Stirling bomber index

HOMEPAGE

Jake Giacomelli
(War accounts of a Stirling bomber)

Although the events of an R.A.F aircrew do not strictly reflect the daily life of Brandon the following pages do contain a few experiences of an aircrew flying from R.A.F. Lakenheath. These men may well have been seen in Brandon visiting the cinema or tasting the beer in the local pubs. Their aircraft would have been visible to the locals as they struggled to take off, heavily laden with bombs, and many residents have told me stories of their experiences visiting the base as there was no real security surrounding the base. Indeed the main route to the village of Lakenheath from Brandon was a road through the base.

These accounts are retold using the words of Dave Giacomelli, his father was the navigator on a Stirling bomber. They are not my words. I am very grateful to Dave for allowing me to use these accounts. It illustrates how much the Commonwealth was a part of the war in Europe. For example, stationed at the base were men from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, alongside the Brits. Dave’s father was Canadian, defending Britain, fighting for the R.A.F., in a war 1,000s of miles from home. He was just one of the transient population of Brandon and the surrounding villages during the war. Here, some of his experiences are remembered.

My first contact with Dave was when I saw his report about his father’s Stirling crash on a web site. He had first placed that message almost a year previous. I had heard accounts of a crash of a Stirling at Brandon, Lingheath and although our crashed aircraft were not the same I felt that being local I could help his search for more info about his father’s life in the war.

If you have any information that may be of use regarding these incidents, especially of the Stirling crash at the village of Lakenheath or wartime life at R.A.F. Lakenheath please contact:

David L. Giacomelli, 2323 Greenlands Road Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. V8N 1T8

Or send an email to: David Giacomelli

This website was designed and developed by Darren Norton, Brandon, Suffolk