He has another story that could have ended poorly! They were sent in at night to drop off a spy on the coast of France. Their orders had been changed and were to abort the mission, but their radio wasn't picking up the transmission. So, a British plane was sent out to signal them and have them return. The British pilot thought he would play a prank on my grandfather's boat and decided to get ahead of them and come straight at them from France...which was German controlled! Well, they were cruising along in the pitch dark when they picked up a contact on radar coming from enemy territory! They thought it was a German plane so they all manned the guns. The contact got closer and closer until it suddenly shot right over the top of them at about 100 feet! They opened up with their guns, but luckily didn't hit it! The British plane then dropped a recognition flare and they acknowledged with a flare of their own. Their commanding officer was waiting at the pier for them and demanded to know why they shot at the plane. When he heard the story though, he changed his attention to the pilot who was reprimanded!
|