Mission to honour Dad the Lancaster heroes

he came home a different man to one who left. He was permanently red by what he had seen.” adly, many came home to news that ily members had not been so lucky. mb aimer Ken Philp’s pilot brother killed in action. Bill Mallon lost two t brothers, Tom and Jack, in the war. c says: “Bill’s niece could never erstand why her mum and nan cried ard on Anzac Day – New Zealand’s valent to tomorrow’s Remembrance day. As an adult she can only try and gine the pain her mum endured ng two brothers, and her nan losing sons.” The rear gunner, Sergeant Denis Eynstone, was 19 on his first operation. He spent his 20th birthday dropping bombs over Germany.

Vic says: “Being a rear gunner was terrifying. They were a constant target from enemy attack and could literally be shot out of their plane.”

Astonishingly, the Mallon Crew survived nine operations. Their missions included bombing key Nazi military targets and dropping food supplies to starving people in the Netherlands.

By then, navigator James Haworth had missed three years of his young children’s lives.

His wife kept all his letters which proved vital in Vic’s research.

Along with the rest of his crew, he returned home reluctant to talk about the atrocities he had witnessed.

As he grew up, Vic accepted that his Dad, who died aged 55 of cancer, would rather not go into any detail about his years at war.

But in August 2014, Vic wore his dad’s original “Royal Blues” jumper and paid to have a 30-minute flight in the iconic aircraft. Vic says: “It’s hard to put into words the emotions I felt as I envisaged my dad, high above the skies of Germany, assisting his crew as they manoeuvred to avoid shells and shrapnel.”

Although the original crew have all died, they will forever live in Vic’s book, The

Mallon Crew. He says:

“It’s my tribute to my dad. He, like the tens of thousands of others, should always be remembered.”

. 5 Pilot became car firm salesman. Died in 2010 at 90 Wireless operator died in 1979 at 55. Job in gas station Bomb aimer became sheet metal worker. Died 1991, aged 77 Rear gunner was a fitter and builder. He died in 2011 aged 86 KILLED Tom Mallon...