The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. J A Anderson

James Alexander Anderson went into the RAF as a pre-war Boy Entrant but later was accepted for training as an Airman/Pilot and was serving with 253 Squadron from early June 1940. The squadron had some elderly Fairey Battles for hack work and on 3rd August 1940 Anderson was taking one, Mk. 3 L5110, from Northolt to Turnhouse when the engine failed and then caught fire as they flew over Tanfield, County Durham at about 19.00. His passenger in the rear gunner’s position, LAC Ricks, did not respond to Anderson's order to bale out and Anderson climbed onto the wing and edged along the fuselage to persuade him to jump. He suffered burns before being swept off by the slipstream. LAC Ricks pulled his ripcord while still in the aircraft and amazingly was yanked out of the cockpit by the parachute, breaking a leg in the process. Anderson did not speak of this till much later (according to his CO, Tom Gleave) otherwise his action may have been recognised.The aircraft crashed just to the NW of Causey. The two men landed on Gibside Estate and were taken to Rowlands Gill.

Anderson was not fit enough to rejoin 253, then at Kenley, until early September. On the evening of the 14th he was shot down in combat with Me109’s and crashed at Stone, near Faversham in Hurricane P3804. Admitted to Faversham Hospital with severe burns, he was later moved to the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead.

Commissioned from Warrant Officer in September 1944, Anderson was released from the RAF in 1946, as a Flying Officer. He was a member of the Guinea Pig Club and died on 28th May, 1978 aged 61 years.