Flt Lt James Bowman DFC*

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Flt Lt James Bowman DFC*

James Bowman died on March 14 2013, at the age of 90. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross twice and finished the war as a Flight Lieutenant on Mosquito bombers with the Pathfinder Force. He successfully ditched or crash landed three times, firstly after fog enveloped his airfield in North Africa in 1941 and also during August 1943, when a German night fighter shot out the hydraulics, radio and electrics of his Halifax but, he managed to bring it safely home. After being hit by flak in May 1943, he managed to ditch in the North Sea at 3am in thick mist. The crew later met ACM Sir Arthur Harris on his visit to Pocklington. The story of his ditching in the North Sea is included in “Its Suicide But It’s Fun” by Chris Goss Pages 88 & 89