Former RAF Bomber from Hemel Hempstead recalls his experience of the Second World War in new book

A former Royal Air Force recruit who lived in Hemel Hempstead has written a book about his experiences as an RAF bomber during the Second World War.

Fred Brown, who lived with his family in the town after the war before emigrating to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1965, wrote, 'Get Fell In ! An Air Gunner’s Life in RAF Bomber Command and Beyond’ when he retired. Much of the book is based on a diary he kept during the war.

The book which tells of the wartime experiences of Fred Brown, now 98, who was a gunner in Lancaster bombers and was subsequently shot down over Belgium begins with an account of

his time guarding Leighton’s station, a vital underground nerve centre.

Fred was stationed at RAF Leighton Buzzard where he met his wife, Nancy Kirke - who was part of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force - and he later joined Bomber Command.

In the book he writes of his feelings as the day the war began approached and of cycling all over the East Riding on Sundays.

The back page of the book says: "As the teenage Fred Brown scanned the Yorkshire skies, he was excited by the sight of Whitley bombers from RAF Leconfield.

"The planes ignited his ambition to join the RAF many years before the start of the Second World War.

"Little did he realise the consequences of this childhood dream!

"Parachuting from a blazing Lancaster over Belgium, Fred landed in a field in Limal and spent a month in hiding, thanks to kindness of Belgians who risked their lives to help RAF crews.

"Finally captured by the Gestapo, Fred graphically describes life as a Prisoner of War and The Long March back home during which many perished.”

"Fred emigrated to Australia in 1965 and, when he retired, he spent time tracing Guy, his wife, Raymonde and his sister, Denise, the Belgium farmers who rescued him.

"He was so relieved that they had not been discovered by the Gestapo.

"Fred describes his poignant return to Belgium in 1988 to thank this family who discovered him injured, and hiding in a hayloft."

Jane Cutler, Fred's daughter, said: "The book has been described as ' Brilliantly written and fascinating about his time at Leighton Buzzard', 'enthralling' and 'I felt as though he was talking

to me'.

"It is a story with a wide appeal; a primary source of local and war history; a war time love story, and we find out what really happened in German Prisoner of War camps.

"The story of dad in Limal, near Brussels, was made into a film, of course in French. It was called A parachute and Two Wedding Dresses because dad's silk parachute was made into two wedding dresses. With tears in his eyes, an elderly man thanked me for the help that Britain had given Belgium in the war at the film's debut. It was all very moving."

Paul Brown, from the Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and Historical Society, describes the book as 'fast moving' and 'dramatic'.

He said: "I read a lot of books and this was a really good read and fast moving.

"My father was in the RAF the same time as Fred and had the same humour. Considering he lived through such terrible times, and some of his friends were killed and badly wounded, he

tells the story with humour.

"It is an extremely dramatic story and he deals with that in a very matter of fact way.

"He wrote the book for his family to share his experiences with them, but I think that it's great that it has been published.

"It's a great book, I couldn't put it down, and if anyone is looking for something good to read, this is definitely one to get."

The book is available from Amazon.