102 (Ceylon) Squadron
Tentate et perficite (Attempt and Achieve)
Flying Officer Alfed (Alfie) Martin - DFC
Alfie Martin has a book entitled 'Bale Out' which tells what happened on the night of the 16th April 1943.
If you go to the two links below, you will be able to listen to Alfie explain what happened on the night in question.
Alfie's Story Part 1 - VERY emotional.. (UK only). We are working on the text of what Alfie says in this interview for people to read who cannot view the program.
Alfie's Story Part 2 - See above, you really need a tissue or two to watch this...
Below we will list Alfie's last mission with 102 'C' Flight Commander S/L Wally Lashbrook.
HR663 DY-T OP: Pilsen - 16th April 1943
S/L Wally I. Lashbrook - Pilot - DFC DFM Evd
F/S D.C. 'Nippy' Knight - F/E - PoW
F/O Kenneth J. Bolton - Nav - Evd
F/O Alfred (Alfie) Martin - B/A - DFC Evd
Sgt W.Robert Laws - WOp - Evd
W/O Lawrence Irving Neill - AG - PoW
F/O George Williams GM - AG - KIA Aged 22 - (C.W.G.C.)
F/S D.C. Knight initially evaded until captured in Paris on the 18th Sep 1943 and interned in Camps 4B/L3, PoW No.250739.
Sgt Lawrence Neil in Camps L1/L6/L4, PoW No.1192
F/O Gordon Williams is buried at the Maubeuge Cemetery in France.
From Alfie we have the following information:
Flight Sergeant D.C, 'Nippy' Knight was from Kirkcaldy in Scotland.
Sergeant Robert Laws was married to a French lady, and could speak quite a lot of french and was the first one of the 'evaiders' to get back home. He apparently helped a Group Captain Whitley to get back through the escape line. Robert went onto to live in Henley on Thamas.
George Williams had been station with another squadron before coming to 102 and at some point had received the George Cross for going back into a burning aircraft to rescue comrades. He came from Swansea where he still has family, and according to Alfie the place where the aircraft crashed has just errected a memorial to him recently.