About the contributor

EVADER’S STORY

My father, Flight Sergeant Walter ‘Bill’ Williams, was in the RAF during the latter half of WW2. He had begun service in the Auxiliary Fire Service, and helped fight many of the fires during the worst of the London blitz. He then joined the RAF in 1942, and by June 1944 was a flight engineer serving in Lancaster bombers with 576 squadron, based at Elsham Wold, Lincolnshire.

By Spring 1944, the long-awaited counter invasion of Europe by the Allies was in the final stages of planning. After a 24-hour postponement caused by bad weather in the Channel, D-day was set for 6th June. 576 squadron had a vital role to play on the night of 6-7th June. They were to bomb the road and rail bridge at Vire, an important Normandy crossing point. The bombers were to go in waves at three-minute intervals, each wave 1000 feet below the last. Lancaster ME 811 was three minutes early for her rendezvous, so it was necessary to ‘dog-leg’ to waste time. Three German fighters pounced and shot them down in flames. Bill baled out and landed in the middle of a field. He was aware that the Germans would be searching for them, so he crawled into a ditch and buried his parachute, then climbed into a tree and stayed there until dawn. At daylight he saw the searching Germans. He climbed down and walked across the field away from the soldiers, all the time expected to be challenged or shot. He dived through a hedge onto a road. He followed this for a while, then turned up a side lane and across some fields, where he saw a group of buildings, where two men were working, one of whom he later learned was called Louis Sicot. Using a card of French phrases aircrew were issued with before take-off, he spoke to them, indicating he was RAF. He asked them to hide him, but indicated that if the Germans came, they should pretend to have captured him.

The two men took him to a barn on the farm of Madame Yvonne Boutrois, whose husband was in a German prisoner of war camp, and 2 or 3 other men were brought, one being Louis’ father, Narcisse Sicot. They kept him hidden for a day or two, where he was fed, but treated with suspicion. He was questioned several times, especially by a man known as Gabriel, a member of the Resistance movement. However, in the meantime, the French were searching for other members of the crew. The mid upper gunner, Sgt Walter Charnock, was found nearby, convincing the men that they were genuine.

The pilot, F/O Gordon Bain, and the wireless operator, Sgt Thomas Mitchell, were found later, and taken to the farm of Mme Besnier. Sgts Williams and Charnock were moved to a loft in another barn. In the evening food was brought to them.

They were to stay there for six weeks. Pierre, the young son of Mme Madeleine Prieur a neighbouring farmer, brought food to them in the daytime. The barn was next door to M. Sicot’s farm, where the Germans had a tank repair depot, and some of the Germans were billeted. M. Sicot would bring them German cigars to make cigarettes with. The local people had a tobacco ration of 1oz per month, and the local cobbler used to bring them his ration.

The Germans came to the farm each morning for milk, butter and cream. After a while, the two airmen got to know their routine and would go out into the fields to help with the haymaking, dressed in borrowed civilian clothes. They dug a trench to hide in if the need arose. The locals had somehow supplied them with identity papers so they were known as ‘Jean’ and ‘George’.

An overhead cable ran along the road to the tank depot, which was cut by French saboteurs, so the Germans made all able-bodied Frenchmen take turns to guard the cable. If the cable were cut, those on guard would be shot.

After about six weeks, word had got round that two English flyers were being hidden, so it was decided to move them. They were taken across fields to a small hut, where a horse and cart were brought and the two men were hidden under a false bottom and crates of chickens loaded on top. They soon found themselves in another barn.

They stayed here a month, living on food given them by a neighbouring farmer, which they cooked over a brick fire. They drank from a nearby spring, and as the farm was off the beaten track, they were able to move outside fairly freely, and help work in the fields. Sometimes they would be invited to the farm for a meal. This was a great occasion, with the children giving a concert for the airmen.

One day, Bill was going for water when he heard a German voice. Turning, he saw a German officer, who asked in French for the owner of the farm. He pointed to the farmhouse and fled. The two airmen feverishly gathered their few belongings and hid in a hedge until Louis Sicot came with the news that the Germans were bringing a convoy under the trees of a nearby orchard. They would have to move on again. Louis took them to his parents’ farm, where they spent the night in the basement, in beds for the first time in weeks.

Meanwhile, although their advance was not progressing as fast as the Allies had hoped, the English and Canadian armies were driving a corridor through the German lines to enable the Americans to sweep across France to Germany. They had moved round in a circular manner, trapping thousand of German soldiers in the area of Falaise, where a fierce and bloody battle would ensue. The next day the local Mayor called to say that the Germans were trying to break out of the Falaise gap, and had ordered all civilians out of the area within 24 hours. Anyone who stayed behind would be shot.

During the next few days the whole of Normandy seemed to be on the move, fleeing from the fighting. Families trudged beside horses pulling carts loaded with all they could hold. Poultry coops were slung underneath, belongings piled high on top. White sheets were draped over all, in an attempt to avert Allied bombs. The two airmen joined up with Yvonne and Madeleine and some farmers, driving cows.

Meanwhile, convoys of Germans were travelling in the opposite direction, attracting British Fighters, which dived on the roads, firing as they did so. Time and again the refugees were forced to dive for cover in roadside ditches. They spent the nights in these ditches, brewing coffee and cooking chickens. Fortunately the weather was fine. The people had no idea where they were going; they simply followed the road.

On the third night they came to a village, occupied by Germans, who allowed them to sleep in a barn. Soldiers were guarding horses, which were needed in the retreat. As they moved out next day, the Germans offered bread to the refugees, who contemptuously refused.

Suddenly the village came under fire, and after a while tanks broke through a hedge. To their delight, they saw they were Americans! The two airmen rushed forward, explaining who they were. They were taken to an officer, who accepted their story and fed them. They then returned to their French companions, loaded with gifts of cigarettes. They bade them an emotional farewell, then walked back to the village. On the way a German sniper fired at them and once again they dived into a ditch. The Americans quickly flushed out the snipers.

The Americans promised to help them get back to England. They were put into a jeep and after a very bumpy 12 hours found themselves in a large field with hundreds of prisoners of war. They were then taken by truck to another prisoner of war camp. On the way they were stoned and spat on by French people, who thought they were collaborators. On arrival they were fed and were able to take a makeshift shower, and given American army uniforms to wear. They were then sent with some German officers to a chateau being used as a headquarters. After a night’s sleep they were sent to a transit camp for evaders outside Bayeux and given towels, soap, toothbrush and razors. They were delighted to meet up with their skipper and wireless operator, F/O Bain and Sgt Mitchell, who I understand had been hidden by a Mme Besnieres.

Many evaders were waiting to be transported home. Aircrew and paras were flown in any available aircraft, others went by sea. The two fellow crewmen found places on a Dakota air ambulance, together with a Canadian soldier they had befriended at the transit camp. They scrounged a para red beret for him. They were flown to Northolt aerodrome and went by coach to the Marylebone Hotel, which was being used as a transit camp. However, Bill Williams had had enough of camps, and obtained a leave pass and travel warrant and left for home.

The full crew of the crashed Lancaster was as follows:

POSITION RANK AND NAME

Captain F/O Gordon Bain

W/Operator Sgt Thomas Mitchell
Flt Engineer Sgt Walter Williams
Air Gunner Sgt Walter Charnock
Air Bomber Sgt John Conway
Navigator F/Sgt John Walkty
Air Gunner Sgt Gordon Humphreys

I would love to hear from any relatives of the above airmen.

I would like to pay tribute to Mme Boutrois and M Sicot for risking their lives to save those of my father and his companion. Words cannot express how brave these people were. I am still in contact with Mme Boutrois and the widow of M Louis Sicot.