101 Nights

by Ray Ollis

  If the German papers really did publish such a shockingly high (and inaccurate) figure, it was exaggerated to frighten the German people into misguided heroics in the face of defeat. Over two raids, slightly over 800 Bomber Command aircraft dropped nearly 1,500 tons of high explosive and nearly 1,200 tons of incendiaries; the USAAF raid did not cause as much damage. The firestorm, significantly aided by the dry weather, burned out a very large part of the city. The number of dead remains in dispute but estimates of 45,000 to 50,000 seem balanced.

  ‘… they had started it’. Essentially both the truth and the emotional justification why the Allies, particularly Britain, expanded the bombing war and is, I believe, why the Allies demanded ‘unconditional surrender’, regardless of the tactical necessities. Sebald (On the Natural History of Destruction, 1999) quotes Speer to demonstrate that both Goering and Hitler would have cheerfully reduced London to rubble and ash in 1940 had they been able.

  Russian callousness is well-documented. Toppe, in Night Combat (1982); ‘Russian Commanders had no scruples about casualties when a mine field had to be cleared in a hurry. On 28 December 1942 on the Kerch Peninsula, for instance, a Russian penal battalion was driven across a particularly dense German mine field during the hours of darkness which preceded the attack. The casualties were very high, but several lanes were cleared for the follow-up units.’

  Benito Mussolini (and his mistress) were executed by Italian partisans and strung upside-down in a public square in Milan. Hibbert’s Benito Mussolini (1962) more closely matches the Anglo view of Mussolini held by Ollis. Ollis did not fly on the 25 April 1945 raid to Berchtesgaden.

  Eisenhower sent Harris and Spaatz ‘excellently worded letters suitable for both internal and external publication’. ‘As the Allied Armies advance into the former industrialised area of the Rhineland they are everywhere confronted with striking evidence of the effectiveness of the bombing campaigns carried on for years by Bomber Command and, since 1942, but the 8th Air Force … the effect on the war economy of Germany has obviously been tremendous …’ (Probert). In the letter Montgomery wrote to the Royal Air Force on 5 May 1945, he also praises ‘the brave and brilliant work of your gallant pilots and crews and the devotion to duty of the ground staffs have aroused our profound admiration.’ In The Memoirs of Field-Marshall the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG (1958), Monty writes, ‘No-one knew better than I how much we soldiers owed to the Royal Navy and The Royal Air Force … My relations with the RAF had been very close …’

  RAF Station Logbooks did not record airmen as ‘dead’, but ‘missing’ or ‘failed to return’; a term which included POWs, the dead and the missing. ‘The fatal casualties to Bomber Command aircrew, including those who died while prisoners of war and a few killed by German bombing, totalled 55,000’ (Richards). Dyson had access to the raw data: ‘When the total casualty figures for Bomber Command were added up at the end of the war, the results were as follows: Killed on operations, 47,130. Bailed out and survived, 12,790, including 138 who died as prisoners of war. Escape rate, 21.3 percent.’ Even so, these figures do not include losses incurred during training. The first Bomber Command sortie of WW2 was an unsuccessful search for German warships north of Wilhelmshaven. The next day 30 aircraft were despatched to bomb the warships; five Blenheims and two Wellingtons were lost (Holmes: The Battle of Heligoland Bight, 1939 …, 2009). After several more daylight raids with devastating losses to the ‘invincible’ bombers (without self-sealing fuel tanks), Bomber Command changed to night bombing. The last raid of the war was on the night of 2/3 May 1945 when 231 aircraft were despatched to Kiel. 15 aircrew died.

  Ex-POWs received pregnant women’s rations, which were double the normal allowance.

  APPENDIX—Ray Ollis: A chequered career

  The Magnet (1908–1940) and The Boys Own Paper (1879 to 1963) were London-based weekly magazines with a serial story in each issue as well as other stories or articles; deprived of paper during the war, their sales fell. The Magnet featured Billy Bunter.

  See Barber’s Sinister Twilight: the Fall and Rise Again of Singapore (1968) and Farrell’s The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 1940–1942 (2006).

  Hastings’ Bomber Command (1980) gives some indication of the beginnings of a war at least partly constructed on outrage and reprisal, as does Ray; for an emphatic read on the morality of bombing, Grayling is provocative, as are Grigg and Ellis.

  Decency of Hate (1943).

  See Charlewood: Troopship Memories: A Dip in the Ocean (1996).

  Holland: Nobody Unprepared: Nemo Non Paratus: The History of No. 78 Squadron (2002).

  There were three main types of ‘cookie’ blast bomb. The first was 4,000 pounds; the second was simply two 4,000 pounders bolted together … and the third was three 4,000 pounders bolted together.

  www.psychiatry.org

  On his leaves Ray travelled to London, Oxford, and Brighton where he bought first editions such as Little Dorrit, Barnaby Rudge, The Old Curiosity Shop, Childe Harold by Byron, Fables by Dryden, the Life of Walter Raleigh and a religious treatise by Robert Bolton.

  See Riddell Flight of Fancy, (1951).

  See Douglas-Home, Evelyn Baring. The Last Proconsul (1978).

  See Cobain’s Cruel Britannia: A Secret History of Torture (2012) and W.B. ‘Sandy’ Thomas’s The Touch of Pitch (1958).

  This would be no disservice to Shelley, whose work is peppered with what Strong called ‘The Sinister’.

  As did such heroes as Guy Gibson. Ottaway; ‘when the bombers went on a big raid to a target such as Bremen, they did not worry too much about placing their bombs on military targets. In Guy’s own words: ‘We just plunk them down in the middle of the town.’

  Interview with the editor, 1994.

  See Grenfell Price, The Skies Remember: The Story of Ross and Keith Smith (Angus & 1969); MacKenzie, Solo. The Bert Hinkler Story (1979); Kieza, Bert Hinkler: The Most Daring Man in the World (2012); Babington Smith, Amy Johnson (1967); Mackersey, Smithy: The Life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1999); Jean Batten: The Garbo of the Skies (1991); Gillie, Amy Johnson, Queen of the Air (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003); see also Scott, Scott’s Book … (1934) and Clouston The Dangerous Skies (1954).

  The English ‘Bodyline’ cricket team sailed to Australia on the Orontes in 1932.

  Hartnell, Silver and Gold (1955).

  Kenneally’s Act of Grace was published under the pseudonym William Coyle.

  Glossary

  Turnover of personnel was necessarily intense, so RAF and other Services slang varied from and period to period and area to area (much like a dialect).

  Ac/1: Aircraftsman Class 1. Then the second-lowest RAF rank, only Ac/2 was lower.

  Ac/w: Aircraftswoman.

  Adjutant: (and either Adj as a name or ‘the Adj’ as a title) The officer charged with keeping the aerodrome running smoothly, organising everything from equipment, personnel, concert parties and punishments.

  Airfield: an aerodrome. Usually laid in an ‘A’, the longest leg from south-west to north-west—except Ollis’ airfield, Ludford Magna.

  Ailerons: A long, hinged flap at the rear (trailing) edge of an aeroplane’s wing. The aileron on one wing moves in the opposite direction to other, causing the aircraft to bank or roll. From French; ‘aile’, meaning ‘wing’.

  Aldis, or Aldis lamp: A large lamp with shutters which, by rapidly opening and closing the shutters, allows ships and aircraft to communicate visually using Morse code. Invented by Arthur Cyril Webb Aldis (1878–1953).

  ASI: Air Speed Indicator. Dial showing the actual speed the aircraft is flying at, taking into consideration the wind. The airspeed came in through the pitot head.

  ATS girl: The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) was one of the women’s services.

  AVM: Air Vice-Marshal. In the 1940s, the officer in charge of a Group; roughly equivalent to a Major General in the Army.

  Base, or Base HQ: Introduced in late 1943, a Base was a headquarters which handled two or three
airfields; Ludford was 14 Base. Most RAF airfields were just airfields; an RAF station is a more permanent.

  Blackout and Blackouts: Curtains made of thick heavy material to prevent the slightest light from emitting and assisting enemy aircraft, a nightly procedure known as ‘the blackout’; ‘blackouts’ were also ‘a Waaf’s winter-weight knickers’. (Partridge)

  Bloodsheet: Also known as the Chopsheet, Chop List or Chop Docket. The Battle Order, the list of aircrews available to fly on operations, usually at the entrance to the mess or at Flight. The Bloodwagon is the ambulance. See Chop.

  Bods: ‘Bodies’, as in ‘chaps’, so often used to denote either Englishmen or ‘our chaps’, as in ‘our bods’.

  Boffin: Scientific chap.

  Bullsh: Bullshit.

  Byronic: After the manner of Byron or his poetry, but also to be irresistibly attractive to women despite being essentially a cad.

  Cad: an ill-bred man, often vulgar.

  Candle bombs: a bomb that detonated with an intense flame, used as a target indicator or marker.

  Chiefy: Or chiefie. On the ground, a flight sergeant or ‘chiefy’ was in charge of each flight of bombers.

  Chop, the: Killed, dying on active service Other euphemisms include the American ‘bought the farm’ and the English ‘bought it’ or ‘had it’, ‘cashed his chips’ or ‘gone for a Burton’ (from a famous 1930’s poster campaign advertising Burton’s Ale).

  Clot: an idiot, but a gentle, joshing derogative.

  Collected: killed.

  Continent, the: What the British call Europe, but not what Europe calls Europe.

  Cut-throat razor: a steel blade which folded into a handle.

  Dandy: A vain and overly-fashionable man.

  Dakota: The Douglas DC-3, or Dakota. Developed with more power and accommodation than the DC-2, it first flew on 17 December 1935. The Dakota’s reliability, easy serviceability and robust structure indicated it could be converted for other military uses.

  Dice: as in ‘dicey do’, ‘dicing’ etc. Risky, threatening, dangerous.

  Dispersals: Flight dispersals. Outdoor pan of concrete where the aircraft were parked, fuelled, loaded and rearmed—and usually serviced—in almost all weathers.

  Don Juan: A man who is outrageously successful with women. Based on Lord Byron’s epic satire.

  Dornier: The Dornier Do 17, or ‘Flying Pencil’, German bomber.

  Elsan: Chemical toilet made by Elsan, located toward the rear of the bomber. Much derided, little used, as after the aircraft had been thrown around the sky the Elsan could tip and spill its contents.

  Erk: RAF slang for aircraftsman, a mechanic who works on aircraft.

  ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival. The most careless way to bomb.

  Extinguishers: Fire extinguishers for Lancasters were located in the engine nacelles. Often referred to as ‘graviners’ after Graviner, the company that developed and manufactured them.

  Fair Dinkum: Then-common Australian slang for ‘true’ or ‘really?’.

  Fillip: From flip, to give a sharp rap with the fingernails. A brief urging gesture. Interestingly, a flip was the term used in the 1930s to a joy-flight in an aircraft.

  Flak: German anti-aircraft fire. The name is either ‘Fliegerabwehrkanonen’ i.e., flyer-army-guns or the German abbreviation Flugzeug-Abwehr-Kanone (anti-aircraft gun).

  Flak-happy: Reckless, careless behaviour through cumulative exposure to flak.

  Flak ship: a small ship loaded with anti-aircraft guns. These ships would try to position themselves beneath the bomber stream; they accounted for many lives.

  Flap: as in ‘ginormous flap’. Panic, excitement or consternation.

  Flap: large flaps on the inner, rear surface of the wing, which can be extended to increase lift during take-off and landing.

  Flight: of a person, short for Flight Sergeant. Of aircraft, a Flight of aircraft was usually between eight and twelve, and designated ‘A Flight’ and ‘B Flight’; two flights made a squadron. Of a place: short for Flight Dispersal; hence ‘being at Flight’; the hangars where the aircraft—in peacetime—were stored prior to being wheeled out for take-off.

  Flying control: what we now call Air Traffic Control. The place from where aircraft are guided down to land via radio and radar.

  Fritz: German or Germans. The enemy, the Hun; from WW1.

  Gaffer: British slang for ‘the boss’.

  Galahad: A heroic saviour, an honourable man.

  Game: (adj.) plucky, up for it.

  GC: Group Captain (or Groupy). Senior to a Wing Commander; roughly equivalent to a Colonel in the Army.

  Gin-and-it: A contraction of ‘Gin and Italian’, the ‘gin-and-it’ comprised two shots of gin, one shot of sweet vermouth, perhaps a dash of bitters to taste, a handful of ice.

  Gink: American slang; pejorative slang for a fellow.

  Ginormous: ‘Very large’; blended from ‘gigantic’ and ‘enormous’.

  Gong: a medal.

  Grog: alcohol or beer.

  Ground loop: A ground-loop occurs where, on the ground, there is too much power coming from either a strong cross-wind or the engine(s) on one side of the aircraft without corrective use of brakes or flaps to maintain the aircraft’s stability. Essentially, the more powered side of the aircraft then attempts to fly, tipping the other side into the ground, often spinning the aircraft around in circles.

  Guff: Empty talk, foolish bluff, nonsense.

  H2S: Airborne Radar Navigational and Target Location Device.

  Had it: in this sense, been destroyed or been finished..

  Half-pint: Humorously derogative way of describing a short person. A more polite version of ‘short-arse’.

  HE: High Explosive.

  Hide (as in, ‘you’ve got a hide!’): ‘you’ve got a hide!’ means ‘you’ve got a cheek’ or ‘you’ve got a nerve’. Impudent.

  Hillman: English car.

  Huns: At the time, a derogatory term for German, or Germans (also Fritz, Jerry, Boche). Brickhill describes Kommandant Rumpel interrogating Douglas Bader, who is consistently rude. Rumpel says ‘we know you call us Jerries, but …’ ‘No, we don’t,’ Bader snapped. ‘We call you Huns!’. The charm fled from Rumpel and he shot up, face cold and rigid, and stalked out.’

  Hyde Park: large public park in London, famous for its Speakers Corner.

  i/c: In Charge of.

  Intercom: Inter-communication device similar to the telephone allowing the crew to communicate with each other.

  Ju 88: Junkers Ju 88, German twin-engined fighter/ bomber which handled a variety of roles. The radar-equipped night-fighter Ju 88 proved very successful from mid-1942.

  Kiwi: a New Zealander.

  L’affaire de coeur: French, literally ‘an affair of the heart’, but usually intended to mean ‘a love affair’.

  Lark: a frolicsome adventure or spree, and to make fun of, tease, or play the fool.

  Limies, or Limeys: American term, from lime-juicer for English sailors; Royal Navy orders to their seamen to eat limes to prevent scurvy.

  Looked daggers at: glared hard at, as if the glare could stab or kill. A venomous look.

  Luckies, or Lucky Strikes: Manufactured tobacco cigarettes, usually (but not always) referring to the brand Lucky Strike.

  Mae West: An inflatable life-jacket intended to keep an airman afloat; after the famously buxom sex-siren cinema star. Also rhyming slang: Mae West = breast.

  Main spar: The huge main wing strut crossing at right angles within an aircraft’s fuselage. In the Lancaster, it was above hip height, and had to be scrambled over to move between the cockpit and the rear of the plan.

  Me 110e: Me 110e Messerschmitt Bf 110, also referred to as the Me 110 or Zerstörer (‘destroyer’). A twin-engine heavy fighter which, although outclassed in daylight, adapted well to becoming the most common German night-fighter.

  Mephistopheles: The Devil.

  Mess: Sergeant’s Mess, or Officer’s Mess. Where the sergeants, or
officers, ate, drank and tried to relax.

  Met: Meteorological Office.

  Mid-upper: the mid-upper gun turret, about half-way down the spine of the Lancaster. Armed with two Browning .303 machine guns, with a tracer round usually every twelve or so bullets, this gunner had a commanding view above the Lancaster.