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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.
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