My father Walter Kenneth Bryant (Ken Bryant) was born in 1918, died age 80; against the odds he survived 49 operational missions. He was a rear gunner and flew with 115 Squadron in Wellingtons, his pilot was Canadian, P/O Bill Berry, and with 214 Squadron, piloted by Squadron Leader Bray and also with Flight Officer Rix and Jackson. With 214 Squdron he was in B 17 Flying Fortresses, and as well rear gunner his duty was sometimes waist gunner or top turrett gunner. He flew from various bases in Norfolk, Marham was one of them.
The play gives a very good characterisation of the extraordinary circumstances that these young men found themselves in, and is certainly a brilliantly performed and very worthwhile production to draw attention to the traumatic circumstances of a previous generation. But nothing on stage can truly simulate the terrifying situation that these men found themselves in. Like most men of his age my father never talked about his operationl experiences but I know they sometime woke my mother when after the war he re-lived them while sleeping.
Brave men who were sadly unrecognised until the Bomber Command memorial was built, some time after my father had died.
Submitted by Ray Bryant