Extract from No. 640 (Halifax) Squadron
 ..In a sky filled with anti-aircraft fire both gunners saw an extending line of flak bursts reaching out to cut across the flight path of the Halifax. They knew that it would cut them down and they shouted warnings to the pilot, but there was no time for him to take evasive action before one shell struck home close by the cockpit.
Rear gunner 'Kiwi' Korner saw the flak coming: "It was over on my port quarter. Three bursts came towards us - Whoomph! Whoomph! Whoomph! Then here was an explosion at the front; the whole aircraft shuddered and I heard Kees gasp. That was all I heard…."
Just before the shell hit, wireless operator Freddie Nuttall was in the position he normally occupied on a bombing run - he was standing alongside the pilot and keeping an eye open for night fighters. Miraculously the shrapnel that killed the pilot (Kees Goemans) missed the wireless operator and it seems likely that Freddie Nuttall dragged his dead pilot from the cockpit before scrambling into the Dutchman's seat and grappling with the controls. Although the wireless operator had not previously flown an aeroplane, he did achieve some success: his efforts stopped the Halifax spinning - but he did not arrest the dive… Meanwhile, Ron Purcell and Jock Patterson were still seeking to fight the fire.
Then: "Jock and I decided independently that it was time to abandon the aircraft and we headed for the back, to the other escape hatch. Jock was ahead and he beckoned me to follow. However, when I got back to the stowing position for the parachutes there were still two on the rack - and both were burning. I stamped out the flames of one of them and clamped it on to my harness. As I was clamping on my 'chute, I looked back to Freddie Nuttall, who was sitting at the controls to prevent the aircraft spinning. His flying suit was alight, but despite my shouting to him to come, he waved me to go to the rear escape hatch…"
[From an account of the loss of 640 Squadron Halifax (C8-K) over Bochum on the night of 4/5 November 1944]
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