Bernie M. Farber: Alfred Brenner, the man in the flying suitcase

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By Bernie M. Farber

It was Feb. 18, 1943, and Flight-Lieutenant (F/L) Alfred Brenner was a long way from his home in Toronto. He and his three-man crew were on a sortie off the Dutch coast in their Hampden torpedo-bomber when they spotted 12 Nazi merchant ships escorted by five destroyers.

Merchant Marine ships were basically floating warehouses that transported everything from artillery to ammunition to troops and war materials wherever they were needed for battle. Both the Allied and Axis powers did all they could to protect these ships since they were the lifeline for the fighting troops on the front.

In other words, they were prime targets. Brenner and his crew plunged down till they were flying almost level with the water, and began attacking the ships with their torpedos.[np-related]

Known as the “flying suitcase” because of its cramped cockpit, the Hampden Bomber had already been removed from most theatres in 1942 because it was considered unsafe. Indeed, it was one of the more dangerous war planes to fly.

Brenner and his three crewmates scored a direct hit on a 5,000-tonne merchant ship, which burst into flames. Then came the return fire. As F/L Brenner told Canadian Press dispatch weeks afterwards, “All hell broke loose. Every ship in the convoy began firing at us.” Brenner’s own Hampden was badly hit. He climbed up to 2,000 feet, from which point the radio operator was able to send an SOS.

The rudder, the port engine and the wing tips were severely damaged by the flak from the Nazi destroyers. Brenner also felt an immense flash of heat from a shell that penetrated the fuselage through the bomb bays, striking the armour behind his pilot seat. The plane would soon be going down.

As the flames were creeping toward the fuel line, Brenner was able to ease his Hampden into the cold waters of the North Sea 30 miles from Yarmouth.

The plane sank quickly. But before it did, the crew members were able to inflate a rescue dinghy. Paddles, flares, sailing masts and rations went down with the aircraft, however.

Brenner and his crew used their now-useless flashlights, with dead batteries removed, to bail water from the dinghy as they floated in dangerous waters. Miraculously, one crew member had managed to save the pigeon container (carrier pigeons were on board all bomber flights, and helped save thousands of RAF personnel) — and the pigeons were dispatched back to Bomber command with co-ordinates.

Not knowing their fate, the crew members held off from drinking their only fresh quart of water. For meals, they allowed themselves one energy tablet from an aid kit that they managed to salvage.

Two days later, they were spotted by a rescue unit. The North Sea currents can be dangerous, so the rescue mission was itself a minor act of heroism. The rescue plane skimmed into the water after dropping a smoke flare to guide its way. F/L Brenner was able to grab the rescue float and all three men were pulled on board.

The captain of the rescue flight, F/L Leonard Jack Brown, reported that the men were surprisingly fit and well after such long exposure to the elements. And despite not having had any water in two days, all three men seemed mostly interested in confirming that the merchant ship they’d torpedoed was a confirmed hit.

On Sept. 10, 1943, newly promoted Squadron Leader Alfred Brenner was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by His Majesty King George VI at an investiture at Buckingham Palace. The Dispatch to the medal read in part: “Throughout his [Brenner’s] tour of operations, this officer has displayed the greatest keenness and devotion to duty.”

Alfred Brenner returned to civilian life after the war. His eldest son, Donald Ian Brenner, became a renowned commercial pilot and lawyer, ending his career as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

During the Second World War, 16,883 Canadian Jews enlisted for service. Close to 700 were killed in action. Squadron Leader Alfred Brenner was one of 196 Canadian Jewish Servicemen decorated for heroism.

National Post

Bernie M. Farber is the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress. This is one in a continuing series of articles, published on Remembrance Day, highlighting the exploits of Canadian Jewish war heroes.