Posted By George Winckel on March 25, 2008 at 10:31:49:
On February 24, 1944, one certain Captain Hardy of 8th Bomber Command HQ in High Wycombe, filmed the footage embedded in a September 16, 2008 British newspaper clip I show below. The clip was of the rescue of my father and four others by the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service on the North Sea. Captain Hardy was on board of RAF High Speed Rescue Launch 185, used primarily to pick up downed flyers.
The five were Dutch students who escaped from The Netherlands in a 7M vessel, powered by 1931 Chevy Engine. It was the only successful North Sea crossing and escape during 1944. The story is well told in the clipping. The original film footage was given to one of the 5 students by this Captain Hardy during the war and the undersigned owns a copy. I am trying to locate records relating to this Captain Hardy such as the probable unit he would have belonged to with responsibility of filming certain aspects of the war. Anything else relating to Captain Hardy’s activities is of interest to me. Knowing his full name too would be of enormous interest to me as I try to reconstruct this event.
He was no doubt on board of the RAF Launch to capture the rescue of American crews on their return from the main land. February 24, 1944, would have been the fourth day of the five-day “Operation Argument” better known as “Big Week.” In stead of coming across any Americans, he found these five Dutchmen. It became the only filmed footage of the RAF rescue operations.
Thank you,
George Winckel, San Juan Capistrano, CA
http://new.edp24.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&itemid=NOED16%20Sep%202007%2017:36:51:480&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=search