Bomb-Aimer Lands Halifax - Crew 22

L to R

F/O Fred Rowe, F/O Ray James

Flying Officer Ray James (right) isn't a pilot. He's a bomb-aimer with the RCAF Bomber Group's Bluenose squadron and probably never dreamed that one day he would be handling the controls while the lives of six crewmates depended upon his skill. That is what happened recently when, on a test flight, the big Halifax flew into a flock of gulls. One of them crashed through the Perspex struck the skipper, rendering him unconscious and blinding him. While F/O Fred Rowe (left) dragged the unconscious pilot from his seat, F/O James took over the controls. He managed to fly it back to base and set it down on the runway.

F/O James is 21, and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia; he has completed 14 trips. The Navigator, F/O Rowe, is also from Vancouver; he has completed 46 operational trips, having completed one tour with Coastal Command. His twin brother, Stanley, recently completed a tour with a Canadian Coastal squadron.

3 March 44 – Courtesy CFJIC - PL 26780