7:30, Same school all day. Went back at 7 for lectures on procedure, got out at 9. The lectures are interesting and toward the last became one good bull session. The two English leutenants, the instructors, are swell fellows, good sports and a heck of a lot of fun to talk to. I got two packages from home today. One from Alice, the other from Grandmother Johnson. The one from Johnson's is a scrap book. Alice included a knife, fruit cake and some other things. It sure is nice of her. I have had no chance to get something for her. Suppose I can get something here and get it there just after Christmas. I sure hate to disappoint her. A ship, B-17 landed with one engine feathered on its way home after a raid. No one was injured + they told us a lot. B.1130
 
 

Rattlesden December 2
 

730 I was feeling pretty good when I got up. Didn't go to chow, straight to school. I had quite a bit of fun after school, we got off at 3:30 the first time R.O.'s got off early all this week. I came back to the barracks + played cribbage until supper, then the show afterwards. M.D., Fred + I went to the R.C. Rec Hall after the show + got some tea. I have a cold and didn't get anything besides tea. For some reason I still don't like the stuff but at least it was hot. I should write a letter to the Johnsons, Roy's + Lamoine's. Dashed off a V mail to Mom and Dad. Got some presents from Alice and the L.U. Tuck's incorporated today. It's still muddier than all heck and wading around in overshoes all day is hard work. Sent off quite a few Christmas cards. Oh yes, we'll be wearing flak suits + helmets on all our raids. B.11
 
 

Rattlesden December 3
 

9-45 For the first time since we've been here I got to sleep in. The bed sure felt good. Went to school at 10, took the radio equipment tests and a written test. Came out O.K. The Limey leutenant told us we didn't have to go to school anymore as far as he was concerned. All afternoon it has been raining; Fred + I played cribbage until 4 PM, went to the Red Cross Rec Hall and got some tea. On the way back I stopped at mess hall + ate. After chow spent a quiet evening writing letters and Christmas cards. We're supposed to start practice missions soon. One gunner with 25 missions said Jerry loves to tackle new outfits. The first 4 or 5 trips over will be hardest. After that we'll sit back and sweat it out. B.10
 
 

Rattlesden

Saturday December 4
 

1015 Went up to finance and got my per diem money 1650 or 2\ 12' 2, approximately. Came back + played cribbage until 1215 when the whole crew went to chow. Now they are feeding us pretty good. After lunch M.D., Mac, Fred + I took our helmets, oxygen masks up to respective places to be fixed. We got back in time to get in the chow line at 4:45. After supper we went over to the theater + sat from 545 until 7. No show so we came back to the barracks. I played more cribbage, a shilling a game, lost three, won one. Fred had a lot of luck tonight. Lt. H.E.M. came in and told me I'd have to get up by 6:30 to go to Burtonwood again. We fly someone's ship up there + try to bring our ship back. Packed my field bag in preparation. B.1200
 
 

Rattlesden December 5 Sunday
 

6:30 This morning to go to Burtonwood. The C.Q. woke me up. I got over to the officer's barracks to walk with T.W.G., Mamlock + Laz to the mess hall. Good chow this morning. Got out to the ship we were supposed to take up to B.; Mamlock + I pulled the props thro, then T.W.G. showed up and told us the trip was cancelled. We jumped into the jeep + went back to our barracks. I played cards the rest of the day and read. A show was scheduled tonight, Fred, M.D. + I sat in the theater from 530 to 630, no show. Got more books from the rec hall. I played more cards with Fred for an hour + a half + then got ready to go to bed. I wanted to go to Burtonwood pretty bad. We haven't flown for 2 weeks + I'm getting kind of restless for something to do, especially to try some of the stuff we learned in school here. B.1030
 
 

Rattlesden December 6 Mon
 

Got up this morning when Mac and Dill tipped my bed over about 11:30 AM. All day I didn't do anything except play cards with Fred. Just after chow (supper) the whole crew went to the theater and sat from 530 to 745, saw "China". We then went to the Red Cross Rec Hall, got something to eat, then we got books from the R.C. library + came back to the barracks to read and play cards until 11. Lt. Mamlock came in at 9 and told me our crew couldn't fly until I completed my schooling. I was supposed to be thru 4 days ago. I'll go see about it tomorrow. Bed at 12.

Rattlesden

Tues December 7
 

7:45 Got up early to go to radio school and find out what's wrong with the records. They had me down for needing a lecture that I had already had. Everything is O.K. now. Got back to the barracks at 1030 after buying my weeks rations + selling the cigaretts to T.W.G. After lunch we took our helmets to the welding shop + had them altered; then to the paint shop to put "Hi Jinx" on them in yellow paint. One of the fellows does it on the side to earn a little extra cash. We are supposed to get them tomorrow. Fred + I skipped supper in order to get seats at the theater. When we got there some lecture on rubber dingies was in progress. A lot of fellows went in + got seats. Fred + I went in too. I felt sorry for that captain giving the speech, everybody filing in all the time. We saw Dianna Durbin in "First Love", a very good show. It was a modernized version of "Cinderella". Went to R.C. + got supper, tea + sandwiches, went back to barrack to read until 11.
 
 

Rattlesden

Wed December 8
 

9:45 Got up, went up to the paint shop to see if my helmet has been completed yet. It hadn't. After chow Fred + I washed up + showered in water almost ice cold. Went to a P.W. lecture at 3:00, after this I went to the base photo lab to have my picture taken in some English civies. They looked like some of these zoot suits some people wear. The pictures are supposed to be for enabling us to fake passports in case we are forced down in France or Germany. I think its some idea. While Fred went to Mass I went to R.C. library + read until 7:30 when F. showed up. We stuck around listened to piano music + read until 10:30, then came back to the barracks + played 3 games of double solitaire. Mac says he and I are to go to this gunnery school at Oxford tomorrow. Bed at 1130
 
 

Sneedersham On North Sea

8th Air Force

Gunnery School

December 9 Thurs
 

We got up this morning at 8:40 to go to school at 9. T.W.G. pulled us out of an Aircraft Rec class to see about some flying equipment at A.C. supply at 930. Mac + I went back to the barracks + got ready. We left the field at 1:20. One of the trucks went in the ditch: we had to go back + pull him out. That delayed us an hour. There was a glider field with gliders like Wellington's; an ammo dump spread on both sides of the highway for 4 miles or so, well camoflaged. At one town the kids asked us for gum when we stopped. We gave all of it away but when we started to go some guy threw a dozen sticks on the ground + the kids, girls + boys, fought for the gum. At many places we saw groups of all kinds of tanks, mobile guns + trucks; an invasion force, I guess. We got here at 6, ate chow, then went to the show in the mess hall. I went back to barracks + got some soap + went over to the shower room. 1st shower in 3 weeks; it sure felt good. B 1015
 
 

Sneedersham

Friday December 10
 

Got up this morning at 7:20 to go to school without breakfast. It seems as if 2 meals a day is O.K. because I don't keep too busy; By noon I have a good appetite. From 8 to 10 we had malfunctions on 50 cal, at 10 we had skeet. I got 15 out of 22, next to the highest man with 16. I was proud because everybody ribbed me quite a bit. After lunch we met at 1:00 to shoot 50's. We didn't because some tanker directly off the beach about 4 miles had got stuck when the tide had gone out. This camp is situated on tide flats. At high tide the water comes up within 50 yds of the buildings, at low tide the water is out about 3 miles, + civilians are out on the sand digging clams. Some fellows back from combat talked to us until 3:45 when we were excused. I went back to the barracks + read until chowtime, then after eating went to the small library + read until bedtime. B:900
 
 

Sneedersham

Sat December 11
 

7:30 We stood around in a hut until 830 for the instructors to come. Then shot skeet until 10. I didn't do so hot. Malfunction range until noon. All afternoon we shot 50's. I shot about 200 rounds at a small wood airplane about 200 yds away that went around a track + a lot at a 10 ft sleeve towed by a British Lysander. Went to reading room just after supper + read until 8:30. Last night a couple Ju-88's came over some fields to the south of us. We could see the flak + searchlights focused on them. Today we heard that both of them were shot down. So far we have not been in actual contact with Jerry + I'm itching just a little. This place is almost directly accross the North Sea from Germany. B-900

Sneedersham

Sun December 12
 

Got out of bed this morning at 745 just in time to get to the skeet range before the instructors. Skeet 8- 10; malfunctions 10-12; shooting 50's all afternoon. I shot about 350 rounds. It was a lot of fun but that shooting of the 50's is awfull hard on your ears, even if they are plugged up with cotton. Standing behind the firing line you can feel the concussion against your clothes + eardrums whenever guns shoot. At chow tonight the instructor that was superintending the shooting sat by me in the mess hall. He commended me as being the best shot out of the whole class. I swelled up like a balloon I guess. That's the way I felt. Read in the library from 5:15 until 9:30. Dill's class is to go back to Rattlesden by truck tonight at midnight. I hope T.W.G. has had a chance to go to Burtonwood to get 145. B 10:00
 
 

Rattlesden December 13 Mon
 

Got up at 11pm Dec 12 to get packed + get in trucks to go to Rattlesden. Got home at 3:30 after 2 1/2 hr trip. Went to bed and woke up at 10:30 when P,CP,N + RO's were to meet at briefing room. After a few minutes we found out nothing was going to happen so we came back. We were called out again at 1, still no soap. Fred went to gunnery school today, Gene would have gone too but he's on a practice mission with some other crew. I went up to P.X. + got my weeks rations; came back + started to get cleaned up. A fellow came in and wanted an R.O. to go on a ferry trip. T.W.G., Mamlock, and Laz were going too but on a different ship: we got them to trade R.O.'s so I could go with T.W.G. We took the Colnel's ship to a modification center about 15 miles from here. Had chow there in the Non Coms mess, good chow too started back at 745 + got here at 9:25 after stopping at a Pub, giving some gum away to some kids + etc. B 1030
 
 

Rattlesden

Tues December 14
 

Got up this morning at 6, ate breakfast for the first time in 2 weeks and got to the briefing room at 6:50. At 7:30 all but P,CP,+ N's were excused to go to school. The R.O.'s sat in room 13 for an hour shooting the bull. We broke up to get back to the orderly room to get in the pay line. 15\ 13' 9d. I signed a couple of statements of charges in Kearney. We should get flying pay + Nov's pay at the end of the month. I've got a bad cold + am feeling pretty low. Night before last a Ju88 came over + we had an alert while I was at gunnery school Everybody got in the bomb shelters. The Ju88 was shot down by a mosquito + crashed about 4 miles away with a big explosion. Gene saw it all + said it was thrilling. The Ju88 was held in searchlights until downed after dropping a big bomb in Ipswitch. Stayed in barracks rest of afternoon skipped supper + headed for bed about 730 to read for a while.
 
 

Rattlesden December 15
 

Got up just in time to get to briefing room at 8. A lot of officers got up and said a lot of nothing until 845 when all R.O.'s were told to go over to the Equip. room. We did + just sat around for an hour, then went in to the code class + heard a lecture by a 25 mission man about emergency procedure. A good lecture. At 11 all gunners with some instructors went out to a ship, wrote our names on a sheet of paper + went to chow. At 1:30 we met at the briefing room again + soon after took off on a practice mission. I got my 1st QDM's on this trip. We flew formation most of the time. On the way down thro the overcast I gave the pilot a QDM + we came home on it. With my cold my ears hurt on the way down but cleared up soon after getting on the ground. Today is the 1st time I've flown in Hi Jinx since going up to modification center; she already has 5 combat hours, not a scratch + a lot of head sets + mikes have been hooked by the group that borrowed her. B 830
 
 

Rattlesden December 16 Thurs
 

I crawled out of bed at 6 to go to breakfast. We had to be up at the briefing room at 7 + made it. Trucks are hauling us from the mess halls to the briefing room now. We were told we would fly; got all our stuff out to the ship + and got her started. No. 3 engine's throttle wouldn't close so mechanics started to work on her. We got it fixed, then the flight was called off. I stayed out on the ship to work on some antennas that were broken. I worked until 12:30, got a good appetite + ate. Went to the gym with R. Chase and fooled around with the basketball for an hour, went to a class + skipped out after signing roll. Then went to the R.C. + had two cups of tea, went to show + then the barracks to get ready for bed. A lot of stuff has been swiped from the ship when she was lent out to the other group. Rudisil hooked 4 mikes, 4 headsets + saved them for us. Good old Rudy. We should get them replaced. Feeling pretty good today. B 11:30
 
 
 

Rattlesden

Friday December 17
 

6:00, meeting at the briefing room at 830. M.D. + I went out to the ship + talked to the crew chief + helpers for a while. 10-12 lectures on dinghy equipment + dinghy radio. Didn't do anything all afternoon except read and play cards. Fred got back from gunnery school at 2. Played cards + read after supper. Ping says his pilot told him we'd be doing operational missions in a week. I'd like to start soon just to get them over with. For the last 3 monthe ships have averaged 50 rounds a mission because of the fighter protection provided. I got a lot of pictures from the family. They sure make me homesick, but I wouldn't lose or sell them for anything. I'm over that cold now, just rarin to fly tomorrow as scheduled. Some Englishmen should see these fellows gambling; a weeks wages changing hands 10 times in 10 minutes. As a rule I stay strictly out of them, except a few penny games for amusement. to pass time. B 1030
 
 

Rattlesden

Sat December 18
 

7:00 in time to get breakfast and briefing at 8:30. Most officers showed up 15 minutes late. We didn't fly so we had a couple classes in the morning. Afternoon was spent washing clothes and cleaning up. About 4 all the fellows got together + mopped + really got the barracks clean. The 1st sargeant was in for a while. That guy seems to think the ground crew's life is worse than ours, air crew barracks are the dirtiest and all that. Back at Harvard he made our life miserable with inspections and G.I. parties. He's starting to do it here too. We are trying to figure something to put him in his place. One thing wrong is an old Army man should be 1st sargeant, this guy has been in for 2 years and a low I.Q. to top it off. B- 10

Notes written down at spare times:
 
 

[nothing written]
 
 
 

Rattlesden

Sunday December 19
 

Got up at 7 to go to chow when T.W.G. came in and insisted we get up to march to chow. All of the combat crews had to get up and march to chow because of all the people that were late yesterday morning. Briefing at 8:30. The weather was kind of bad. We were told to come back at 11:15 for briefing again to fly. We did. A large formation of 18 ships took off + we flew for 4 hours at medium altitude. Spitfires, P-51's + P47's dove on us for a couple of hours to give us a class on aircraft rec and practice on tracking. The P-51's gave us a good time, coming pretty close at times. About 10 B-26's came up and joined the formation for a while then passed on. Later I was trying to tune up on low frequency + insulation caught on fire. Mac saw it before I did + put it out. Landed about 5:30, ate + went to the barracks and played cribbage for an hour with Fred. Maj. Lund came in + inspected the barracks + went back out pretty quick. B 9:30
 
 

Rattlesden -

Langford Lodge

Monday December 20
 

Woke up at 5:30, ate chow and was at the briefing room at 6:45. 18 ships took off for a practice mission at about 8 and landed about 1120. As soon as our crew came in the briefing building Capt. Richards askes us if we would like to go to Langford Lodge. P.CP.N.+RO of our ship took off at 230 with 4 other skeleton crews in #185. Didn't do much of anything on the way up. Landed about 5:30 + trucks took us to the operations office + then to the mess hall + quarters. After dumping all extra stuff + changing to O.D.'s we, R. Chase, R. Palumbo + I got in a G.I. truck and came to town. Belfast, Ire. is a big town from what we could see. We stopped a lot of girls + talked with them or they stopped us with definite intentions to earn a little money. I met a nice girl + we walked around for an hour then she went home . R. Chase + I went to A.R.C. for a while then went to our beds, also A.R.C. B. 0115
 
 

Langford Lodge + Belfast.

Tuesday December 21
 

Climbed out of bed at 7:45, got dressed and went down to the R.C. building to get breakfast. Palumbo, Chase + I went up to the Grand Hotel looking for our officers. I found T.W.G. Mamlock + Laz eating up there + talked with them for a while. The 3 radiomen caught a bus for Langford Lodge at 9 that went out through Nutt's Corner to the base, about 15 miles. After getting cleaned up + eating we headed for flight control office, we were late but not as late as Maj. Rawl + 3/4 of the officers. At 1 we were told to go back to town because Engalnd was having too much bad weather. The 3 of us hit town about 3 oclock after catching a ride in the officers bus. We first got a room in the best hotel in town, then had tea, chased around for a while looking the town over, then supper. We were a bunch of wolves the rest of the night, up til about 12 when we went to bed.
 
 

Langford Lodge - Rattlesden

Wednesday December 22
 

A chambermaid woke us up by knocking on the door, then hollering at us at 7:45. We had breakfast in the hotel dining room. It was a very skimpy breakfast + it cost 1\2' for the 3 of us. The bus took us to the field + as usual we were late to the flying control, the rest of the EM's + officers were later. It took us until 2:30 to get everybody present and ready to go. The P,CP,N +I took "Hi Jinx" + flew her back. The magnetic compass was off a long ways, we didn't have the schedule for splashers so the navigator couldn't get bearings + fixes on them. I got QDM's all the way back; we flew some pretty bad clouds + there was a low ceiling. We landed in the dark without trouble, T.W.G. greased her in. Chase + I had to do some talking to get supper as it was after 7:45. The knife Pop made for me came. It's a beauty + a darned fine one. B- 10
 
 

To the Glossary!
 
 

Rattlesden December 23

Thursday
 

Managed to get out of bed at 7:30 in time to eat and get to briefing room by 8:30. After taking role we went to the theater for a lecture on ditching, then back to the briefing room for dinghy equipment, then chow. At 1:30 all R.O.'s went to room 13 to shoot the bull. About half of us are having trouble tuning the xmitter to low frequencies on the fixed wire antenna. The instructor took us out to a ship + tuned that xmitter up O.K. but all transmitters aren't alike, some will and do but some won't. T.W.G. gave me a compass about 1/2" across, for cross country travel if we're ever forced to bail out over Germany or France. It has a luminous dial + should be very handy. This group is now operational, altho all that any planes have done is yesterday they went out and hunted for a dinghy from a plane that ditched. Went to the show tonight, the first in about 2 weeks. B 9:45
 
 

1 mission

Rattlesden December 24

Friday

The C.Q. came in this morning and told us to get on the beam, today we got our first mission. All crews were briefed at 7:30, gunners at the main briefing room at 7:30, then they went out to the ship. I had to go to a separate R.O.'s briefing. After collecting all my stuff; got out to the ship #184 to wait 45 minutes for the guns to be brought out. Took off at 12, got over the target about 3:15 dropped all bombs O.K. after going over target twice. Almost no flak even near us, no enemy fighters, a lot of P-38's escorting us were buzzing around. The target was gun emplacements from which the Germans were supposed to be able to bombard cities in England as far away as London with some sort of rockets. It is all supposed to be pretty secret; even our ground crew doesn't know what we bombed. M.P.'s are standing at all doors of the briefing building. We landed at 5:05 after an uneventful trip. B-11
 
 

Rattlesden Christmas Day December 25

Saturday
 

About 9 oclock some of the fellows came in and said there was a swell breakfast served, I got out of bed about 10, got cleaned up in time for lunch. We were expecting turkey and got beef stew. Played cards all afternoon after a 10 minute meeting, of all the crews in the briefing room. There was a swell turkey dinner for the evening meal. It is pretty definite that we won't fly tomorrow as it's 711 Squadron's turn to make a mission. Tonight the time is passing very slow, just because of homesickness and inactivity. I have 22\ I'll send home as soon as I get paid for this month and flying pay for last month. Just before we took off yesterday for that mission nobody was around to help us do their work: we had to work a lot longer than we should have. When we came down everybody wanted to know everything about our trip + were dying to help us. Human nature, I guess. B 10:30
 
 

Rattlesden December 26

Sun
 

Got up at 7, went to breakfast and got to briefing at 8:30. I had one class in the morning, from 9-11 the whole crew was out to the ship except T.W.G. practicing dinghy drill, cleaning gun recievers and all odd jobs. Spent most of the afternoon playing cards and reading and writing letters. Got to bed about 11.

[same page]

1/4/43 Some of the planes of the lower echelon were throwing out some sort of metallic powder to throw off the antiaircraft guns controlled by radar. This trick is used when the anti aircraft guns are shooting thro an overcast and can't see much of their targets.

On every mission every crew member is given gum and chocolate to eat whenever we want to. Upon landing we have sandwiches donuts and coffee before interogation.

Mon

Raked my weary bones out of that comfortable sack at 7, limped painfully (?) down to chow and got to the theater at 8:30 the appointed time for all the yellow squadron combat crews to meet and take roll, making the latest announcements. We were ready to go out and Lt Jarrel says "---------- and the radio operators have an all day schedule they are to meet. Report to Equipment room innediately." R. Chase and I did, no classes, went out to my ship just in time to see Trobaugh off in it headed for Honnington on a ferrying job. We stopped at Chase's ship + shot the bull with their crew chief; came back to the line and went to a 10 minute lecture, then chow. T.W.G. dropps in barracks + says I am to go to Langford Lodge: I got all packed up then we got bogged down in the mud the trip cancelled, I went to a show and played cards with Fred until 11, Bed 1105
 
 

Rattlesden Langford Lodge December 28

Tues Out of bed by 8:10, Fred + I went directly to briefing at the theater for role call, arriving just in time. After the usual daily announcements and all, T.W.G. was told he was going to Langford Lodge as soon as possible, along with the CP,N,+ RO and another skeleton crew. Maj. Newmann and his crew went with us to Bolington, a field south of London, then north to Valley, Wales to pick up Lt. Huff's crew who just came in from the States. Huff had left about an hour ahead of us for Rattlesden. We took off very soon headed for Langford Lodge. Landed about 4, got cleaned up; took the 6 oclock train for Belfast, got to talking to an old Irishman who worked on the base. The train was old + a door on the side of each coach. Went to a show, got a bed at A.R.C. + got to bed by 12PMidnight.
 
 

Langford Lodge-Rattlesden December 29

Wednesday

Woke up this morning at 845, got up, dressed and got down to the bus station by 9. Took the bus out + got there at 10. Waited at operations until noon, went to the mess hall, ate + met T.W.G. as I was coming out. We took off at 1, I was in the engineer's position for the first time. It was really thrilling, the way T.W.G. and Mamlock worked together, checking all the instruments and controls, got the ship lined up with the runway and opened up to take off. The runway that we took off on ended about 100 ft. from the lake in Northern Ireland. At 200 ft over the lake T.W.G. banked the ship around at 60 degrees, got on course + headed for home. I listened to music over the liasion reciever all the way back, landed about 4. Played cards a while after getting something to eat in the A.R.C. Jimmy Boyd has had a few beers + feels good + got in an argument with R.J. Small.

Bed at 11:30
 
 

Rattlesden December 30

Thurs.

Got up at 715 this morning. Ate and got to the theater by 8:30 for roll call. As we were going to the theater, the ships from our group were gathering over the field headed for some target on the Ruhr river area in Germany. After role call the E.M.'s were excused, came back to the barracks and played cards till the 1st class, 10-11 oclock. Most of the afternoon the crew was out in the ship working on the gun recievers, getting them clean + cleaning up the ship. At 5 the fellows started coming in. Two of the ships came in with number 3 engines feathered. All were accounted for, with a couple crew members wounded by flak. They encountered no fighter opposition, just flak. Fred + I went around to some of the ships + looked for flak holes: we found some too. After chow I wrote letters + hit the hay at 8:45
 
 
 

3rd raid of Group

Rattlesden December 31

Friday
 

Lt. Jarrel came in and woke all of us up at 2:30 for a mission. We ate at 3, briefing at 4. After getting all our crap we went out to #217, a 710 ship. Our crew was an extra crew to take the place of any ship unable to take off. Takeoff was scheduled for 7:30, we stayed in the ship until 8. All the guns were dirty, no crew chief or armorers were out there, until the last minute. Things were really a mess. At 8 am we came back to the barracks + slept until 11; got paid and ate. Terry came in and took our names at 1245 for not being at a meeting in the street. Later a luey came in when we were in bed + told us to go down to armament because Maj. Lund + Capt. Foley were going to check all barracks. We went down to armament + slept for a while + played poker until 430 when we went out to the runway + watched the planes come home from the mission. They bombed a bomber + pursuit training school in Cognac, France. "Hi Jinx" was flown by Lt. Rozmus + crew with quite a few flak holes. Both fighters + flak 1 ship lost. B-930
 
 

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