september pilot second world war rose prominence senior officer charge allied airmen taken concentration camp germany august raised joined september april pilot officer serving royal_air_force europe june command lancaster heavy bomber shot raid railway yards near paris picked members hidden locations seven weeks attempting reach spain line double crossed traitor resistance handed interrogation taken prison classified terror accorded prisoner war status instead treated criminal spy august senior officer group captured allied airmen taken train concentration camp arriving days later airmen fully shaved denied shoes weeks forced sleep outside shelter sub camps known little camp senior officer took control level military discipline bearing weeks negotiated camp authorities airmen transferred camp requests denied great risk secretly got word luftwaffe allied airmen captivity seven days scheduled execution prisoners transferred airmen credit survival leadership determination war moved farmer retirement 1980s 1990s regular speaker early career born raised city new_zealand september educated boys high school campus awarded diploma period described bit prior war worked stock inspector took opportunity free flying lessons hours described tall good looking man blue eyes broken nose joined september april posted european theatre operations pilot officer squadron raf bombing raid czechoslovakia command aircraft attacked enemy fighter badly damaged managed return base result actions awarded citation read pilot officer philip john squadron night april officer captain aircraft attacked return flight aircraft attacked enemy fighter sustained damage shot away turret rendered fire broke middle fuselage displaying great presence mind directed crew emergency dealt fire attacker finally shook fine great devotion duty pilot officer undoubtedly responsible safe return aircraft crew officer completed sorties times displayed courage ability tour ended flying squadron instructed pilots heavy conversion unit returning operations squadron raf twice mentioned despatches june having received promotion acting squadron leader january awarded bar june courage devotion duty high order vigorous determination attacks berlin heavily defended targets presented award war king buckingham palace met befriended young princess elizabeth later queen day making emergency landing american base england introduced shook hands spoke afraid speak mind night march bombers sent attack critical route chosen warning station commander heavy losses expected night bombers lost heaviest losses entire war single raid june serving flight commander lancaster squadron raf 45th operation shot raid railway yards near paris recalled night raid bomber spotted german fighter locked decided turn fight seconds round hit wing caught fuel tank gave order bail gas mid upper gunner kept firing eventually jump longer height saw parachute open late died impact pushed navigator managed jump clear minute english navigator flying officer picked members hidden locations seven weeks august attempting reach spain line captured paris betrayed french double agent interrogation headquarters paris taken prison classified terror germans given trial common act allied airmen classified terror captured civilian clothing dog decided captured enemy airmen given legal status prisoner war instead treated criminals spies consequently group allied airmen great_britain united_states australia canada new_zealand jamaica french prisoners taken train cattle outside paris concentration camp airmen protested poor treatment airmen struck face guard fell ground captured pilot watched pulled thought shot spot days travel airmen received little food water arrived august labour camp inmates mainly russian common criminals religious prisoners including jews political prisoners germany france poland czechoslovakia known brutality medical experiments arrival ranking officer demanded interview camp commandant granted insisted airmen treated geneva conventions sent camp commandant agreed arrival mistake remained airmen given poor treatment inmates weeks prisoners totally shaved denied shoes forced sleep outside shelter sub camps known section prisoners received food treatment meal stepped forward said attention gentlemen fine fix completely violated treating common thieves criminals soldiers time conduct training taught countries expect march unit roll follow reasonable commands single unit instructed group trust provoke way experienced train guards unpredictable trigger happy explore camp chance breaking unknown rules stay far away guards possible stated acting group behalf contact camp authorities recognition rights proceeded organise airmen groups appointed commanding officer group improve morale saw responsibility carry war duties despite adverse circumstances captured pilot believed right opportunity presented group able operate effectively military discipline operations applied leadership boosted airmen spirits gave hope level discipline bearing assignments gave mount guard detail day night prevent inmates begun night camp insisted airmen march parade act military unit behavior infuriated camp authorities simultaneously days arrival met british spy held alias knew real immediately suspicious later assured cover legitimate introduced russian senior members illegal underground resistance group prisoners main camp senior officer access main camp quickly built group result able secure extra blankets clothes food airmen built prisoners french dutch trainer men developed contacts camp administrative area able provide reliable intelligence assisted survival airmen weeks negotiated german camp authorities requests airmen transferred proper camps denied captured british pilot officer splinter flying royal_air_force spoke fluent german regularly acted interpreter negotiated camp authorities forced labor camp german authorities intended airmen work slave labor nearby armament factories consequently ordered officer airmen work immediately executed firing squad refused order informed officer soldiers participate war production tense stand time thought shot officer eventually backed airmen doubted documents stamped acronym transferred camp great risk secretly smuggled note trusted russian prisoner worked nearby airfield captivity camp message requested officer pass information berlin luftwaffe behalf airmen understood luftwaffe sympathetic want captured men treated way knew luftwaffe political connections airmen transferred camp eventually persistence paid aerial bomb damage near camp luftwaffe officers including contact airmen spoke convinced airmen spies airmen reported findings command reading report outraged demanded highest level transfer airmen luftwaffe control unknown airmen execution scheduled october remained news airmen scheduled execution conveyed german political prisoner reliable contact camp administrative area discussed information length robert concluded little mass execution decided inform airmen information morale high slight hope luftwaffe intervene time night october seven days scheduled execution airmen including transferred luftwaffe airmen died ill moved main group transported small groups period weeks months lost kilograms contracted spent month recovering late january iii force marched camps inside germany marched iii outside remained liberated russian army end war europe taken airfield flown brussels england airmen credit survival leadership determination captured pilot stated fortunate leader stated great leader glad follow asked british pilot described wonderful hero book jump hell described having single minded determination cold courage face threat execution camp authorities leader said quickly established legendary figure airmen eyes documentary lucky ones allied airmen captured pilot stated senior officer natural leader emerged giant reputation book destination stated felt deeply honoured senior officer period aftermath later life following liberation return england asked consider commanding okinawa squadrons final attack japan refused returned new_zealand arriving day atomic bomb dropped hiroshima war discharged air force december asked lead pilot test flight paths new british airport agreement offered farm family said needed home instead airport went ahead moved small rural community north east north acquired acres farmer retirement 1980s 1990s regular speaker initials club club formed allied airmen detained member informal association people successfully parachute bail disabled aircraft hid fact years order airmen execution given scheduled october mentioning canadian convention hamilton new_zealand government wellington approved fund compensate servicemen held german concentration camps awarded honoured homeland leading role saving lives allied airmen released documentary movie titled lucky ones allied airmen allied airmen recounted personal collective stories life interviewed mentioned documentary portrayed history channel documentary shot sky real life saga pilot captured airmen taken april events new_zealand june interviewed experience interviews featured documentary film titled lost airmen tells complete story allied airmen sent including said remained experiences extent said feeling word time germans died home farm outside lived years time death survived sons daughters wife joan née having died november announced book life written author september 100th birthday
Phil Lamason