The story
Despite serious wounds, RAF Pilot Officer Ron Middleton flew his Stirling bomber back from Turin allowing four crewmen to bale out over Kent before he ran out of fuel. Knowing he could not land and anxious to avoid civilian casualties, he turned the aircraft towards the coast and went into the English Channel with two seriously wounded crewmen still on board. Their bodies were recovered on the next day but Middleton's was not found until it is washed up on the coast in the following February. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.