Episode Details

Guest: George Barclay

Hosts: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 6th of June 2010

Released:  26th of May 2017

Duration: 1 hour  44 minutes 59 seconds

George Barclay joined the Territorial Army on the 8th of May 1940. However he hated the Army lifestyle and in 1940 he volunteered to switch to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). On 17 Nov 41 he left NZ in the SS Monterey and was among the first RNZAF trainees to go to Canada where he flew the Cessna Cranes at Saskatoon. He graduated as a Sergeant Pilot on 27 Mar 42.

On arrival in Britain he underwent an Advanced Flying Course at RAF Grantham on the Airspeed Oxford from 21 Jul 42 until 15 Sep 42. On 17 Sep 42 he started an Operational Training Unit course at Upper Heyford on Vickers Wellington Mk1C and MkIIIs and completed the course on 17 Dec 42. He was posted to No. 150 Squadron at RAF Kirmington on 12 Jan 43, flying Wellington MkIII (delete 1C’s), and then to 166 Sqn at Kirmington when the squadron formed on 27 Jan 43. In his short 4 months on 166 Sqn, he flew Wellington MkIIIs and later the MkX.

On the night of the 8/9 April 1943 George and his crew were forced to bale out of their stricken Wellington over France, having been hit over Duisberg.

He was taken as a Prisoner of War by the Germans and after interrogation at Dulag Luft in Frankfurt he was sent on 24 Apr 43 to Stalag Luft 1 near Barth, Western Pomerania, Germany. On 1 Nov 43 he was sent to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug where he stayed until 17 Jul 44. He was then sent to Stalag 20A/357 Thorn in Poland.

On 13 Aug 44 he was sent on to Stalag 357 Fallingbostel in Lower Saxony, in north-western Germany. There he said he was appointed as interpreter for the Senior British Officer as he was able to speak German and could interpret for the other prisoners.

George talks in detail about life in the camp, and his escape from the prison on the 6th of April 1945 that saw him back in England by 17th of April 1945.

He also talks about other aspects of Bomber Command life, such as laying mines near the U-boat pens.

For many years George and his wife Marian worked tirelessly for veterans’ welfare for the Returned and Services Association in Northland.

George died peacefully on 3^rd April 2020 aged nearly 97 and while there is the odd factual error in the interview recorded with perhaps a ‘fading memory’ in 2010,  when he was 87 years of age, the story is nonetheless  of interest.

The tune heard in this episode is A Lark Ascending, by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The interview ends somewhat abruptly because at the time that video tape ran out, and so that is all there is I’m afraid.