www.militarysupport.ca 165 Dubbed the “last supper” by those prone to gallows humour, it was given to those who could manage to eat despite their mounting tension. One can only imagine how the novice crew of LK 879 awaited their take off that night. Flying air operations in Bomber Command was a dangerous business, and the aircrew knew it. The statistics were not in their favour. For every 100 aircrew in Bomber Command in the SecondWorldWar, fiftyone would be killed on operations, nine would be killed in crashes in England, three would be seriously injured, twelve would survive as a Prisoner of War, only one downed flyer would evade capture, and just twenty-four would survive a thirty trip tour of operations. As the near summer night darkened, the crews were driven to their assigned aircraft. Tabor and crew climbed aboard the Halifax marked with the squadron code letters “OW” and individual aircraft letter “P” and awaited the signal to go. Minute after anxious minute passed until finally the green light that signaled “all clear for take-off” flashed at 2306 hours. It was time to go. Tabor pushed the throttle levers forward and released the breaks. The Halifax, burdened with 8000 pounds of bombs and over 2000 gallons of fuel, rolled down the runway, gaining speed until airborne. They were on their way. Nerves likely started to subside as each crew member got on with their job. Soon they crossed the North Sea and were over German occupied Holland and then Germany. The route to the target was not easy. German night fighters were active this night and the FLAK was intense by the time Tabor approached the target area at about 01:20. During LK879’s final approach to the target, Tabor had to keep the Halifax on a straight and steady course so that Niles, the Bomb Aimer, could accurately aim and release the sixteen “500 pounders” from the bomb bay. This was when the aircraft was most vulnerable. If the searchlights coned in on the bomber during this final bomb run, the Halifax would be an easy target for FLAK or the deadly night fighters. The teenage Niles would need to ignore all the lethal distractions to focus on his bomb sight and the approaching target below while he gave Tabor, directional corrections “steady, left, left a bit, steady” until finally, with a press of the bomb release, he’d announce, “BOMBS Gone!” With the release of its 8000 pounds bombload, The Ruhr Sterkrade-holten Linton-on-Ouse
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