The WW2 RAF Gunner Who Survived A Lancaster Crash | Forces TV

[@forces_news]

Watch the series "Our Finest", where we get up close and personal with Britain's veterans: kzbin.info/aero/PLeQQkbf45pQPjLI6iQliXgU0X-fflOtXX

[@milesthom3201]

I am always amazed by the courage shown by those ordinary French people who risked everything to defy the Germans in the war.

[@davidmarshall1259]

it was the least they could do. face the truth mate.

[@bergssprangare]

@uncletigger Bolle Boche..I've wouldn't be so nice to those saukrauts eaters

[@bigblue6917]

The story reminded me of something I read some years ago about a rear gunner on a bomber which got hit coming back from a raid. He was told to stay in his turret as they were not sure where they were and did not want to get jumped by German nightfighters. This he did while others in the crew fought the fire. Then there was a sudden explosion and the aircraft disintegrated. Sometime later the rear gunner woke up still in his turret which was wedged up in a tree. He managed to get out onto the ground but had no idea where he was. He found a road and was walking down it when he heard voices, so he got off the road where he would wait until the people went passed. When they got closer he realised they were speaking English. It turned out the bomber was over England when it exploded and he was the only survivor.

[@georgec4917]

I recall a similar incident where a turret gunner was trapped and went down with the plane and survived.

[@bigblue6917]

@@georgec4917 You look at something like that and think that should not happen. But if you roll the dice enough times then it will turn up.

[@angeloddrev]

Wow that is insane. What a story. I swear the angels were on our side, there are so many stories where people shouldn't have survived but got so lucky. Beggars belief.

[@liamsmith3067]

These, these are the stories people need to hear.

[@maureenmcglynn6843]

Liam Smith couldn't agree more. My dad fought in WW2, British army. He once told me he and others captured, survived and VB escaped because ad they were marching in the German soldiers opened fire at them. So he and a couple other guys dove under a pile of dead bodies, so were not shot and killed. This is why I have such great respect for this great gentleman. God bless him. And thank YOU so much for appreciating these guys.

[@SEPK09]

Esp: the young generation.

[@petermclauchlan8793]

Never a TRUER✔ Word !

[@knightowl3577]

Tremendous bravery by those French people who had everything to lose.

[@TheBuccaneer1975]

The strength of character required to share a drink with a man you once called an enemy is something we need more of in 2020.

[@TheBuccaneer1975]

@Tim Webb Never teach history

[@mandywalkden-brown7250]

TheBuccaneer1975 - absolutely agree. He appears to have skipped picking up history books and just made up his own version out of whole cloth.

[@TheBuccaneer1975]

@Tim Webb Lolololololol, THAT is quite the speech my friend, a conspiracy theory par excellence. I mean where do I even start picking that apart? What you have done here its take individual pieces of truth and re-weave them into a completely new tapestry of events. If you want a cliche' take a look at your triggered metaphors.

[@angeloddrev]

Agree, they were all victims of war though. The german fighter pilots were just as big victims and used as tools as our fellows. The people at the top are the ones who needed to fight it out, not using our innocent young men and women to fight their battles for them.

[@carabus0354]

Thank you for your service and bravery. These stories are living history and sadley will pass into history and must be recorded. Thank you for sharing and saving it for future generations.

[@stulynn2005]

Cheers to a generation of people who came together for a common cause So many heroes we owe our lives to

[@miniminimi12]

People go on about bravery and being a hero today, mostly for doing a job they are paid for. This man and the people who helped him are the true heroes.

[@jimmyb1559]

I was overcome with emotion hearing his story. So many brave people-soldiers and civilians- got us through the war. From an American to all those overseas who sacrificed so much for freedom, THANK YOU for your service. I hope our nations never forget how much we have needed and still need each other.

[@orwellboy1958]

@Tim Webb And you are just a troll, crawl back in to you cave

[@mandywalkden-brown7250]

Illya Kuryakin - Lol. I was about to say the same thing to this uneducated, uninformed, tinfoil hat wearing troglodyte. What an annoying little worm it is.

[@karlaiken6152]

A truly great story. Good that you interviewed Mr Manning before he passed. Most WW2 vets are gone now. We need to save more stories before its too late. Thanks for sharing.

[@hertsish]

Mr. Manning (I hope that my spelling is correct) Kudos to you for your service, to those who protected you, to the German pilot who was brave enough to face you and to you again for showing him forgiveness.

[@mandywalkden-brown7250]

Tim Webb - would you please pick up some WWII aviation history books, you’re embarrassing yourself spiting absolute twaddle. If you don’t know of which you speak please stay silent, it’s not helpful in the least. I just glanced at the comment section and you’ve bungled two out two thus far, well done you. Now go and do some proper research please. Your egregious level of ignorance on display is exhausting me!

[@davidgaston738]

my uncle was blown out of a tank in ww2 sole survivor he was posted as missing due to the fact that being brewed up in a tank was to be incinerated beyond recognition, how ever he got blown out when it got hit god knows how; though severely wounded the germans took him and treated him, later a german wrote to my grandmother of his fate and capture and he was alive;

[@patrickguinnane]

giving back the uniform, minding it and taking care of it, what a great moment

[@heidbumbee1689]

Another important story that makes the war a human story and not just numbers. Thank you Len.

[@cyclingnerddelux698]

Young men, showing great courage, under extraordinary circumstances.

[@edwardprice9722]

Thank you for your service sir.

[@wekapeka3493]

Thank you for recording these stories, they are priceless.

[@graham2631]

I think a point to pay attention to is,"he(the German) was just a soldier in a war just like l was and actually quite a nice fellow" most soldiers are just that. Soldiers with a job to do. A rather nasty job serving their country. The soldier does not make the terrible decisions. he is only given the task of carrying them out. All soldiers are haunted the rest of their lives. I'm sure the German fellow came to meet him to sort out his demons and sleepless nights. I can only imagine the pain all soldiers carry the rest of their lives. I've known a few from WWII and also from some recent conflicts in the past few decades. They all have demons and sleepless nights. What we ask of them is beyond measure.

[@aeroearth]

"Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do and die" Thank you Len Manning for your gift to me of freedom to be born and to live my life. Tens of thousands were not so lucky as you and I shall be forever grateful to you and your generation for that gift of freedom.

[@Neomet010]

Well said Graham. My father was a combat infantryman in North Africa and Italy. He always talked about the German soldiers with great respect. It was just a job and both sides were doing horrible, ugly things in terrible conditions while their friends around them were dying.

[@tracya4087]

brave man . god bless him

[@gttennisandfitness4476]

WHY ISN'T THIS A FILM ABOUT THE LANCASTER BOMBERS!!!!!! AMAZING STORY JUST AMAZING. LENNY YOU LEGEND AS WELL AS ALL THE FRENCHIES THAT HELPED SAVE YOU ALONG THE WAY....... WOW

[@maori_Mcsouljah]

Thank you for ur service

[@jamiepeacock1311]

Wow what an amazing man and his story. Thank you.

[@stupot2009]

Those women had guts and bravery to help len I have the utmost respect for them and every other person who helped us in France and many other countries fight the evil

[@graememorris7820]

It's very moving to think of the bravery of all the French people who helped len.

[@pup1008]

I was saying to my *18* year old son that if he, as many did at his age, had to endure ONE of these terrifying raids he would probably come back a nervous wreck & the back of his trousers might have changed colour but these guys did that & very often scraped home knowing they had done that by the skin of their teeth having endured *6 hours* of abject terror only to wake up the following morning to...... do it all over *AGAIN!* ....Unbelievable commitment & bravery! I get a bit jittery boarding the holiday A320 for a 3 hour flight to somewhere sunny but these guys were flying in the primitive days of aviation where even on a flight over friendly airspace you were taking your life in your hands but to do that at night, over hundreds of miles with people & machines shooting at you..... Like I say....Unbelievable!

[@michellemaher6144]

The 18 year old kids in uniform today and for the last 19 years have been given the short end of the stick. In the US 24 returned veterans take their own lives each day. (the VA stated that if the figure included domestic violence and criminal apprehension it would be doubled) You don't support the Troops when you support the lies that get them killed! The phoney 'Wars OF Terror' is a lie!!!

[@Denis-tg6jw]

Deep Heat your son might well have been just as brave if not more than this man. Why denigrate him by assuming he wouldn't cope.

[@peterscrafton9106]

I agree, wholeheartedly, with Messrs. Smith, Carabus and Murphy: the courage of all of these unsung heroes, and of he gallant airmen whom they sheltered, must be recorded. Bravo, Forces TV!

[@forces_news]

Thank you, Peter! Watch all of the interviews with "Our Finest" here: kzbin.info/aero/PLeQQkbf45pQPjLI6iQliXgU0X-fflOtXX

[@garylangston2818]

What a great story thank you for sharing amazing man and RIP to the rest of his crew.

[@paulphilipempey1]

Great story, and pleased to hear of the help from the French.

[@dennis7511]

Such amazing bravery from the French.

[@squidword64]

Phew! what a story, amazing courage from humble French civilians.

[@jamesmcleesh2688]

Thank you for your Len and to those brave French Women . My late father served in the R.A.F in Bomber Command during W.W 2 . as an Flight Sergeant Air Gunner. When I was a young boy he would tell me a few stories of what happened. You all were very brave , not like all of those nowadays who are Spinless Cowards desecrating the memory of all those who Gave Their All for Freedom. R.I.P God Bless You.

[@ozzmanzz]

An amazing story thanks for posting.

[@werly5111]

R.I.P Len

[@dash1890]

GOD BLESS YOUR SIR. THANK YOU BIG RESPECT

[@WyeExplorer]

What a touching story. Really good to hear it from lens lips. Mark

[@samsparks7303]

What a great story. Hats off to you sir.

[@patriciabracken7546]

My greatest respect to you sir. Thank you. 💗💟💝👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@paulbradford8240]

A lovely story. Very brave ladies.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Excellent retelling, and outcome. Unfortunately, having received similar War Office letter's of ''MISSING'' half brother's, one spent the remaining war in POW camps, the other , wasn't confirmed dead, till after 8 months. He had lost his life on the very last RAF bombing raid on Germany (Kiel) of the War, 3/5 / 1945, 5 days from Wars end.

[@raisagorbachov]

It would be lovely to have a followup on the resistance fighters mentioned.

[@simonrichardson5077]

Good work,thanks

[@daviddalby9699]

Thanks for your braveness.

[@spacedudey2k]

Thanks for your service Len.

[@stevealino2899]

Proper hero right there. Nuff said

[@Wheelabarraback]

Incredible!

[@ianbell5611]

Great video Amazing courage of these two ladies.

[@angeloddrev]

I hope the RAF gave that French family some kind of compensation for the high risk they took, for taking care of their own (and others) for 4 long months when there were little around, I doubt it but they deserved it. I also hope they somehow got to stay in touch with the lad they grew so fond of.

[@nickhartshorne470]

What beautiful story , God bless them all

[@roberthughes513]

Wow, what a great story, thank you. Did you ever see the ladies again?

[@salus1231]

Would have been nice to have perhaps gone back to see madame Louisette Beaujard and her mother when an opportunity came perhaps 1950s or 60s . The mother might have gone by then perhaps but it would have been an even better ending.

[@erikhalvorseth3950]

Bless those lovely French women. What bravery

[@michaellawrence2762]

Where would you find such men today ?

[@maxinejupp7857]

wonderful story

[@normplatt7549]

Salute!

[@tailgunnerrich592]

They should make a movie out of this.

[@lindsayrixon7402]

Incredible stories of courage and bravery against what was a brutal enemy at the time. I just can’t imagine today’s millennium snow flakes having anywhere near the guts to do this. I salute you sir, love from Oz. 🇦🇺

[@paulhank7967]

Thank you a million times. I despair at today's spineless safe space wasters, who'll never live up to these stalwarts.

[@sziltner]

Excellent video except for the horrible background music. Let the man speak unhindered by terrible background music.

[@WELMER-by1yu]

Hero .

[@elizabetharmada5335]

Wala po bang kayong suot na parachute sa katawan ng oras na yun,Tatay? Nakahiway po ang lalagyan ng parachute?

[@crafter170]

Shitty job they had .Every one a volunteer .Their losses were shocking .Lumbering along slowly like sitting ducks for the night fighters guns.Balls of steel.

[@dhss333]

Do we need the ivories (piano)?

[@cutterbacon]

9 dislikes are obviously germans.

[@SEPK09]

What annoys me the most, A, people that dislike this NO respect what so ever, and B the young generation of today, who complain and wine about everything and more so the kind of idiots that pull down statues etc, this guy was more than likely their age and had to fight for his life and country every day EVERY day.! you put that in front of a teenager today they would faint. Show respect to people like this at every outset, as there is never no doubt of what these people did for us.!

[@sambeach2726]

A great story, like so many others of that era. I assume the uk and French govt gave awards to these brave French.

[@ericrooke9497]

Sheer guts

[@somethingelse4878]

I real working class hero

[@captainhindsight8779]

A great British gent.

[@petermclauchlan8793]

💓Bless 'em ALL✔ .... & remember ~ to " FORGIVE "✔ incl. *ourselves✔ is... to 😍 Heal✔ the PAIN & move on ✔ to a 😍😍 New ✔ & HAPPIER✔ Status Quo 🤔Amen. 😊

[@dhss333]

Despite HIS being alive & well - not rhe Air Ministry's being etc.

[@davidrobinson9275]

Are you watching SNOWFLAKES. 19. 19. 19. Yes 19 😬

[@fascistalien]

LOL

[@lambshank8743]

My great uncle was with the 77 squad he was shot down and was the only survivor have been searching for the serial number or any photos of the bomber with no luck. May they never be forgotten ❤