209392 Flt.Sgt. William Stevenson "Mac" McPhail Royal Air Force 106 Squadron from:Paisley My Father, William Stevenson McPhail, was Flight Engineer on Lancaster LL 975 ZN-H, in 106 Squadron based in Metheringham.
On June 24th 1944, on a bombing mission over Pommereval attacking a rocket construction site, his Lancaster was shot down. Only he and the Bomb Aimer, Bill Knaggs managed to bail out.
Bill Knaggs was picked up by the resistance and spent the rest of the war as an evader.
My Father, however, was picked up by the Germans, found hanging by his parachute in trees surrounding the target.
After interrogation by the Gestapo, he was transferred to Stalag Luft 7, from where he escaped, returning the the UK via Poland and Russia.
Before his death, Bill Knaggs wrote a short book, The Easy trip, recounting his evader exploits.
My Father died in 1984 and Bill Knaggs in 2007.
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