WWII veteran Fred Hooker describes his interrogation after being captured
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Fred Hooker (May 1924 - April 2019) joined Bomber Command during the Second World War. He served as a mid-upper gunner aboard Halifax bombers in 102 Squadron. However on 12th September 1944, during a daylight raid to Münster, his aircraft was critically damaged by flak.
Here Fred describes what happened when him and two of the other survivors from his aircraft were taken to an interrogation centre.
I recorded this interview in August 2017.
An amazing man, thank you for your service.
The intel the Germans had on Fred is a surprise, but today the enemy can look up your whole family in minutes
That is surprising as well since I read where the British Intelligence had rolled up all the German spies operating in Great Britain and offered them to either work for the Allies or be executed.
Its not too surprising that the Germans knew all the details of his postings and the details of the raid. They would simply interrogate other crew members and persuade them to talk with preferential treatment or blackmail. They would then quote the details extracted to other crew members who would often be surprised about how the germans knew and would then talk anyway. Its just clever use of bluff and limited information to make your opponent think you know everything.
I believe the interigator who knew so much about him is Hanns Scharff since it a very precise description of his integration tactics amazing story so happy that he shared it with us all
I read a memory from a 102 guy who was captured, he and some of his crew were being escorted through a village to the train station by a young soldier. The locals were out with pitch forks wanting to attack the downed airmen and he was panicking, not knowing what to do. The locals were pushing forward and backing the prisoners up on a rampart over the rail line. What was the young guard to do? Shoot at his own people? No, he gave his rifle to one of the crew and they all backed off! They got on the train to Dulagluft and survived to tell the tale.
Who on earth gives a thumbs down to these kind of testimonies?
German interrogators, that's who...
I wondered the same.
Thanks again Thomas, for sharing Freds memories. I spent a lot of time researching what my Uncle would have experienced as a W/op on 102 Squadron, and as his rear gunner was the only survivor of the whole crew, I did my best to find him for a chat. Unfortunately I discovered he had passed away some 15 yrs before. So the only person who knew my uncle and his crew had died, and taken his memories with him. All I had were contemporary memories of others who were on the same operations gleaned from books, and background info of squadron life from the late Tom Wingham who was the 102 Squadron Secretary at the time.
So, for me to hear and see Fred chat about these incredible experiences is amazing to me! Give him my best wishes, and let him know there still is a 102 Squadron Association, that has a get together every year at Pocklington. Some of us will never take for granted what the youth of yesterday did for this country.
The sad thing is that if all the scumbags who have done nothing for this country were to watch this video then they would probably be unable to recognise the sacrifices that were made by that generation which contribute to all the freedoms we have today.
I salute you Sir. Per Ardua Ad Astra.
Good old Charlie, might have gotten you all shot 😂