Wings Over Wick
1939 - 1945
Airfield And Aircraft Defence

D E Reynolds,  Wolverhampton
Whilst I was not in the RAF I did serve some time at Wick airfield as part of the Anti Aircraft Defence.

During the summer of 1943, B Troop 304 Battery, Light Anti Aircraft, Royal Artillery moved from South Wales to Wick. The gun emplacement of which I was a member, was on the airfield itself.

As part of our duties we had to have a look out (called stag duty) in the gun pit. One day while I was on stag duty an incident occurred which I still remember, it was as follows.  I spotted an aircraft approaching the airfield, as it got closer I saw that it was a torpedo bomber.  Its torpedo was still slung underneath the plane and its undercarriage was not lowered.  I eventually realised that it was going to crash land, which it did.  The moment the plane stopped, the hatches opened and the crew jumped out and ran from the aircraft, one of them hopping as if he had been injured. The torpedo did not explode. That is as much as I can remember of the incident. I hope it will be of some interest to you.