March 24 - Leap of Faith: An RAF Gunner’s Miraculous WWII Survival Tale

God's Preparation Before Our Crisis

This is the day RAF rear gunner Nicholas Alkemade survived a fall from 18,000 feet without a parachute in 1944.

In today's lesson, we will explore how God often prepares solutions long before we encounter problems. What appears as coincidence might actually be evidence of divine providence at work. How might recognizing God's advance preparation change the way you face uncertainty?

Avro Lancaster PA474 of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 460 Squadron (RAAF) colors (Wikipedia)

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"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" - Genesis 22:13-14 (NIV)

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This Date in History

Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade stood at the open hatch of his burning Lancaster bomber, 18,000 feet above Nazi Germany. Behind him, flames engulfed the aircraft's tail section where his gun turret had been. Below, only darkness. His parachute was already consumed by fire, leaving him with an impossible choice: burn to death or jump without any means of slowing his fall. In that moment, the 21-year-old British airman made the decision that would make him a legend—he jumped.

The night of March 24, 1944, had begun as a routine bombing mission for the crew of RAF Lancaster LL739. Part of a 795-aircraft raid targeting Berlin, their bomber carried a full complement of seven men, with Alkemade serving as rear gunner. Born in North Walsham, Norfolk, the young airman had joined the Royal Air Force in 1941, eventually becoming part of the 115 Squadron based at RAF Witchford in Cambridgeshire. As rear gunner, Alkemade occupied what was statistically the most dangerous position on the aircraft, sitting isolated in a cramped perspex turret armed with four .303 Browning machine guns.

The mission progressed normally until their return flight, when a German Junkers Ju 88 night fighter spotted them. The enemy aircraft's cannon fire ripped through the Lancaster's fuselage, setting the bomber ablaze. With the aircraft fatally damaged at 18,000 feet, the captain ordered the crew to bail out. As Alkemade turned to leave his position, he discovered his parachute had been reduced to ashes by the intense fire. Facing certain death either way, he chose to jump rather than burn, hoping the end would come quickly.

Plummeting through the night sky, Alkemade later recalled experiencing a sense of resignation rather than terror. He maintained consciousness throughout the fall, watching the burning bomber recede above him. After falling for nearly three minutes, he crashed through the branches of pine trees in a forest near Schmallenberg, which significantly broke his fall before he landed in deep snow. Miraculously, he survived with only a sprained leg and minor cuts and bruises. The soft snow and the deceleration provided by the tree branches had saved his life against astronomical odds.

German troops who found him initially refused to believe his story. Convinced he was a spy who had parachuted in and was concealing his equipment, they searched the area thoroughly. When they located the remains of the Lancaster and found his turret with the smoldering parachute inside, they accepted his incredible account. Alkemade became something of a celebrity among his German captors, with officers from other Luftwaffe units visiting to meet the "Airman Who Fell to Earth." Officials documented his survival with signed statements, recognizing it as a remarkable case study in human survival.

Alkemade spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner at Stalag Luft III, the same camp famous for the "Great Escape" that had occurred just days before his capture. Unlike many of his fellow airmen, he fared relatively well in captivity, his unusual status affording him a degree of respect from guards and fellow prisoners alike. After liberation in 1945, Alkemade returned to England where his story initially met with skepticism until authenticated by both German and Allied documentation. Medical experts later suggested that the particular combination of his freefall position, the configuration of the pine branches, and the exceptionally deep, fresh snow created perfect conditions for survival.

The "Miracle of the Falling Airman" became one of World War II's most astonishing survival stories. Nicholas Alkemade returned to civilian life after the war, working in the chemical industry in Loughborough, occasionally recounting his experience at RAF events but otherwise living quietly until his death in 1987.

The FN-20 four-gun tail turret on an Avro Lancaster. (Wikipedia)

Historical Context

World War II had reached a crucial phase by early 1944, with Allied bombing campaigns intensifying against Nazi Germany. The Royal Air Force Bomber Command was conducting massive nighttime raids, targeting German industrial and military infrastructure. These missions were incredibly dangerous, with bomber crews facing a daunting 44% casualty rate over the course of the war. The Lancaster bomber, which entered service in 1942, had become the backbone of Britain's strategic bombing campaign, capable of carrying heavy payloads deep into enemy territory.

The specific Berlin raid on the night of March 24, 1944, was part of the "Battle of Berlin," a sustained bombing campaign against the German capital. This period was particularly hazardous for Allied aircrews as the Luftwaffe had developed sophisticated night-fighting techniques, including radar-equipped aircraft and effective searchlight systems. German fighter pilots like those who attacked Alkemade's Lancaster had become adept at intercepting bombers on their return flights when they were most vulnerable, often low on fuel and potentially damaged from anti-aircraft fire over their targets.

Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade

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Did You Know?

• The Lancaster bomber crew that Nicholas Alkemade served with typically undertook a tour of duty consisting of 30 combat missions, but due to the extremely high casualty rates, many crews never completed their tours. By early 1944, only about 25% of bomber crews survived to complete all 30 missions.

• Scientific interest in Alkemade's survival contributed to broader discussions about terminal velocity and human survival. Under specific conditions, a human body can reach a terminal velocity of approximately 120 mph, and survival is possible if sufficient deceleration occurs through snow, trees, or other cushioning factors.

• The forest where Alkemade landed was located in the Sauerland region of Germany, an area with dense pine forests. Snow and tree branches played a significant role in cushioning his fall and contributing to his survival.

• Several other airmen survived falls without functioning parachutes, including RAF pilot Flight Lieutenant Joe Herman in 1944 and American airman Alan Magee, who fell approximately 22,000 feet through the glass roof of a train station in 1943. However, Alkemade's fall from approximately 18,000 feet with only minor injuries remains one of the most remarkable survival cases on record.

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Today’s Reflection

Some moments in history do more than tell a story–they reveal a pattern of how God works. In 1944, RAF airman Nicholas Alkemade faced an impossible decision: remain in his burning aircraft and be consumed by fire, or leap 18,000 feet to what seemed certain death without a parachute. He jumped. In what many would call an impossible survival, he landed in a dense stand of pine trees and thick snow that absorbed the impact. But perhaps the most remarkable detail isn't just the survival itself, but the realization that the very things that would end up preserving his life had already been there, silently waiting, long before he knew he would need them.

That detail reframes the story entirely. It's not merely about survival against odds; it's about provision before the crisis.

"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:13–14 (NIV)

This ancient account reveals a profound spiritual truth: God often prepares solutions before we even encounter problems.

When Abraham climbed Mount Moriah with his son Isaac, he had no idea how God would fulfill His promise to make him the father of many nations while also requiring the sacrifice of his son. Yet God had already positioned a ram in the thicket, waiting to be discovered at precisely the right moment. Abraham didn't summon the ram through desperate prayer at the crisis point. The provision was already there, placed by divine foresight. Even more than foresight, this was sovereign orchestration—God's active work in aligning provision with His perfect plan and timing.

We often think of God's intervention as something that happens at the moment of our greatest need—the dramatic rescue, the last-minute miracle. But Scripture and experience suggest that God frequently works in advance, setting up circumstances, relationships, resources, and opportunities that will become crucial later. Think of Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt years before a famine would threaten his family. Consider David's early experiences as a shepherd preparing him for eventual confrontations with Goliath and leadership as king.

This perspective challenges us to develop what might be called a "theology of God's unseen groundwork"—a deeper awareness of His providential care beneath the surface of ordinary life. While this phrase may be new, it simply echoes timeless biblical truths about God's faithful preparation and provision.

The skills you developed in previous seasons, the relationships you formed years ago, the knowledge you acquired without knowing why, all might be God's way of preparing soft snow and strong branches for a fall you don't yet know is coming.

Perhaps the most humbling aspect of this truth is recognizing how many divine provisions we've benefited from without ever noticing.

"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat." Isaiah 25:4 (NIV)

How many storms have passed us by because of shelters God positioned in our path? How many disasters have we narrowly avoided because of guardrails invisibly placed? We may never know the full extent of God's preventative grace in our lives.

This hidden providence invites us to practice a different kind of faith. It's a faith that trusts not just in God's ability to respond to crises but in His sovereign wisdom and loving orchestration to prepare for them before they arise. It calls us to look at our present circumstances differently, wondering if what feels ordinary today might be God's preparation for something extraordinary tomorrow.

As Jesus taught, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8 (NIV) God doesn't just know our future needs; He actively prepares for them.

Living with awareness of this unseen providence changes how we face uncertainty. When Alkemade jumped from his burning aircraft, he had no idea what awaited him below. Similarly, when we step out in faith into unknown futures, we can trust that God has already been working ahead of us, preparing what we need.

This doesn't guarantee absence of pain or struggle, but it does promise that we never fall outside the realm of God's preparatory care.

Will you recognize the evidence of God's advance work in your life? The invitation today is to trust not just in God's presence during crisis, but in His providence long before crisis arrives. What seems like coincidence or chance might actually be evidence of a loving God who prepared your landing ground long before you knew you would need it.

Practical Application

Take time today to identify at least three "preparatory provisions" in your life that were in place before you needed them. These might include relationships, skills, resources, or opportunities that later proved crucial during a time of difficulty. For each provision, write down how God might have been working behind the scenes to position this blessing in your path. Then create a small visual reminder of God's advance work in your life. This could be a simple symbol drawn on a sticky note placed where you'll see it daily or a small object that represents one of those provisions. Let this serve as a prompt to recognize God's unseen groundwork in both your past and present circumstances, training your spiritual eyes to see His providence at work long before crisis arrives.

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Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your perfect providence and the ways You work silently ahead of our needs. Thank You for being the God who provides not just in the moment of crisis, but long before we even recognize our need. We acknowledge that Your sovereign care extends far beyond what we can see or comprehend.

Lord, open our spiritual eyes to recognize the countless ways You have prepared our paths and positioned provisions for seasons we couldn't anticipate. Help us to trust not just in Your response to our prayers, but in Your foresight that has already been working on our behalf. When we face uncertainty, remind us of the ram in the thicket, the trees and snow that break our falls, and the countless unseen mercies You have orchestrated in our lives. May we walk forward in confidence, knowing that You have gone before us and that Your provision awaits. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Final Thoughts

Like pine trees growing silently for decades before breaking a fallen airman's descent, God's providence works mysteriously in advance of our greatest needs. The most profound miracles may not be the dramatic rescues that capture our attention, but the quiet preparation that God orchestrates long before crisis arrives. As you move through uncertainty today, remember that your landing ground has already been prepared by a Father who sees the end from the beginning and works all things together for good.

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THIS IS THE DAY Last Year

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Author’s Notes

This past week, our family experienced the loss of one of my wife's relatives. In all the years I knew him, he never showed interest in discussing spiritual things. In fact, he was known for being indifferent toward religion altogether. Yet, as his life drew to a close, my wife had the privilege of spending precious moments with him and his family. During that time, she read scripture to him.

But today brought even greater comfort. At his memorial service, we learned that for months he had privately spoken with another family member about salvation. He had witnessed Christ vividly displayed in that relative's life. Deep down, he realized that he wanted whatever had transformed that person. It was the answer he had been seeking.

Tomorrow we will lay him to rest with renewed hope. We now look forward with confidence to seeing him again when we finally reach our eternal home. Thank God for His wonderful grace!

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