Vic Tenger

Ex RAAF Flying Officer-16431
Vic Tenger

To the Lord Mayor Rotterdam in the Netherlands

Dear sir,

Soon the 29th of April 1995 will be the 50th Anniversary of the most rewarding experience of my life. I was an Australian Pilot, captain of a composite crew, Australian pilot, Navigator, Wireless operator, and four others, in my opinion, great Englishmen. Our aircraft Lancaster PA235, Coded LSE, RAF Squadron No. 15, From Mildenhall.

From boyhood I held an ambition to fly with the RAF, however this operation gave more appreciation and satisfaction than I ever had envisaged.

From 200 feet above Rotterdam, the view below brought tears to my eyes - laughter and tears - the reception given by your people below was overwhelming!

Waving at a Lancaster from a rooftop People standing on rooftops, on balconies, hanging out from windows - in the streets and in the fields - all with their eyes up, laughing nd waving with handkerchiefs, and with Dutch flags, proud, and with English flags and banners "vive la Tommies"

Under the suppression endured, to produce these symbols and such a welcome - what an effort and what a welcome - which at last seemds to make it all worthwhile.

Please thank your people for the crew of Lancaster LS-E

Vic Tenger and crew Best regards to all Rotterdam

Vic Tenger, Ex. RAAF Flying Officer - 16431

P.S. Our bomb aimer, Charlie Fuller, RAF, was injured in the arm by small-arms fire from the ground on this flight. He had already completed a tour of OPS in a Stirling!

24 april 1995

The Manna Monument at Terbregge

Place of commemoration

At the exact spot of one of the dropzones overlooking the freeway at Terbregge is the Manna monument located. It symbolizes the belly of an allied bomber filled with food parcels. The monument has been the central location of the Manna / Chowhound commemorations since its unveilling in 2006. One year later the Air Commodore Geddes footpath was opened next to the memorial.

Diary of Norman Coats

Belly turret gunner, 390th Bomb Group

May 3 - "Another mercy mission to Holland. We went deeper into Holland today. Very low altitude. I believe I must have waved at everyone in Holland. It is really a shame the ocean being turned into Holland. The great fields of tulips are beautiful. They had, "Thank You" spelled out with rocks. They could see me waving at them because they would point each others attention to it. Some of them had American flags waving them."