The South African
Eric Horton Impey was one of the men who went to Warsaw. Those who love flight and the South African Air Force, and who attend ceremonies that honour the brave men who died in SAAF's service during World War II, will have heard of him. His beautiful poem "An Airman's Prayer" has been printed in many programs, read out at many services, and quoted in numerous speeches. He wrote it the night before he died, and it was found among his belongings in his tent after his death.
Eric Impey was born on 5th September 1918. He was a Cape Town lad and was schooled at Bishops, where he excelled at athletics, especially the high jump. In 1936, as part of the Western Province team, he achieved first place with a jump of 5ft 7½ins. (1.715m). By 1937, hehad managed to clear 6ft 1¼ins (1.86m) and in 1939, the year that war broke out, he became the Western Province champion. He joined up and in 1944 he was stationed at Kilo 40 in North Africa as part of 31 Squadron SAAF. He represented South Africa at an athletics meeting in Cairo and won the high jump, also showing great talent for discus, shot put and javelin as well.
In the same year, he was appointed as the navigator of Captain Allan's Liberator (B24) bomber.
Impey was described by his friends and colleagues as dependable and courageous, but also a man of gentle ways, a sensitive nature, and a strong Christian faith: a man who expressed his feelings through poetry. Those who knew him treasured his friendship.
Eric Horton Impey
The 16th of August 1944 would have been a bad day for him. His SAAF Squadron, No. 31, along with No. 34, had been posted to Foggia in Puglia, Italy, assigned to supply-dropping missions over Warsaw, then occupied by the Polish Home Army (the resistance movement) but under heavy attack by German forces.
Eric's two tent mates had flown to the Polish capital the previous night and had not returned: they were presumed dead. He had to pack up their belongings, and must have felt very lonely. (What he would never know, however, was that his friend, Bryan Jones, had survived his plane's crash landing at Warsaw's Okecie Airport.) The Warsaw supply flights have been labelled suicide missions, as they involved dangerous, low flying over heavily infested enemy territory, Warsaw in particular. When the time came for Eric and his crew to take off, so shortly after losing his tent companions, he must have felt a deep sense of foreboding.
The crew consisted of Capt L.C. Allen, Lt A.J. Munro, Lt W. Klokow, Lt E.B.H. Impey, W/O D.B. Brandsma, W/O D.J. Palmer, W/O E. Bradshaw (RAF) and Sgt J. Nickerson (RAF). They set course for Poland and successfully dropped their supply canisters over Warsaw, but sadly, they were shot down near Krakow in the early hours of August 17, 1944, on their way back to Foggia - there were no survivors.
Among the tributes paid to Eric after his
death was this one from Lt. Col. D.U.N.
Nel, Commanding Officer of No. 31
Squadron:
"Eric was extremely popular, and his
absence is greatly felt by all of us".
And this one, from the Air Vice-Marshall,
Polish Air Force, embracing both
Eric and his fellow-fliers:
"I know that all those who did not fail us
in this hard hour of distress were inspired
by a great love for freedom and justice,
and their names will be for ever cherished
in Poland amongst the names of her own
gallant heroes".
A selection of verses from Eric’s anthology:
An Airman’s Prayer
The poem was written before taking off for his last, and fatal, mission to Warsaw.
I thank thee for the life I've had,
For home and all its love;
I thank Thee for the faith I have,
That cometh from above.
Come with me now into the air –
Be with me as I fly.
Guide Thou each move that I shall make,
Way up there, in the sky
Be with me at the target, Lord,
When danger is at its height,
Be with me as I drop my load,
And on the homeward flight.
And should it be my time to die,
Be with me to the end.
Help me to die a Christian's death,
On Thee, God, I depend.
Then as I leave this mortal frame,
From human ties set free,
Relieve my soul, O God of love,
I humbly come to Thee.
The first four verses of an untitled poem that Eric wrote after a war-time experience which restored his faith in God:
To me Thy love is manifest,
I know its power and grace,
Give me the strength to do my best
When power of sin I face.
My life to me again you gave,
And this I surely know,
It is my duty now to slave:
Thy power to others show.
As Thou didst give me back my life,
It is no longer mine,
For Thou has saved me from the strife,
And all my powers are thine.
The first, second, and fifth verses of:
I Must Succeed
Come joy or sorrow, Lord,
I'll follow Thee:
Up to the mountain top,
Down to the sea.
Though storms of sin assail,
With Thee I cannot fail,
I must succeed.
Right now I'll follow Thee:
Take Thou the lead.
Thou Lord, dos't offer me
All that I need
However strong the foe,
This will I surely know:
I must succeed.
Bibliography
Impey, B.H.: "Eric", private publication, n.d.
Isemonger, L.: "The Men Who went to Warsaw", Freeworld Publications, 2002.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Robin and Di Impey, who provided much of the information for this article and with the photo of Eric.
Sadly Robin Impey, Eric Impey's nephew, passed away in 2022.
About the Author
Jean Urry grew up in the Eastern Cape and has a BA Sec Prac from Rhodes University and UNISA. She is married to Martin and they have two sons and five grandchildren.
Jean is a calligrapher and in her spare time studies Italian, French and German.
Commemoration services
Jean, her husband Martin and their
committee organise the annual Warsaw
Flights and Alpine 44 Commemoration
Services, which remember, respectively,
the men who flew to Warsaw and to
the Po Valley in Italy.
These services are held in
September in Johannesburg. The
services in 2024 will mark the 80th
anniversary of these missions. All
readers of this Journal would be
welcome to attend - contact the author
at jeanu@global.co.za
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
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