213184 Sgt Robert Joseph "Bob" Harniman DSORoyal Air Force 99 Squadron from:Edmonton, London My father, Sgt Robert J Harniman, served as wireless operator and gunner, with 99 Squadron flying in Wellington bombers, and on 20 June 1940 ditched with his crew:
- F/L Pickard;
- P/O Thomas;
- Sgt Broadley;
- Sgt Hannigan;
- Sgt Mills in the North Sea 30 miles from Great Yarmouth.
They had been part of a raid on the Ruhr and been hit by flak, with both port and starboard engines damaged. The crew were in their life-dinghy for 13 hours before being rescued, having drifted through a coastal minefield.
I know that my father survived being shot down and crashing into the sea at least five times, as I have an award from the life-dinghy manufacturers and a copy of a Times article referring to his number of survivals. There are photographs of him in Gibraltar on a rescue launch, though not as a rescued airman, but rather as a lifeboat operator.
I know that in the latter part of the Second World War he was based in St Davids, Wales, where he was flying in Sutherland bombers on U-boat patrols, and eventually finished the war training prospective aircrew in parachute jumping.
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