There was a long journey back to the navigator’s table(about 15 ft.) to get my parachute and then return to the front of the aircraft in order to jump out of the hatch in the nose.
Once I tore off my oxygen and intercom tubes and released my foot from a flying boot that flak splinters had jammed under the bottom step of the three which lead down from the cabin - all went well. After briefly considering the alternative - about one millisecond - I did not hesitate to jump. When I left the aircraft, I was clutching the ripcord of the parachute - which when pulled, would open it. I now believe that I neglected to do so.
One’s terminal velocity in these circumstances reaches 120 mph, so I had about a minute and one-half to think about my situation. My first thought was that there would be a flash of light and then I would be dead. My next thought was that I should get in touch with my mother at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, by ESP and tell her that I was in a bit of trouble. As soon as I finished that, I must have pulled the ripcord because my parachute opened. I believe that I was then up about 1,000 feet, since there was a full moon and I could see the horizon and the ground clearly. The landing was a “piece of cake”. As soon as I took off my parachute harness, I felt that I should get in touch with my mother once more and cancel my original message. So I went into my ESP mode again and informed her that I was now safe and sound.
Four years later when I came home to Swift Current, my first question to my mother was whether or not she had received my message, I was more than a little disappointed when she said that she had not! Obviously, ESP does not always work when you want it to!
My next memorable incident was release by Russian troops out off Stalag VIIIC on Feb 16, 1945 and the seven day walk to Oels - now in Poland, then on by boxcars for 14 days - over 600 miles to Odessa on the Black Sea. Then CPR liner, Duchess of Bedford back to Liverpool, arriving April 12, 1945.
PRISON CAMPS
Dulag Luft, Frankfurt; Oflag VIIC - Laufen to Aug ‘41; Oflag XC - Lubeck to Nov.’41; Oflag VIB - Warberg-Apr ‘42; Oflag XXIB - Schrubin, Poland to Apr ‘43; Stalag Luft III - Sagan to Jan ‘45; In hospital at Stalag VIIIC - Sagan to Feb 18 ‘45.
Released by Russian troops and walked back to Oels, Poland. Then by box cars to Odessa, leaving there about April 1st. for England. We were taken by CPR liner, the Duchess of Richmond, which had brought Russian POWs release by Allies in France, to Odessa. We arrived at Liverpool on April 11th, 1945. ‘Pappy’ was demobbed at Toronto in July, 1945.

Most Memorable Operations.

Shot down by flak on July, 1941, running up on the railway station in Cologne. Conned in searchlights, aircraft disabled by flak, all crew members parachuted safely. Landed by a flak battery, so was picked up immediately Fortunately, the whole crew survived.

My most memorable OP was my last one - during the early hours of July 8, 1941. I was in the nose of our Wellington acting as the bomb aimer, as we approached our target for that night, the main railway station in Cologne. We were flying at 15,000 feet when we were coned in searchlights and hit by flak. Our pilot immediately ordered the crew to bail out.