The Story of a Lancaster Pilot Who Fought Through Hell to Save His Friend

The Mission Over France

On the night of June 12th, 1944, a Canadian Lancaster bomber, KB726, took to the skies as part of a large Allied raid over northern France. Officer Andrew Mynarski was stationed in the mid-upper turret. More than 600 bombers were sent out that night to strike targets supporting the Normandy landings. As they approached their objective, searchlights began sweeping the sky, locking onto aircraft ahead of them.

From his position, Mynarski saw beams snapping toward nearby bombers. These lights made it easy for German night fighters to attack. One by one, Lancasters were shot down in flames. Inside the cockpit, 22-year-old pilot Arthur De Breyne warned his crew. Moments later, flak exploded beneath them, and soon three searchlights locked onto their plane. De Breyne immediately threw the bomber into a steep corkscrew maneuver to evade.

Under Attack by a Ju-88

After escaping the searchlights, the crew thought they were safe. But German night fighters often hunted by sight, not radar, and sometimes attacked without help from ground crews. Soon, a German Ju-88 approached them from behind. Tail gunner Pat Brophy spotted it just in time and warned the crew.

De Breyne pulled into another corkscrew. Brophy tried to track the fighter, but it moved beneath them—out of his line of fire. The Ju-88 had special upward-firing cannons designed to attack from the bomber’s blind spot. Brophy fired, but missed. The German fighter returned fire, launching 20mm shells that tore through KB726’s left wing.

The Fire Spreads Inside the Lancaster

The shells destroyed both engines on the left side. Fuel tanks were ruptured, and a massive fireball lit up the night. The flames spread quickly. Inside, oil lines were cut, electrical systems failed, and sparks triggered more fires. The cockpit lights went dark, and the bomber began drifting out of control.

De Breyne struggled to keep the aircraft steady as it began to bank heavily to one side. With no way to safely continue the mission or land, he gave the order to bail out. The crew scrambled to escape, but not everyone could.

Brophy Trapped in the Turret

At the rear, Pat Brophy’s intercom had failed. He couldn’t hear the bailout order and kept calling for updates. When no one answered, he realized something was wrong. He looked back and saw flames swallowing the fuselage—headed straight for his parachute.

He tried to rotate his turret to align the exit doors, but the hydraulics were damaged. With time running out, he reached through fire to grab his parachute from the cabin wall. After clipping it on, he attempted to move the turret by hand using a crank. It snapped in his grip. He was trapped.

Mynarski’s Selfless Act

Meanwhile, Andrew Mynarski had reached the escape hatch. But before jumping, he looked back and saw Brophy stuck in the burning turret. Without hesitation, Mynarski turned away from safety and grabbed an axe. He forced himself through the smoke and fire to reach his friend.

Flames set his clothing ablaze, and the pain became unbearable. Still, he pressed on. When Brophy saw him, he shouted for him to stop, but Mynarski ignored the warnings. He tried to force the turret open with the axe, then with his bare hands. Despite his burns, he fought to free Brophy. The turret barely moved.

Mynarski had done all he could. Unable to rescue his friend, he finally turned back toward the exit, now severely burned. His attempt to save Brophy would be remembered forever.