Incoming Mail - Cyril Arthur Polain 427258

 

Cyril Arthur Polain 427258 Pilot 466 Squadron (Front Row, Right)

"My father was an ‘Odd bod’ serving as a Halifax pilot with 466 at Driffield, towards the end of the war (1945).

I have some photos from his war service, some of which include his crew (and aircraft) if you would like some copies for your website.

My father’s name was : Cyril Arthur Polain, born in Northam WA."

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"Dear Peter,

You asked about any stories, however my father said very little about the war. I have picked up a few things nonetheless. Most of them are pretty hair raising but one at least is quite amusing: my mother ( a Waaf on the same station) said that my father and his crew went out to Celebrate his 21st Birthday one evening and were unexpectedly scrambled the next morning. Due to unpressurised cabins, the alcohol soon reasserted itself. Apparently the landing was a sight to behold with my father collecting the boundary fence in the landing gear..

Another highlight was apparently watching the Americans come in to land, whereas the British/commonwealth pilots formed an orderly queue and followed each other down as quickly as possible, the American pilots apparently all dived for the landing strip at once yelling at each other over the  radio. This was apparently quite fun to watch.

Nastier ones include a return from a bombing run badly shot up and losing height over the channel. By then it was daylight as they had made slow progress on one engine and they were highly visible.Their lookout spotted a group of fighters coming at them and apparently they all said their goodbyes. Fortunately the fighters turned out to be Americans and they formed up around my father’s plane and escorted them back to base. Not sure if this is the same occasion but until someone else did it in the closing days of the war, my father was the first pilot to get a Halifax back on just a Port engine( I think it was Port but could have misremembered) . I gather you had to bank / circle in the opposite direction to usual and Halifaxes were not easy to keep aloft in such circumstances.

Unfortunately my father’s original crew were all killed when they went up with a different pilot ( my father apparently grounded with an infection of some sort) .

I am unsure if the crew in the photos are they or not. Perhaps others might know who they are?

Kind regards

Polly Polain"