409 Squadron RCAF: The Nighthawks
That long looked for Victory in Europe Day finally arrived and the boys based in Germany took it all very quietly. We heard the radio reports of the celebrations at home and in Blighty but we were not in the mood to do much celebrating.
There were no skyscrapers left in Germany from which to toss tickertape. no French cafes, no English pubs, no bright lights or laughing faces.
The job was over and that was all. When do we go home was the question written on every face. However for the Nighthawks there was one bright spot.
We received news from a former PoW of F/Os Sisson and Nicholson, the only Nighthawk crew taken prisoner since D-Day. A "rescue" party was immediately organized and within three hours two jeeps were at the gates of the ex PoW camp. Scotty and Nick were located and brought back to the aerodrome.
We forgot all about V E Day and celebrated their return to the Squadron. Scotty and Nick had been shot down over enemy occupied territory on 17th June, 1944 (Mosquito MM576: see Paradie Archive on this site) and had spent almost a year behind barbed wire.
Many of their old friends were still on the Squadron and Royalty never received a better reception than they did from their old pals. It seemed to add the human touch that was needed
The job was really over, old friends were coming back.
Good luck, Scotty and Nick