| Nicholas Stephen Alkemade | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1923 |
| Died | 1987 (aged 63 or 64) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Flight Sergeant |
| Unit | No. 115 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (1923–1987) was a tail gunner for a Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster bomber during World War II who survived a fall of 18,000 feet (5500 m) without a parachute after his plane was shot down over Germany.
On the night of March 24, 1944, 21-year-old Alkemade was a member of No. 115 Squadron RAF and his Lancaster II, "S for Sugar", was flying to the east of Schmallenberg, Germany on its return from a 300-bomber raid on Berlin, when it was attacked by a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88 night-fighter, caught fire and began to spiral out of control. Because his parachute was destroyed by the fire, Alkemade opted to jump from the aircraft without one, preferring to die by impact rather than fire. He fell 18,000 feet (5500 m) to the ground below.
His fall was broken by pine trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. He was able to move his arms and legs and suffered only a sprained leg. The Lancaster crashed in flames, killing the pilot — Jack Newman — and three other members of the seven-man crew. They are buried in Hanover War Cemetery.
Alkemade was subsequently captured and interviewed by the Gestapo, who were initially suspicious of his claim to have fallen without a parachute until the wreckage of the aircraft was examined. He was then a celebrated POW before being repatriated in May 1945. (Reportedly, the orderly Germans were so impressed that Alkemade had bailed out without a parachute and lived that they gave him a certificate testifying to the fact.) He worked in the chemical industry after the war and died on June 22, 1987.