Henry Albert John Gage RAFVR was born
in Bristol on the twelfth of February 1923.He had one older
sister and worked as an apprentice printer till volunteering
for the airforce.
He was the husband of Blanche Barnes
who also served in the RAF in Signals Maintenance at RAF
Gamston, near Retford. They married on the 3rd of
January 1945 with Flying Officer Moresby, the crew’s pilot
served as best man. Henry, known as "Peter" was the
rear gunner of the crew and baled out becoming a prisoner of
war from February to April 1945.He was taken at first to
Dortmund civil prison and then to Lufts at North Dortmund and
South Dortmund, Oberusel at Frankfurt, before Nuremberg as
part of the Long March of prisoners of war. Stopping at
various villages en route, he arrived at Stalag VIIA at
Moosburg, (which was full of pow’s who had been marched and
moved from other camps), where he and his fellow pow’s were
liberated by Patton’s third army on the 28th
April 1945 and taken to Rheims in France.
His wife at home, anxiously waiting for
news received a telegram to inform her that he was missing and
also letters of condolence from the Air Force. After he had
been missing for more than six weeks and presumed dead, she
then received a letter informing her that her married woman’s
allowance would be stopped. After Henry returned home, she
wrote in her diary for May 1945- "Tiger and Ivan are also
back, Bill Hastings was wounded at Dortmund and Taffy, Bill
Heron & Reg are dead."
In Henry’s diary that he wrote in captivity he recounts-
"February 21st.Morning.7a.m.In
middle of forest. Ate escape rations and studied map.7.30
a.m.Found path at top of a hill after forcing my way through
the brushwood in battledress, socks and flying socks. Followed
path, very wet, turned left along top of valley for nearly one
and a half miles, stopping once to smoke a cigarette. On
reaching the end of the path, decided to give myself up., I
was all in. Met a German family who handed me over to the
Wehrmacht.Waited on settee. Spoke to German officer. Cheerful
type, asked how long the war would last. Taken into custody in
ambulance to a civilian official. Was asked many questions
about the Aircraft. Interpreter told me his mother was
English. After 45 minutes was sworn at by officer for no
apparent reason. Taken through Dortmund by two under officers
to civilian gaol, a small cell with a foot square window
looking out onto a small courtyard with bombhole.Solid iron
door, with a half an inch peephole with a glass shutter.
Double tier bed. Straw mattress and blanket, one stool, one
portable chamber pot, one washbasin. A meal of dehydrated
vegetable soup,tasteless.Two slabs of black bread. Duration of
stay two and a half days.
.February 23rd Taken from cell
to waiting lorry containing 2 American flyers,2nd
Lieutenants. Drove through Dortmund to hospital. Was told
about Bill Hastings(other crew member) by an under officer.,
who mentioned that he was in hospital in bad shape and not
expected to make it. Driven further to a large four storey
building and picked up a badly burnt Canadian Navigator who
thought we were going to be shot. Driven into the country and
picked up five other British aircrew, none from my crew.
Arrived at Luftwaffe Camp at 6 p.m. approximately. Put in cell
with an American,B.A.Hughes,also a British rear
gunner,Jim,rations of soup,bread,marg.Duration of stay was
five days.
February 28th.three lorries
loaded with Aircrew,U.S.,English,Canadian,Australian and New
Zealanders. Saw our Wireless operator but was unable to speak
to him and didn’t see him again. Arrived the same day at a
Luftwaffe camp. Placed with 15 others, including Ivan in an
underground room under a partially demolished barrack block.
Food insufficient.Elsan type latrine, the smell at times
unbearable. Duration of stay-nine and a half days.
March 9th.Journey in covered
train and on foot, wearing only a pair of broken Russian
clogs. First night of journey from Veret to a large station
crowded with refugees. Two guards and only one under officer.
Arrived at small station, pitch dark, pouring with rain.
Marched into muddy lane with two guards. Nearly lost clogs in
the mud. Feet wet. Very cold. reached farm."
On a postcard to his wife, he wrote from Lager-Bezeichnung,Stalag
Luft 3
"My darling wife, I am a Prisoner of
War in Germany. I am not wounded. I am quite fit. Don’t
write until I reach a permanent camp. God bless you. I will
always love you. And for mother-she is the best in the world.
Keep saving for our little home. We will realise our hopes and
dreams, your loving Peter"
Peter sent this on his birthday on February 12th
but it didn’t reach his wife till after the war.
He wrote again after Liberation from Camp
7A,hoping that it would reach his wife via the American Army
-"I have seen the German countryside
and much of it is very beautiful. It makes one wonder why they
have coveted other nations. There are men in our tent who have
been prisoners since 1940.We have been fortunate in
comparison. We are near the town of Moosburg"
In his dairy written on his return home he recollects"
"End of European war announced.
German aircraft flew low over aerodrome on way to other
aerodromes to surrender.J.V.87 landed with bombload.Spent five
days at Ingolstadt,billeted in political gaol, semi
underground. Arrived Tangmere on May 11th.de loused
at reception area where there was a band, a good meal and
pretty WAAF’s.Travelled to Cosford on the same day, arriving
early morning, beds all ready made. sent a telegram to Mother,
long distance call to Blanche(his wife)Met Blanche at 4pm at
Gamston and we went to Retford and stayed the night at the
Station hotel. Travelled to Bristol on Monday.28 days leave
and freedom at last!"
Although Henry Gage was a POW for a relatively short time,
he became unwell shortly after his return with hepatitis
because of the poor sanitation in the camps and suffered
terrible nightmares and mood swings for quite some time after
the war.
The crew members who died were initially
buried near the crash site. Sergeant’s Howell and Edwards
now rest in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery while Sergeant’s
Hastings and Heron are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
It is unknown how exactly Sergeant’s
Heron and Hastings actually met their death.
F/O Fairfax Moresby RNZAF survived his time as a prisoner
of war (camps unknown) and died in New Zealand on the 24th
of May 1972.
Flight Sergeant Horsley died at Rakaia, New Zealand on the
19th of March 1966.
Sadly Henry Gage died in 1982 of a heart attack aged fifty
nine.
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