here. - Lancaster ND424 of 12 Squadron

Lancaster ND4247. Escape ReportsFour of the crew evaded capture and their stories below are from the official M.I.9 escape reportsrequested from the National Archive at Kew. Copies of the original reports are in Appendix C.All RAF flight crews were equipped with a button compass and a silk map of France to help themnavigate if they landed in enemy territory. They were also issued with a number of Francs to use ifthey came down safely in France. These items were devised and supplied by M.I.9. For furtherdetails on M.I.9 see Appendix T.The following escape reports were compiled by M.I.9 during interviews in London following theirreturn to the UK. The dates of their interviews are in brackets.Leslie Faircloth (10 August 1944)David Davies (28 July 1944)Bob Yates (6 September 1944)John Stephen (29 August 1944)Leslie Faircloth – Mid-Upper Gunner (Evader)The following journey details have been transcribed from the official escape report M.I.9/S/P.G.(-)2069 (National Archive document reference WO 208/3321 report 2069). The document wascompiled by M.I.9 at Leslie’s debriefing in London on 10 August following his return from Gibralta inan RAF Dakota transport aircraft. The figures in brackets are map references added by M.I.9. Acopy of the original document is in Appendix C.The details of my take-off up to the time of bailing out on 28 June are asrelated by my flight engineer, Sgt. DAVIES (S/P.G.(-) 2059).I landed in a field somewhere S.W. of PARIS and after walking about 100yards hid my parachute, harness and Mae West. I walked for about anhour in a south westerly direction, and then lay low till daylight. Icontinued walking West, but about mid-day changed my mind and turneddue East.At about 1800 hrs (28 Jun) I saw a man working on a small allotment. Iapproached him and made my identity known. I had previously removedmy battle dress and was in shirtsleeves. I found I was at GIF (N.W.EUROPE 1:250,000Sheet 7, R 8926).The man hid me in a hut, left me, and returned an hour later with food and wine, some oldoveralls, and a coat. I stayed in this hut that night and the whole of the next day and night.During this time the man brought me food and some straw to sleep on from his sister-in-law’shouse, which was in the neighbourhood.On 30 Jun the man and his wife took me to PARIS by train. They took me to their ownhouse. On 30 Jun my host took one of my escape photos, and on 1 Jul a police inspectorturned up with an identity card for me (my own photograph had been used) and a “carte detravail”. He returned on 2 Jul with a young man, who brought me a bread card.On 5 Jul, I was taken to the Gare de LYONS. My host bought me a ticket to PERPIGNAN,and at 2100 hrs I boarded the train for PERPIGNAN, without any escort. I was on this trainfor five days.Our route was:- NEVERS (FRANCE 1:250,000, Sheet 22, N 62) – MOULINS (R 77). Wereached MOULINS at about mid-day 6 Jul, where a German officer and three N.C.O.’sboarded the train for inspection of identity cards. Mine passed muster without any comment.We left MOULINS at about 1300 hrs and travelled via VICHY – CLERMONT FERRAND(Sheet 26, W 58) to LANGEAC (Sheet 31, G 91), which we reached at 1700 hrs 6 Jul. Here49