Hell on Earth: Dramatic First Hand Experiences of Bomber Command at War

By Mel Rolfe

Book Overview

A collection of 20 true stories of bravery, survival, and good and bad luck, involving bomber command during World War II.

The following extracts illustrate the drama in this book.

'It is believed that when Dacey realised the aircraft was on fire he grabbed an extinguisher, hurried aft and tried, in vain, to put out the flames. Somehow he became trapped behind the spreading inferno and was unable to return to the cockpit for his parachute. Alone with his screams, he could do nothing except wait and die as his unsuspecting companions jumped into the cold night. It is likely that Dacey was already dead before the Halifax plunged into the ground and blew up, atomising his body.'

'Unable to release Jones (mid-upper gunner) they agreed the only way was to chop off his foot, clip him to a parachute and all bale out. Jordan seized the axe, which was part of their escape gear, detaching himself from his macabre task, knowing it must be done otherwise they would all die.'

'We were marched to a deserted and tatty industrial area, into a short cu-de-sac, where most of the property was badly damaged. A factory wall stood across the bottom and they put us against it. A line of a dozen (German) soldiers stood pavement to pavement, rifles against their shoulders. A corporal stood near them with his hand up. Stan said to me in a low, horrified voice: "They're going to shoot us.".'

'We could see the (Lancaster) wing flapping up and down. It could have broken off at any time and going through my mind was the thought that it probably would. But we pressed on. I took a realistic view. I knew the chances were against us getting back and this might be the time everything was going to end. But I didn't experience fear which interfered with what I had to do.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1902304292
• ISBN13: 9781902304298
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Tales of Bomber Command Crews at War!

No author has done more to preserve the memories of WWII RAF bomber aircrews than Mel Rolfe. In his series of books such as LOOKING INTO HELL, BOMBER BOYS and FLYING INTO HELL, Rolfe has brought those long-ago warriors to life. HELL ON EARTH, published by Grub Street in 1999, offers up more tales of the RAF in action. As with other Rolfe titles, this one comes highly recommended. HELL ON EARTH details the experiences of 20 Lancaster, Halifax, Mosquito and Liberator aircrews from various squadrons. The stories related are varied, dramatic and poignant. One deals with a 624 Squadron crew downed while flying a resupply mission to Warsaw Uprising forces. Another relates the desperate measures taken by crewmen on a failing 405 Squadron Lancaster to get their horribly burned comrade immediate medical treatment. A third introduces the reader to a legendary 101 Lancaster pilot with the improbable name of William Alexander Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, a feareless warrior known for "his magnificent indifference to all forms of enemy opposition" and to RAF discipline! Yet another relates how a 626 Squadron crew struggled home in a Lancaster crippled by bombs dropped by another Lancaster! Rolfe is a gifted writer. In a few short pages he makes every crew come to life as human beings and movingly relates their wartime experiences. There is no glory in the stories Rolfe relates. Many are heartbreaking with these wonderful men crews being shot down by flak or unseen nightfighters that suddenly appear out of the blackness, their cannons and machine guns savaging the lumbering bombers and their crews. If you want to understand the war fought by RAF Bomber Command crews, pick up a copy of HELL ON EARTH. It will immerse you in the world of those fine, young men who laid waste to Germany's cities but at a horrible cost. Highly recommended.