Linc Doll, born in Southampton on Valentine’s Day, February 14th 110 years ago today, was a Boy Scout leader, a Sunday School teacher and a choir leader and impacted many lives in the community. This simple man was also a decorated hero who would go on to receive one of the highest honours in World War II, the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).
The following is his story that was written up in ‘As Time Goes By – Musical Memories of Wartime” by Michael Sterling.
“Lincoln (Linc) Doll was a neighbour and friend of everyone in the village of Southampton born 110 years ago today, Feburary 14th, 1914.
He entered the RCAF in September 1942. His flight commander was harold Whowell, a British citizen and RAF member assigned to the RCAF for training and finally, combat missions. He trained Link in western Canada and rushed over tot he war theatre with link as his navigator. He wanted action and action he got.
It was hard to accumulate so many missions late in the war, so 27 missions over Germany and holland beginning in Marh, 1944 was unusual. Two of 27 were food drops over Holland to aid the starving Dutch. This was dangerous due to the SS resistance. The port of Amsterdam was still in jeopardy due to SS troops fanatically holding key positions. This forced the allies to supply through the Normandy beachhead now so far away.
Most raids were night raids. The US did most all of the day raids, Four of Linc’s were during the day too. He was the lead navigator in two of the four.
One of the 400 bomber Lancaster day raids was to Hamburg to destroy the U-boat pens. These were reinforced concrete structures with roofs up to the 30 feet thick. 500 lb. bombs were used to little effect. This was March 31, 1945. Linc led this raid.
In these raids pathfinders would go ahead and use phophorous explosives in colour for the lead navigator to zero in on the target. For example, bomb the red target area or blue. Many times the great Mosquitos were used for this task. Some of their parts were made at an old plywood factory in Southampton. Any error on the lead navigator’s part relative to time or direction was devastating.
They could miss the intended target, run into unexpected fighter swarms or get the whole squadron lost. Fighter cover could not help them deep into Germany. Lancasters flew into the night alone most of the time.
Some of the key raids were to Nuremberg, Hanover, Weisbaden, Politz, Dresden, Chemits, Dormund and other. In one huge raid on Munich, the route was changed three times in the pre-flight briefing. When Linc and the others got there, they were met by a swarm of luftwaffe intercept night fighters and heavy flack from the huge 88-mm guns. Seventy-five Lancasters were lost with each crew consisting of seven members. This was January 1, 1945, the new year and hte last years ot he titanic struggle. in this ill-fated raid, Linc used his head and after his bomb load had been dropped, he navigated 100 miles away from the firestorm. The prescribed route was back over the target again to the conserve fuel.
Linc, looking out each side of the Lancaster, saw that planes were spinning out of control everywhere and it would be suicide to return over the target. They would be easy prey. it must be remembered that Munich was the heart of the Nazi party. Hitler got his start here and the famous Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 took place in Munich. He defended it with his best, because he glorified the architecture and his old haunts.
Navigation was a difficult process then. Radar was used to get them on the ‘beam’, but much of it was done by star sightings on clear nights andknowing the ground on other days even inthe dark with blackout in force.
Radio and radar beams were good, but often jammed by the Nazi defences. One method used two beams which bounced back and gav a dot, dot, dot signal to the nvaigator, if theplane was off in one direction and a dash, dash, dash if, off inthe opposite direction. OIf the plane was on course, then a steady sound ws sent. nvaigation was, therefore, a science for the innovative and took a cool head and concentration under fire.
The last time I saw him, Link could not get out bed. Sandy Lee was giving a concert in the Nursing Home. I asked her to see Linc. She talked to him and held his hand. While I watched, she sang “When the Lights Go on Again all Over the World”. Tears from this brave man flowed.
Linc quotes:
*On Southampton – “I would not want to be any place else, ever.”
*On his youth – “I went to the Long dock and always returned with a basket of perch. That got tiresome for my mother and she finally said … I you catch ’em, you clean ’em”. Linc’s fishing days came to an end.
*On his role and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) – “I don’t know why they gave it to me.”
*On his wider role as a member of the ‘The Best Generation’ – “I was a very small part.”
Linc received the DFC and in his commendation, his superiors cited his coolness under adversity andpoint to a single mission in which his Lancaster became partially disabled and lost contact with the others. Linc got them safelyhome in terrible conditions. his award was written up in newspapers that were then yellowing in his drawer in the Southampton Nursing Home. They keen-eyed navigator had limited vision then, but in many ways he saw things we cannot see and never will.”
by Michael Sterling
