William Walter "Lucky Aussie" Dodsworth DFM.
Royal Air Force 199 Squadron
from:Nambour, Qld., Australia
My Dad, William Dodsworth told me a story about when they were returning from a raid on, I think it was Nuremberg, while over France, one of the crew hit a switch that turned on all the lights of the aircraft. In his words, "The bloody plane lit up like a Christmas tree". Unfortunately for them there was a German night fighter in the area that did engage them. Fortunately, the fighter lost contact. When the lights were finally extinguished they made it home safely.
According to history his nickname of "The Lucky Aussie" came about as while he was flying Wellingtons and Stirling's on operations with 199 Squadron there were never any casualties of any sort on the bombers he was Captain of.
