MY HERO OF WAR

Frank Harmsworth was born in England in the year 1924. By the tender age of
thirteen he had developed an urge to see the world. Frank wanted to oin a marine band!
but permission from his parents was withheld. By age fifteen he had oined the "adets! and
by the age of seventeen Frank was a member of the #oyal $ir For"e. $fter several
te"hni"al training "ourses! he was given his wings and oined a bomber s%uadron. Bomber
&%uadron '12 was a seven(man "rew of mi)ed nationalities ( *elsh! +rish! ,e)i"an!
-anadian! $ustralian! and two Englishmen. .he life e)pe"tan"y of a flyer in this s%uadron
was si) weeks.
/ne fateful! "old! February night in 1944! on a bombing mission over 0ermany! his
plane en"ountered flak and was hit. /n fire at 22!111 feet! at 2314 in the morning! the
plane managed to travel 211 miles toward home before the "rew had to bail out "lose to
the border of Fran"e and Belgium. Be"ause Frank was the "o(pilot! he was the se"ond
last "rewmember to bail out. He patted the pilot! 5ete .homson! on the ba"k and said!
6&ee you later! 5ete.7
$t age nineteen! this was Frank8s first ump above the "louds. He felt very alone
and afraid as he floated to the ground. He "ould not see where he was headed until he
broke through the "louds and did not know what he would en"ounter below.
Frank landed in o""upied Fran"e and %ui"kly buried his "hute. He was very
hungry so he dug some potatoes out of the field to eat. He didn8t have any warm "lothes
and after sleeping a few nights in a tree! he de"ided he must find help. $fter kno"king on a
nearby farmhouse! he was taken in! given food! and a mu"h appre"iated bed.
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*hen Frank awoke! the Fren"h ,a%uis 9resistan"e: were there for an
interrogation. $fter determining he really was an English aviator! they sent him by wagon
to another farm where he was given temporary papers. $fterwards! he was given a bi"y"le
to ride to the railway station. $t the station! he met 5eter ;e<<ard! the wireless operator
from his plane. /n the train they were sear"hed but their false papers passed s"rutiny.
Be"ause there was an #.$.F. raid! the train had to be abandoned.
*hen they arrived in 5aris! there were hundreds of 0ermans everywhere they
looked. .hey "onta"ted the Fren"h underground and Frank was eventually sent to
,adame Fabre8s "afe where he holed up for three weeks. Frank8s appearan"e! by this time
was pretty s"ruffy! so a hair"ut was arranged at a lo"al barber. .here were 0erman
soldiers sitting in the ne)t "hair at the shop. Frank8s heart ra"ed for fear that the barber
would start a "onversation in Fren"h. His broken Fren"h would definitely arouse
suspi"ion. Fortunately! the o""asion passed without in"iden"e. From there he went to
have his pi"ture taken for his false identity papers. $s he stood in line with the 0erman
soldiers! his heart skipped a beat. His new identity was 5ierre $ndre ,ar"hand! a Fren"h
but"her 9the real 5ierre $ndre ,ar"hand had been a traitor who had formerly given up the
Fren"h and English to the 0ermans:.
$t the "afe! Frank had be"ome very "lose to ,adame Fabre and her family. /n his
twentieth birthday! they "losed the -afe Fabre for a feast with presents! a "ake! and mu"h
wine. &everal days later! there was a tip(off about a raid by the 0estapo that was to "ome
at the restaurant. *ith the help of ,adame Fabre8s seventeen year old son 0eorges! they
rode on bi"y"les through the woods and hid in a "abin in the "ountry. *hen they returned!
Frank bid a tearful farewell to ,adame Fabre before resuming his ourney.
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Ba"k at the train yard! he hit"hed a ride on a freight train but he had to ump off
before it rea"hed a "he"kpoint where a sear"h on the train was being "ondu"ted. Frank
went from "afe to "afe to hotel with the help of the Fren"h underground. /ne night! while
sleeping in a "heap hotel! he awoke to pounding on the door. He bolted from bed! umped
out of the se"ond story window! and ra"ed to the street= >ogs "hased him through the
ba"kyards but he managed to es"ape and made his way ba"k to a railway yard where he
umped onto another freight train.
By this time! Frank had been reunited with 5eter ;e<<ard and had also met various
other people who were trying to es"ape the 0ermans. .heir group had now grown to five
people. .here was a "lose "all in an ammunition storage "entre when one man snee<ed
while the 0ermans were "lose by. $fter three nights they umped off this train! but this
time Frank s"raped and s"arred his knees and hands rolling down a steep gravel
embankment.
$fter hiding in the woods for several days where they lived on turnips out of the
nearby fields! they flagged a ride with a gasogena ta)i. .his ta)i ran on "oal or wood
shoveled into a burner at the ba"k. ;ust before they got to the top of a hill! they ran out of
fuel. .hey got out and pushed the ta)i over the hill. $t the top of the hill! a sentry at a
0erman "avalry "he"kpoint "hallenged them. -rashing through the barrier! they were
"hased by dogs and 0ermans on horseba"k. .hey ra"ed for several miles and then they
ran and hid in the woods. .heir guide left and while they waited for their new guide! their
hunger grew! as they had no food. .he woods were full of snakes. .hree long days
passed with no food.
$ new guide arrived with two bi"y"les for the five passengers in their party. .hey
bi"y"led at break ne"k speed through the 5yranees foothills with two or three on ea"h
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bike. *ith their winegourds! "heese and bread given to them at the last village! they
trekked on foot through the snow! away from the roads! traveling by night and sleeping in
"aves by day. #elentless mar"hing and "limbing day after day was e)hausting. .wo boys
in the party "ollapsed shouting for bread. .heir feet were bruised and bleeding! the food
was all gone! and they were very weak.
Finally! they "rossed a bridge into &pain. $pproa"hing a house! they were taken in
and given food and a bed to sleep in. .hey awoke at gunpoint to &panish mountain poli"e!
who took them on a three(day mar"h to the nearest town. $fter a hair(raising bus ride!
then travel by mountain railway! they arrived at 5amplona. 5eter ;e<<ard managed to
es"ape and phoned the British "onsulate before he was re"aptured. +n 5amplona they
were thrown into a filthy ail! fingerprinted! and roughed up. ?e)t they were transferred
to a mountain internment "amp. -onditions here were deplorable.
$t last help "ame= $ member of the English se"ret servi"e arrived. .hey were
turned over to the &panish $ir For"e and transferred to a prison hotel in the provin"e of
$ragon where there were hot(spring baths and a lake with fish. *hile staying here! they
were allowed to walk about in the remote mountain village! where they met some
interesting lo"al people who made their homes in "aves.
.hey were finally tru"ked to the British Embassy where they were given new
"lothes and shoes. $ #ed -ross tru"k was supplied for a ride to 0ibraltar. /n the way to
0ibraltar! they visited a sherry fa"tory where they were given free samples. .he men were
merry that night= +n 0ibraltar! they were soon given uniforms and did some sightseeing
and swimming. $fter they were interrogated! they were sworn to se"re"y before flying
ba"k to England.
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+n England! they stayed in the best hotels! met with se"ret servi"e men! were
debriefed! met with the $ir @i"e ,arshall! and were sworn to se"re"y. .hey were awarded
the /rder of the Boot 9having walked to es"ape: and ,ember of the -aterpillar -lub
9having saved life by para"hute:. .hey were asked where they wanted to be positioned! as
they were not allowed to return to bombing s%uads for se"urity reasons 9involvement with
Fren"h underground:. Frank re%uested Ferry -ommand in -anada and after si) weeks
re"uperation was on the Aueen Eli<abeth o"ean liner to ?ew Bork. He took the train to
,ontreal where his ob was to fly to .oronto to pi"k up the new Can"aster and Cin"oln
bombers! test them! and fly to &"otland. His route was ,ontreal! 0ander in
?ewfoundland or +"eland! then on to &"otland. His return route was by boat. He also
flew the $meri"an Ciberator bomber from ,ontreal by way of the $<ores! Fren"h
,oro""o! Egypt! +ran! to leave in "entral +ndia before returning to ,ontreal. $fter a leave
in &an >iego! -alifornia! he was posted to 5earl Harbour! Hawaii for seven months.
*ar was finally over= $fter "elebrating this mu"h awaited event! Frank de"ided to
sign up with the #.$.F. one more time. He was assigned flight runs from ,ontreal to &an
>iego. He then returned to Civerpool! England. +n England! he was married and the
following year 9194D:! Frank and his wife traveled to 5aris where he was reunited with
,adame Fabre.
/n his adventures! Frank had seen 22 "ountries! re"eived numerous medals
9-aterpillar -lub($ir"rew Europe! /rder of the Boot! 5a"ifi" &tar! $tlanti" &tar! ?orth
$fri"a &tar and a few more assorted medals:! and had been on seven trans($tlanti" boat
trips. +n 1941 Frank %uit the #.$.F. and settled down to a regular ob. #estless and
looking for new opportunities! he pa"ked his belongings and moved with his wife and two
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young "hildren to -anada 9,idland! /ntario: in 1944. $fter several years in -anada! he
established a small business.
&in"e Frank8s retirement! he has traveled to ,e)i"o and -entral $meri"a! &pain
and 5ortugal! Belgium! Holland! Fran"e! England! *ales! and &"otland. He has kept in
tou"h with ,adame Fabre and her family and several other members of the Fren"h
resistan"e. Frank is an honoured member of the #oyal $ir For"e Es"aping &o"iety. Frank
is one of the many heroes who risked his life for our freedom.
Frank has greatly influen"ed my beliefs and e)pe"tations. He is my hero= He is my
father.
?ote3
+t should be stated that this is a "ondensed version of Frank8s adventures. +t is
impossible to relate the many numerous events that transpired during this period.
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5eter ;e<<ard died in a flying a""ident when his plane was stru"k by lightning three
months after their es"ape.
*ith the e)"eption of Frank and 5eter ;e<<ard! the rest of their "rew were
"aptured and spent the remainder of the war in a prison "amp. $fter the war! the pilot of
the plane! 5ete .homson returned to $ustralia. Frank has not seen 5ete sin"e that fateful
night when he said 6&ee you later! 5ete7 but after 4E years! Frank managed to "onta"t
5ete. $ year later 92111:! Frank re"eived a phone "all from England. $nother member of
Frank8s "rew had found Frank! and a fourth "rewman in England by way of the +nternet.
.hey are now "orresponding.
F