238124 Flt.Sgt. Walter Barber Royal Air Force 83 Squadron from:Widnes My father Walter Barber flew as Bomb Aimer/Observer, usually in Hampden OL-Y. He was shot down on the night of 8th/9th August in OL-N and crash landed near Mannheim. The whole crew survived the crash and were taken prisoner. My father was wounded as was one other crew member.
He was held in several POW camps including Stalag Lufts 1 and 3, Heydekrug and many others. He was at the infamous run up the road and survived uninjured. He always said it was because he was chained to an Arsenal footballer who could run really fast! He was also on the long march for three months at the end of the war before being liberated in May 1945. He was a POW for almost 5 years.
He seldom talked about his experiences except when he met up with his old comrades Sam Cass and Jack 'Cheesy' Cheeseman. My father died in 2005. He was a lovely man of whom I am immensely proud.
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