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Source Organization
Kitchener Public Library
Collection
Soldier Information Cards - World War Two
Transcription
Bartleman, Kenneth
[clipping]
[image]
[clipping] 22 Jan. 1944
Local Airman In Rough Trip But Gets Back
Amazing and chilling is the story of a return flight from Leipsig made by 23-year-old WO. Kenneth E. Bartleman, bombardier in an R.A.F. squadron, with his mangled plane, and badly-injured crew.
"On our way to Leipzig," he wrote his wife, who resides at 20 Doehn Street, "we were attacked bt a night-fighter. The last words we heard from the tail-gunner were: 'Unidentified aircraft on our lower port quarter."
"Hell Breaks Loose"
"Then plain hell broke loose. He opened up on us with cannon and machine guns. The mip-upper gunner was wounded before he knew what had happened. And then in the next burst the tail-gunner was wounded. The plane was shot full of holes. The tail-gunner shot down the night-fighter, then passed out."
Their own plane was barely hanging together. The inter-communication, radio, heat, flaps, wheels and the tail and front turret were out of commission. The starboard engine was hit, and two gas tanks and the starboard outer engine were functioning only enough to work the pump which ran the mid-upper turret.
"We got the mid-upper gunner out," narrated the young bombardier. "He had a broken leg and broken shoulder. I went back and got the tail-gunner out. He was wounded in the head and face.
"We dropped our bombs then, and came back. Part of the equipment was shot completely out of the fuselage, leaving a hole about four feet long and three feet wide in the floor of the plane. There was a hole in the reat tail plane big enough to put a bathtub in sideways.
Plane Crash-Lands
"But we still got home," he marvels. "I had to ride in the mid-upper turret in case we were attacked again. Boy! was it cold! The electric heating system was shot away and there was no persplex left in the turret. Just the framework.
"We just nicely got back over England, then we crash-landed. Nobody was hurt in the crash," he concluded thankfully.
On a previous trip over Berlin, WO. Bartleman stated, they were caught in the searchlights. That night they flew home on three engines, and the rear-gunner shot down a German night-fighter, a Junkers 88.
WO. Bartleman was a student when he enlisted with the R.C.A.F. in June, 1941, and has been overseas since October, 1942. He is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Bartleman, 180 Samuel.
[clipping] 15 Dec 1944
Brilliant Piloting By PO. Bartleman Gets D.F.C. Award
PO. Kenneth E. Bartleman, 23-year-old Kitchener flier, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, according to an official announcement from R.C.A.F. headquarters in Ottawa. The award is the second won by a Kitchener serviceman this week, FO. W. J. Weicker, Wellington St,. receiving the same award on Monday.
PO. Bartleman is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin L. Bartleman, 180 Samuel St., while his wife, the former Grace Schnarr, resides at 20 Doehn St.
Both surprised and gratified, the first intimation received by his wife of the decoration was a radio announcement listing the newest group of Canadian airmen to receive medals for heroism. No hint had been received from the young airman that he was to receive a decoration.
On Second Tour
Nearing the end of his second
[clipping] continued from D1
tour of operations, being on loan to the Royal Air Force, PO. Bartleman hinted in his last letter, however, that there are good hopes that he might return to Canada early in the new year.
Enlisting in June, 1941, he has been overseas since October, 1942.
Although the action for which the award was made was not mentioned in the announcement, a flight was over Liepzig some months ago was a feat in itself.
"We were attacked by a night-fighter," he wrote. "The last words heard from the tail-gunner were: "Unidentified aircraft on our lower port quarter. Then hell broke loose.
Shot Full Of Holes
"He opened up on us with cannon and machine guns. The mid-upper gunner was wounded before he knew what had happened. And then in the next burst the tail-gunner was wounded. The plane was shot full of holes. The tail-gunner shot down the night-fighter, then passed out.
"The inter-communication, radio, heat, flaps, wheels and the tail and front turret were no good, and the inner-starboard engine was hit. Two gas tanks and the starboard outer engine were not doing any work, except turning to run the pump which in turn ran the mid-upper turret.
"We got the mid-upper gunner out. He had a fractured leg and a broken shoulder. I went back and got the tail-gunner out. He was wounded in the head and face.
"We dropped our bombs then and came back. Part of the equipment was shot completely out of the fuselage, leaving a hole about four feet long and three feet wide, in the floor of the plane."
Huge Hole
"There was a hole in the rear tail plane big enough to put a bathtub in sideways!
"But we still got home. I had to ride in the mid-upper turret in case we were attacked again. Boy! it was cold. The electric heating system was shot away and there was no persplex left in the turret. Just the framework. We just nicely got back over England then we crashlanded. Nobody was hurt any more in the crash."
On a previous trip they were caught in the searchlights over Berlin. That night they flew home on three engines, and the rear-gunner shot down a German night-fighter, a Junker 88.
[photograph]
[KDRIS]
[N] Kenneth E. Bartleman
[HA] 219 Simeon Street
[CO] Student K-W Collegiate
[PB] Hamilton, Ont
[FME] None
[PR] Sgt.
[DE] 28/6/41 went overseas Oct 1942
[UE] R.C.A.F.
[MS] Married
[S] Ken Bartleman