The WWII Gunner Who Miraculously Survive a 18,000-Foot Freefall

Nicholas Stephen Alkemade was a tail gunner in the Royal Air Force during World War II, serving aboard Avro Lancaster bombers. Tail gunners faced some of the most dangerous conditions in the war, often targeted by enemy fighters and exposed to harsh weather at high altitudes. Alkemade’s story stands out in aviation history for his survival under extraordinary circumstances, defying all odds during a mission in 1944.

The Incredible Survival of Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade

The event occurred on the night of March 24–25, 1944, when Alkemade was part of the crew aboard a Lancaster bomber nicknamed Werewolf. Their mission was to bomb Berlin, a dangerous assignment often met with heavy resistance from German night fighters and anti-aircraft defenses. As the bomber flew through German airspace, it came under attack from a night fighter that inflicted critical damage. The plane’s fuselage and wing caught fire, and it became clear to the crew that Werewolf would not make it back to base.

Alkemade, stationed in the tail section, faced a dire situation. When he reached for his parachute, he discovered it had been damaged and caught fire in the attack. Trapped in the burning aircraft and with no way to safely deploy his parachute, Alkemade made a quick and desperate decision. He chose to jump from the aircraft without any equipment to slow his fall, preferring to meet his end in the open air rather than be consumed by the flames.

Plummeting from an altitude of 18,000 feet, Alkemade should not have survived. However, a combination of factors worked in his favor. He fell through freezing air, which helped preserve his consciousness during the descent. His body then struck a patch of pine trees, which absorbed much of the impact, and he landed on deep snow, which further cushioned his fall. Remarkably, he suffered only a sprained knee and some cuts and bruises.

Alkemade’s Extraordinary Tale

When Alkemade regained awareness, he realized he was alive but in enemy territory. He was eventually captured by German forces and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp. Initially, his captors doubted his account of surviving such a fall without a parachute. However, they examined the wreckage of the Lancaster and confirmed that his parachute had indeed been destroyed. The German officers were reportedly so impressed by his survival that they provided him with a certificate verifying his story.

Alkemade spent the remainder of the war in captivity, but his survival story spread among Allied and German forces alike. His experience became a symbol of both the dangers faced by bomber crews and the incredible resilience displayed by those who served.

Nicholas Alkemade returned to civilian life after the war and rarely sought the spotlight, despite the extraordinary nature of his wartime ordeal. His survival remains one of the most astonishing events recorded during World War II, a story of luck, quick thinking, and the unpredictable nature of war.