RAIDS ON ESSEN AND COLOGNE

Southland Times, Issue 24831, 25 August 1942, Page 4

RAIDS ON ESSEN AND COLOGNE

Invercargill Flyer’s Experiences “A few more raids like these and the war will be shortened by many months. And there will be more—not by only 1000 planes at a time, but by anything up to 3000 machines,” declares Sergeant L. A. Frampton, an Invercargill airman who took part in the raids on Cologne and Essen, in a letter to his mother, Mrs Frampton, Yarrow street. Sergeant Frampton is a wireless operator and air gunner in the R.N.Z.A.F. He was reported missing early this month. “Both Cologne and Essen, particularly Cologne, were absolutely flattened," he writes in a description of the raids. “I happened to be one of the lucky ones chosen to go over, and I got the greatest thrill of my life. We were told that we were about to take part in the biggest raid in history and we were eager to get on the way, but we had to lounge about awaiting the call. At long last it came, and in quick time, one after another, we roared into the ether with clockwork precision. We were off on a great adventure.” Nearing the Dutch coast the flights adopted slight weaving tactics to dodge the searchlights, and when well over Holland they had to climb to pass over the beams. “We did so successfully, and droned on towards our target,” continues Sergeant Frampton. “Long before we reached it huge fires could be seen, fires which had been started by the first units of the raid to go over Cologne. BOMBS RAINED DOWN “The numbers of raiding craft must have surprised and ‘rattled’ the defences, because the anti-aircraft guns seemed to be firing blindly heavenward in the hope of hitting something. The place was just full of planes and bombs simply rained down. Away up above us the Stirlings, the Halifaxes and the Manchesters were dropping their 4000pounders. It was a wonderful sight, one I shall never forget. The damage must have been enormous. We could see the fires 100 miles away.” Sergeant Frampton said the trip back was fairly quiet. They escaped the flak fire which was directed at them. “We got home tired but happy,” he says. “The next night we sent another 1000 planes over and this time Essen caught it. The poor Hun was startled and amazed to see so many machines in the sky. I only hope I can be lucky enough to be in all of these raids, as they are something to be really proud of.”