Memories of Service 1 - James McQueen

Web (Full Length) – 2015

Shot down on just his second bombing raid over Germany, James McQueen describes life as a prisoner of war in this interview. Then 93 years old, Invercargill-born McQueen recalls bailing out from a burning Wellington bomber and eventually falling into German hands. After interrogation by the Gestapo he was sent to a p.o.w. camp, where he stayed for two and a half years. McQueen describes life there, his release and the psychological impact of his experiences, including the feeling of failure prompted by his brief time in combat. McQueen passed away on 15 December 2015.

When they took me back they put me in a cell on my own. I was just 21 at that time, and that was a low point when I discovered myself alone, because I hadn’t learned to cope with solitude like that.
– James McQueen