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248331WO Ernest "Teddy" Gooch
Royal Air Force 115 Squadron
from:Hitchin
Ernest as a PoW
Dad, Ernest Gooch was flying his 13th mission over Germany from RAF Witchford and was shot down by flak on 29th of October 1944, one of 2 to survive, the other being the bomb aimer, John Bovill, who was also kept in Bankau Stalag Luft VII. They went on the forced march to Luckenwalde south of Berlin from where they eventually left for the Allied lines when the Germans capitulated.Bankau was ok for the US, French and British airmen, not so good for the Russians who were systematically starved and and frozen to death. With nothing to wear but what they stood up in, the other nationalities would tip potato peelings over the fence to the Russians on pain of execution, who would then fight to the death for them. Corpses were often seen the next day with flesh missing from them.
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