Spence, Robert Leslie (Pilot Officer)

Survived 1942-October-08

Took off from Kabrit at 22:40 in Wellington Mk Ic (Sqn code BL-G Bomber Command) on a night bombing mission to Tobruk, Libya.

Hit by flak out-bound from the target, damaging the port engine which later caught fire, and the pilot ordered the aircraft abandoned, which was done successfully.

When the crew assembled at the wrecked aircraft near Capuzzo Libya it was found that two men were missing (2nd pilot, Sgt, K R Bowhill RAF and Nav. Sergeant C C Hill RCAF had already been captured) and two had leg injuries from the parachute landing making it unlikely that they could escape on foot (Sergeant E A Linforth RAF and Sergeant A W Butteriss RAF). These men gave the final two crewmen pilot Flight Sergeant R L Spence RCAF and Sergeant J K Wood RAAF the totality of supplies from the downed aircraft to support their evasion efforts.

Spence and Wood walked almost all of the 350 miles between them and safety, taking water from the radiators of abandoned vehicles and occasionally receiving help from native Bedouin groups. They almost froze to death at night until they found two German wool blankets. They ran out of food on the eighteenth day and had only two bottles of water left when they were picked up by a British advanced armour unit and taken to safety.

POWs: Sergeant Cameron Clare Hill RCAF R/75616 POW Stalag Luft L6 Heydekrug POW# 39182 Sergeant K Bowhill RAF POW camp not listed. Sergeant Arthur William Butteriss RAF POW camp not listed. Sergeant E A Linforth RAF POW Stalag 4B POW# 260748.