Len Broadhurst DFC Halifax Pilot

i noticed this article in the York Evening Press today about LEN BROADHURST who flew Halifax aircraft from BREIGHTON with 78 Sq . Typically of the man who is quite modest about his achievements he fails to mention that he flew on the Nuremburg Operation 30/31 March 1944 in LV869 . I’ve seen his log book for that occasion – it simply remarks ‘Chased by fighter – no combat’ !!!!

Youngsters enthralled by veteran’s wartime stories
2:40pm Monday 24th November 2008
By Richard Catton »

A FORMER Halifax Bomber pilot and Second World War veteran enthralled pupils from his local school with tales of his endeavours.

Len Broadhurst, 86, from Alne, near Easingwold, was the special guest at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, where 20 youngsters from Alne Primary School went to learn about the history of the Second World War.

Mr Broadhurst carried out 33 missions, including one on D-Day, and was awarded the RAF’s highest accolade – the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) – for completing a full tour of duty and for his outstanding skills as a pilot and captain. His raids included Berlin, Kassel and Stuttgart.

The war hero told pupils about the time he was asked to carry out a raid in northern France in broad daylight.

He said: “I didn’t like the sound of that at all and said ‘look this is wrong, we need to be flying under the cover of darkness’.

“We had suspected that something was going on because my crew had been stood down the day before. At the time, no one had any idea that it was D-Day; to us it was just another mission.”

After crews expressed concerns over the timings they were allowed to take off earlier, but the sun had already risen as Mr Broadhurst crossed the Channel on his way back to base.

“That was when we guessed it was D-Day,” he said. “Looking down through the broken cloud we could see all the ships and boats making their way to France. We had already noticed more aircraft than usual flying that day. I thought ‘blimey, something really is going on today’.”

On the crew’s return, engineers confirmed the news.

“There was no cheering, I suppose it should have meant something but, to be honest, it just felt like any other mission.”

Mr Broadhurst, a member of the Aircrew Association and York Branch of the RAF Association, said he survived the war because his navigator was one of the best. “He guided me safely and even 50 yards off track wasn’t good enough for him. I was one of the lucky ones; lucky to have had a damn good crew. I didn’t win the DFC, they did. I wear it on their behalf.”

Charlie Baker, aged eight, a pupil at Alne Primary School, said: “We all enjoyed today. Apart from sitting in the planes, the best bit was listening to Mr Broadhurst tell his stories.”