100450 P/O James Albert Mills RCAF wireless operator 419 Sqd. from:Toronto, Canada From my recollection, my Dad, James Mills, was shot down on a bombing mission over the Ruhr Valley by two me109s.
He said they riddled the aircraft from nose to tail, the cannon holes not an inch apart and yet not one
of them was hit, after being ordered to bail, they stayed and got both meshersmits.
He clipped his head on the tail wing as he bailed out and was unconsious when landing,
and he lost a boot on the jump. He went to a farmhouse, the old german couple were quite alarmed until
he produced a picture of jesus or mary and then it was all ....sit , eat .....relax until the Gestapo walked
in a couple hours later with their lugers out, off to the stalag for 4 yrs.
He said the germans had civies on under their uniforms when they heard the barrage in the very near vicinity,
they knew the war was done. He said most of the guards were pretty good blokes. Upon liberation,
most of them just threw their flight jackets and what not into the ditch. Upon landing somewhere in England,
a bbc reporter grabbed the first two guys and interviewed them,
I remember, as a kid,listening to the old 78 over and over. It was James Albert Mills and Gus Morrison
telling a 2 minute story of camplife. Does anyone have a copy? My sister lost that old record and his caterpiller
pin. Dad went in to camp 6 foot 2 and 245 lbs, came out 6 foot and 100 pounds, They didnt eat well.
he was diagnosed for a pension with anxiety neurosis and our govt gave him a really cheesey pittance of a pension,
which he fought all his life to have increased. It didn't happen.
I would love to hear from any one who may have been in Stalag 357 or in 419 Moose Squadron that
may have known him. Guess I should have done this 25 yrs ago. Its not until one reaches the age where
one truly appreciates the caliber of men and women then and the guts they had to fight and give their life for
the beauty and freedom we take for granted today.
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