A burning plane and no parachute

25th March 1944: The extraordinary story of the rear gunner who survived an 18,000 foot fall from a burning Lancaster bomber

A Lancaster bomber in flight 1944.

“Lancasters of R.A.F. Bomber Command are constantly on the offensive, attacking industrial and military objectives in Germany and occupied Europe and creating havoc to the German war machine. The picture (issued 1944) shows the rear turret of a Lancaster bomber.”

On the night of 24th/25th March 1944, the heavy bombers of RAF Bomber Command went back to Berlin for the last time. The stream of 811 Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitos taking part was severely disrupted by heavy winds coming from the north, scattering the aircraft and making navigation difficult. Target marking over Berlin was disrupted by the wind, pushing the bombing over the southwest of the city, with many bombs falling further away. Returning bombers, struggling with their navigation, found themselves flying over Flak sites which they should have avoided - losses were heavy, 8.9% of the total force.

Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade (1922-1987)

On one of the scattered Lancasters caught by night fighters was rear gunner Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade. Early in the morning of the 25th his aircraft was suddenly engulfed in a blazing fire. There was only one option for a rear gunner in such circumstances, to bale out. For Sergeant Alkemade¹ there was one significant obstacle to this course of action:

I found myself in a ring of fire that was singeing my face and melting the rubber of my oxygen mask.