Secret history of decorated 爆撃機 命令（する） hero who 生き残るd 63 使節団s, 爆弾d Hitler's 船s and planned Dambusters （警察の）手入れ，急襲 is 暴露するd in memoir 設立する after his death?

• e-mail

Hero: John Collier 生き残るd 63 爆破 使節団s in the Second World War and helped 計画（する） the Dambusters （警察の）手入れ，急襲

The secret history of a decorated 爆撃機 命令（する） hero who 生き残るd 63 使節団s, 爆弾d Hitler's 船s and planned the Dambusters （警察の）手入れ，急襲 has been 暴露するd after his death.

John Collier was awarded three 最高の，を越す メダルs for his heroic and 勇敢に立ち向かう service during the Second World War, but lived a humble life after he left the RAF and rarely spoke of his incredible 業績／成就s.

He died 老年の 83 in 2000, only for an unpublished memoir 記録，記録的な／記録するing his feats to be 明らかにするd by his family in his home in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Now his story has been told in a biography - 肩書を与えるd Group Captain John 'Joe' Collier - written by family friend Simon Gooch.?

Mr Gooch and the family of Mr Collier discovered that the 飛行士's first 使節団 took place mere hours after war against Germany was 宣言するd on September 3, 1939.

The 使節団 was one of the first 爆破 使節団s of the war and 伴う／関わるd searching for German 軍艦s in the North Sea.

Another 使節団 述べるd in the memoir 述べるd Mr Collier 飛行機で行くing a twin-engined Hampden 爆撃機 on a （警察の）手入れ，急襲 on a canal lock in Munster, Germany, on August 12, 1940, when his 計画（する） was 攻撃する，衝突する.

He 解任するd later: '"Hell" my 航海士 said, "I have been 攻撃する，衝突する in the 底（に届く） and am bleeding - what shall I do?"

'"Sit on it", I said, "until we're out of this". And sit on it he did without a murmur of （民事の）告訴...'

騎兵大隊 Leader Collier was について言及するd in despatches and is 援助（する） to have been recommended for a Victoria Cross.

He might have been given that highest award for valour if another person on the 操作／手術 had not got the VC. 'There seems to have been a 支配する of one per op,' Mr Gooch wrote.

He went on to become one of the most decorated 操縦するs of the 早期に years of the 衝突 in the desperate days when Britain seemed 確かな to be 侵略するd and then 敗北・負かすd.

His second war career （機の）カム in planning 爆破 使節団s as Britain and its 同盟（する）s 徐々に 伸び（る）d the upper 手渡す.

Later he would 計画（する） the pinpoint 使節団s to stop the Germans' 革命の ロケット／急騰する 武器s that John 恐れるd might swing the 衝突 支援する in the Nazis' favour.

爆撃機: The 勇敢に立ち向かう 飛行士's first 使節団 took place mere hours after war against Germany was 宣言するd

After 存在 現在のd with three メダルs for his service as a 勇敢な 爆撃機, Mr Collier (standing second from left) was transferred into a 割れ目 team of specialist 使節団 planners

Seven days after the Munster （警察の）手入れ，急襲, Mr Collier was awarded the Distinguished 飛行機で行くing Cross (DFC), 共同で for that 使節団 and an attack on oil 戦車／タンクs in Bordeaux.

Little more than a week after that award he 苦しむd 厳しい concussion and was lucky to 生き残る when his 爆撃機 衝突，墜落d on 上陸.

Others were いっそう少なく fortunate. His の近くに friend Guy Gibson VC - one of the most famous airmen of the war - 公式文書，認めるd sadly that by late 1940 most of the 初めの comrades of 83 騎兵大隊 were dead, 行方不明の, 囚人s of war or 負傷させるd.

In 1941, after a six-month convalescence, he was transferred to 44 騎兵大隊 and later that year was awarded a 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 to his DFC - the 同等（の） of a second メダル.

In March 1942 he was put in 命令（する） of 97 騎兵大隊 飛行機で行くing the newly-introduced four-engined Lancaster, and took part in the first?1,000-爆撃機 （警察の）手入れ，急襲 on Cologne on May 30, 1942.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order after his last （警察の）手入れ，急襲 on a German engine factory in Augsburg in August 1942.?

He recounted how he would stand the 爆撃機 'almost on its nose and dive furiously に向かって the earth, when I thought that the ant i-航空機 (guns) had the 手段 of me - a bit 神経-racking for the 残り／休憩（する） of the aircrew, but an 効果的な 手段 of 回避 to which I consider I 借りがある my life on more than one occasion'.

Mr Collier stopped 飛行機で行くing because the 空気／公表する 省 needed an experienced 爆撃機 officer to join a 割れ目 team of specialist 使節団 planners, where he stayed until the end of the war.?

Mr Collier was given the Distinguished 飛行機で行くing Cross, was awarded a 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 to it and was also given the Distinguished Service order, の中で a host of other メダルs

令状ing すぐに after the war ended, Mr Collier said: 'It is difficult to imagine that adventure can be 設立する in the 省, surely the excitement and glory of War is on the 戦場?

'I suppose it could be said I had my fair 株 of adventure during the four years I was on 操作／手術s in 爆撃機 命令（する）.

'I 差し控える from 令状ing about these adventures because they were in no way different from those experienced by so many airmen of that gallant 命令（する）, and その上の so many 調書をとる／予約するs have been written by real heroes, and my personal friends, such as Guy Gibson VC and Leonard Cheshire VC, both of whom are 世帯 指名するs today.'

Mr Collier died in 2000 老年の 83, with loved ones only realising the extent of his 業績／成就s when his memoir was 明らかにするd

'I 設立する my adventure in this war in the 空気／公表する 省.... I was in a 特権d position to watch the most 利益／興味ing period of the war in Europe during the two most 決定的な years.

'I had my sense of 広大な／多数の／重要な thrill and 失望, and occasionally of 業績／成就, event though such 業績／成就s were 最初 on paper.'

Mr Collier's work in the 省 was outst anding and 決定的な. He liaised with Barnes Wallis, designer of the 'bouncing 爆弾', and with Wing 指揮官 Guy Gibson on the Dambuster （警察の）手入れ，急襲 in which the 武器 was 首尾よく used.

German 貯蔵所s, 水力電気 計画／陰謀s, 軍備s factories and dozens of 橋（渡しをする）s were destroyed - all in one 使節団.?

Even late in the war, with 連合した 軍隊／機動隊s の近くにing in on victory in Europe, Mr Collier and his team were doing 決定的な work 的ing and attacking the factories making and 供給（する）ing the 'V' 武器s that were wreaking havoc in Britain.

The V1 and V2 ミサイルs 原因（となる）d terror の中で 非軍事のs in London - and even struck 恐れる into Mr Collier.

'I wasn't aware until reading his memoir, and other reading around it, that they were worried that the ミサイルs would carry some sort of 核の 弾頭 or 生物学の スパイ／執行官,' Mr Gooch said..

After peace in 1945, John served in Sri Lanka, Japan and the RAF Staff College in Bracknell, Berkshire.?

After leaving the 軍の, John worked as a land スパイ／執行官 and after retiring from paid work 充てるd time to helping the children's charity Barnardo's.

He was fully retired and living in the New Forest when Mr Gooch got to know him.

'He did not indulge very much in reminiscing,' the family friend said.

'His relations rather looked up to him. I had a feeling there was something special about him but I was not bold enough to ask him.'

'He was very genial, very 同情的な, a benign presence.'?

'THE BOMBERS ALONE PROVIDE THE MEANS OF VICTORY'

RAF 爆撃機 命令（する）'s 役割 during World War Two was to 爆弾 the enemy's airbases, shipping, 軍隊／機動隊s, communications and other 産業s connected to the German war 成果／努力.

Britain had to use long-範囲 爆破 after Dunkirk in 1940 until D-day in 1944 as it had no other way of attacking the Germans.

The 職業 fell to RAF 空気／公表する 乗組員s - some of who were just 18 - who flew ますます heavier types of long-範囲 爆撃機s.

It was so successful that Hitler was 軍隊d to コースを変える nearly a million men, 55,000 大砲 guns and a large part of the German 空気／公表する 軍隊 on to defending the nation instead of fighting offensively.

爆撃機 命令（する） flew almost every day and mostly at night during the war to 避ける 存在 発射 負かす／撃墜する - but this meant it was difficult to 位置を示す small 的s.

In 1941 it was decided whole 産業の cities should be 優先 的s. Larger four-engine 爆撃機s and 改善するd 航海 器具／備品 then followed to create a formidable fighting 軍隊.

The repeated and 執拗な attacks on German cities which followed became a 批判的な factor in the 解放 of Europe and the 敗北・負かす of Nazi Germany in 1945.