This is the story of an American C-47 'Dakota' pilot who earned three Air Medals, seven
Battle Stars and flew twenty-seven combat missions during the Second World War. As a
young U.S. pilot, Harry Watson, arrived in Britain as the Battle of Normandy was reaching
its crescendo. Thrown immediately into the fray, Harry, along with more than 200 aircraft,
set off to carry supplies to the troops fighting in France. But with visibility reduced to zero,
the aircraft were ordered to turn back - all did except Harry, who successfully delivered his
life-saving cargo of blood and US Army nurses.
Harry continued to take risks, which resulted in many hair-raising episodes. This included
almost being caught on the ground, while on an urgent fuel resupply mission for a platoon
of General Patton's tanks, by a German Mk.IV panzer and a battalion of supporting
infantry.
He flew throughout Operation Market Garden, losing a close friend to German anti-aircraft
fire while taking some hits to his own plane. Thereafter he led a flight of five transports on
a desperate mission to evacuate a mobile field hospital that was about to be over-run by
the SS. Only four of the planes made it back as they came under direct fire just before they
could take-off with scores of casualties and medical personnel crammed aboard each
Dakota.
Around midnight, in early April 1945, he was sent on a secret mission to fly to a point near
Nuremberg, which was behind enemy lines at the time. It was necessary for him to locate
an empty meadow in the dark, land, load a party of US soldiers and their captives, and then
take-off again. He pulled it off. Among those prisoners was Franz von Papen, the man who
had persuaded President Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor of Germany in 1933. Von
Papen had been seized at his own home by First Lieutenant Thomas McKinley and his
men from the US 194th Glider Infantry Regiment.
Based on his own recollections, as told to the author Marcus Nannini, this is Harry
Watson's exciting account of the air war told, unusually, through the words of a transport
pilot.