles from Guise near a road to St. Quentin and an American Military Hospital which had been set up there. Four of the crew were injured in the landing and between the local infirmary at Guise and the American Hospital they were right place to have come down.
Those who were uninjured were taken to the RAF base at Epinoy and flown back to England. Although some books report that none of the crew returned to 419 squadron, Sgt. C Drinka did return and continued flying with F/O Smith's crew until the end of the war.