We have ways of making you talk presents One Man's Window, an illustrated account of

10 weeks of war, multi-April 13th, June 21st, 1942 by Dennis Barnum.

Chapter 5.

Last day, after the AOC's talk, our airman driver plunged our dilapidated bus with

outlights down for the Medina hilltop through a night's escape of peculiar silhouettes

and delivered us outside the palace of another hilltop town called Naxar.

By the light of hastily struck matches, we groped around for our luggage in the square

hall which smelt a cooking fat and drains.

We felt our way up the stone staircase before Scotty made a discovery half a burnt candle.

In an oasis of light, we moved as a body through shadowed staterooms, picking our way

carefully between the huddled sleeping shapes that covered the floor.

As empty beds were found, the CO allocated them to individual pilots, until finally there

were only three of us left.

The dreaded hue and eye as the two flight commanders were accommodated in a small room in the

outside corner of the palace before the CO wishing us a silent good night to the candle

and crept away, searching for a bed for himself.

Amongst the bedclothes, I lay horizontally vulnerable, wearing my tin hat.

All night long it went on.

I tried to control myself as stick after stick of bombs shrieked overhead.

A abrupt and terrible crash has tossed the palace.

Silence was of exquisite purity between avalanches of sound.

Heavy anti-aircraft guns sighted nearby, spoken fury, prolonged echoes roared amongst

...