The first plane I shot down was on 18 August 1943, at Pennemunde. I shot down a Lancaster at about one in the morning, and I was so excited at the time.... on the following morning I went to see the plane I had shot down. The crashed plane was still smoking and smouldering, and we saw the bodies - all youngsters like me, but terribly burnt. I told myself, 'that is what you have done' and after that I could not go again to any plane I had shot down.
