The Lancaster bomber crash that saved my Dad's life

On 17 September 1944 my father, Frank Smith, was the navigator for the lead bomber of 75 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The pilot was Squadron Leader Garth Gunn, a New Zealander. The 'op' was a milk run from RAF Mepal in Cambridge to bomb the V1 rocket sites in the Pas-de-Calais region. The bombing height was meant to be 10,000 feet but due to cloudy conditions this was brought down to 3,000 feet.

Unfortunately Garth's plane was hit in both starboard engines and the flight engineer, Johnnie Bruce, was severely injured. After dropping their bombs, and without navigation systems operating, the pilot dead reckoned a return to Blighty. Losing height rapidly he decided to land at RAF Hawking on the Kent coast. This was a grass runway fighter field with a short runway. With the landing wheels down the plane clipped the side of a petrol tanker before turning turtle at the far end of the runway. Being a Sunday rescue, crews were hesitant about putting the fire out on a bomber which may still be bombed up. Two hours later the crew were extracted from the burning plane. Sqn Ldr Gunn was mortally wounded and died later in Canterbury Hospital. Likewise Johnnie Bruce died. Angus Millar, the bomb Aimee, radio operator was severely burnt; my father Frank Smith had put his foot through the fuselage and was carted off to hospital. He later underwent more than 30 operations to save his foot although his leg had to be shortened by two inches. He was hospitalised for three years, met my Mum who was a nurse, and here I am.

In his memorabilia I have letters from a kind lady in the NZ Red Cross. Dad had written to her about the whereabouts of some of his mates. She replied with sad news about their demise and also mentioned that she had lost two sons herself in the war. Poignant reminders of the sacrifice our Mums and Dads made during the Second World War.

Angus and dad remained friends for the rest of their lives. Garth Gunn is buried in Brookwood Cemetery.