To Pray or not to Pray

[Guest john]

Harry McPherson who lived in Horsham Victoria enlisted in the RAAF during WW2 & was eventually sent to England & posted to the air crew of the RAF's 77 Squadron who operated Halifaxes. It was commonly known amongst all air crew that their next mission over enemy territory may be their last.

 

Harry recalls that on 1 Pathfinder bombing operation over Germany, his plane was being repeatedly targeted by the crouts from the tracers that were wizzing past the plane whilst caught in the huns powerful ground searchlights.

 

Whilst this was all happening, Harry didn't want his crew & himself to die, so he decided on the spur of the moment that the best thing he could do was to PRAY, & the only prayer he could think of on the spur of the moment was the prayer that his family use to say at meal time at the family home in Horsham which was: "FOR WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE" but due to the intense stress & pressure he & his crew were under at the time he could not remember the last part of the prayer & soon after their plane was out of the crouts searchlights & their plane was 1 of the lucky ones to have a safe return to their home base in England .

 

When they landed Harry told his crew of the luck they had been fortunate to receive & they all laughed about their fortune, as this was the only way they could cope with the tragedies that were happening to their mates on other Bombing missions.