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Tues.
Crew #5 got up at 4, had chow and got to briefing at 5:10. A mission
to Frankfurt Ger. We got the guns in but hesitated before changing clothes
as the weather was pretty bad. The control tower shot red rockets to tell
us the mission was scrubbed. After getting our equipment ready we headed
back to briefing room leaving guns in ship. We managed to get back to bed
by 8:30. I slept until 12 when I got up for chow. Went out to the ship,
took the guns out + read for the rest of the afternoon. Went to combat
library for 2 hours after supper. We are getting tired of all these false
starts, the ground crews tireder as they have to load + unload bombs. Early
this morning when loading guns in the dark I ran into the tail assembly,
the tail hit me across the eyebrows. Tonite it's still sore + swollen.
There's always a first time. The ships radio mech let me drive an English
Ford. 85 HP, a lot of soup + a lot of fun. B-10
R. February 2
Wednesday
We got up at 7:30 ate breakfast and briefing at 9 when T.W.G. was told
P CP N + RO were to go on a practice mission at 10:30. There was pretty
close to 42 ships in the formation, we took off at 11:15, didn't land until
3:30. During this time I rode in the tail, nose, and behind the cockpit.
I worked for a while on radio just to get some practice. From fairly good
sources we learn that Nobal raids are to be counted as 1/2 missions from
now on if we go on any more. Ship 145 is in almost perfect condition, Rudy
doesn't put her on initial because the camera doors were removed. She is
about the best ship on the field. There are quite a few metal patches on
the ship's skin, it looks kind of funny. Had supper at 4, went to show
at 6. B-10:30
R. Made Tech Sarge
6th Mission today
February 3
Thurs.
Crew #5 got up this morning at 2:30 for a mission. Briefing at 3:50,
T.O. at 750. We took off third, flying no 3 in the lead squadron, carring
10x500's and full Tokyo's. Left England at 10:20 headed for Wilhelmshaven,
a seaport + sub base. Bombs away at 11:30 at 25000 bombing thro an overcast.
We had P47's + 38's as escorts all the way. One ship in this squadron aborted
+ was attacked by 10 FW 190's but got home OK on 2 engines. After dropping
bombs we climbed up to 32,000 ft for some reason. At this altitude bends
bothered me a little in the knees + elbows. This is the highest most of
us had been. No ships were lost today, we got back at 3 oclock. Cleaned
guns + bed. Alert for tomorrow. B 8:10
R. 7th T.O. 840 L 1520
Mission 6 hrs on oxygen
Friday February 4
Climbed out of bed at 2:30 for a mission. T.O. at 815, left England
10:20 at 23,000 ft, flying low sq. low group. The 447th put 2 groups of
ships, 42 in all, into the air, a mighty share of its job. We were carrying
625 a new B-17 G with closed waist + radio guns. It's nice + warm. Lt.
Lazarus + I were flying with Lt. Donahue + his crew. We bombed Frankfurt,
+ did a good job too. We had 10/10 cloud until our target + about 7/10's
there. From the target the group headed home + got too far north getting
into Rhur valley flak area. We were hit in main + tokyo's on right wing;
hydraulic system was gone too. The bombadier was injured in the leg. One
engine quit so we had to come home alone. Over the Rhur we lost a couple
B-17's, as there were upwards of 2000 guns shooting at us. Upon getting
back to the base Laz + I were met by T.W.G., + Mac + Dill. F.T. Hawley,
Harris, Gene flew with all different crews as did Lt McGurer who got a
compound fracture of a leg by flak: he is over in main hospital now. Going
to visit him soon. B-8:30
R-Ipswich February 5
Sat.
Got up at 8, after cleaning up the barracks for inspection, shaving
and cleaning up for a trip to town. Harris + I left at 12:30 on a Quartermaster
truck to Stowmarket. Taking a train to Ipswich at 2:30, we got there to
do a little shopping, get something to eat at Fustman's, met the rest of
the crew except Gene. We went to a show and went to bed in the A.R.C. dormitory.
I hope there is some mail waiting for me at the base when I get back as
there hasn't been much lately. Harris + I plan to go to Norwich + see what
the town is like. All the names of the towns ending in "wich" were founded
by the Romans during their time of conquest. B 12
Ipswich Hi Jinx went down today with Reed's crew February 6
Sunday
Harris + I got up at 8, fooled around all morning with Fred Dill + Mac.
Caught the 12:15 train for Norwich, Dill riding as far as Stowmarket with
Harris + I. Fred + Mac stayed to go to church, then go back to the base.
Harris + I didn't get into Norwich until 3:30, we took a look around town,
it didn't impress us. The A.R.C. wouldn't give us beds as we were too far
from base. We headed back for Stowmarket darned soon. Got in S. at 7:30,
couldn't get a taxi so we got something to eat in the Canteen + started
walking: Harris in cowboy boots + me in new G.I. shoes. We mostly me got
us on the wrong road, hiked to Rattlesden asking for directions, twice,
asked at a pub after getting some lemonade + got in at 1130 covering 7
1/2 miles. Hi Jinx is gone with Reed's crew, by flak. She was a good ship.
B 1200
R. February 7
Mon.
I got up at 10. Read until noon when the officers came in. All of us
feel pretty rotten about losing that crew in "Hi Jinx". She was one of
the best ships on the line, nothing wrong. The fellows that saw her go
down say she peeled out of formation with a cockpit afire, one chute was
seen. Just above the clouds the ship was leveled out, the fire out, and
all fellows alive could have gotten out. Losing the ship is hard to take,
but the real thing should be + is the loss of a crew. I knew the R.O. +
the rest of the crew well. Lt. McGurer won't fly again as that piece of
flak got him in the knee. Dr Bartos won't let us see him until Wed. This
afternoon I took code for an hour, and read in the combat library till
4. Lights went out at 6:30 + don't want to come on; writing this by flashlight.
The ground crew of 145 worked terribly long hours to keep her going, +
would have got a decoration for the ship has never had any trouble to cause
an abortion. B- 70
R. February 8
Tues.
Up at 2:30 this morning for a mission. Breakfast at 3, briefing at 3:50.
We enlisted men were briefed by light from flashlights + an improvised
arc light. We flew #497 a 711 ship. Dill didn't go as his nose was causing
him a lot of trouble, he was replaced by a pretty nice fellow from 709.
T.O. at 8:20 with full Tokyo's, 10x500 demo bombs, six with a six hour
delay. I don't know why they use delayed action bombs, all they ?are are
big booby traps. We left England at 10:15, over the target Frankfurt at
11:45, making one run on target. Bombing from 25000. Flak was seen + heard
at the coast going in and at the target. Heavy flak, from 108m.m. but inaccurate.
We got 2 or 3 holes. Got back at 1500, had to wait for 1/2 hr for transportation.
After interrogation we went + cleaned guns, had chow, a meeting in the
orderly room on most everything. B 8:30
R. February 9 1944
Wednesday
The C.Q. came in at 310 waking us up for a mission. Chow at 3:30, briefing
at 4. Headed for Brunswick. We were flying 167, Reed's old ship, not a
bad one tho. T.O. 7:30, we had flown for an hour and the mission was cancelled
because of weather, we found out later because by 1400 it was raining +
wouldn't have let ships in. Got back to the barracks at 10, slept for an
hour until T.W.G. came in to tell us we could visit Lt. McGurer in the
afternoon. We left the base in a truck provided by Capt. Bartos, sq. surgeon.
We were with him almost an hour when the nurse chased us away. He has cast
from ankle to waist, will be in it for 5 months. He was looking pretty
bad, the prospect of being in bed for six mo. then limping for life isn't
pleasant. All of us felt sorry for him but tried to cheer him up by telling
jokes. Got back to base at 4:30, wrote a letter after chow + hit the hay
so we're alerted, even tho the weather is bad outside. B 8
R. On the way in today Jerries attacked the escort + made them drop their belly tanks so they couldn't escort us as far as planned. A new trick! February 10
Thursday
Got up at 7:30, ate chow, role call at 9, a class from 10- 11, + one
from 1:30-2:30. Read most of the afternoon. Went to a show with Fred +
M.D. Yesterday #167, Reed's ship was officially given to us. Today some
other crew of another squadron took her up + they went down. So far we've
had two ships, and both have gone down with some other crew in them. At
8:30, Lt. Mamlock came over to tell us something while we out swiping coke.
As soon as we got back H. Morris came over + told us he wanted to see us.
Fred M.D. + I went over + found out ship #724 is now ours, a brand new
ship too. We've been trying to get a name for her, it will definitely be
named after Lt. McGurer some way or another. We take her up + give her
a test tomorrow, altitude + test fire guns. They are moving Lt. McGurer
to another hospital tomorrow. The fellows raided Brunswick today + somehow
missed their fighter support. B 11:00
R. February 11
Friday
Jumped from bed at 6:30, had chow, and got to the briefing room with
McHugh in time for briefing at 7:50, T.O. at 9:45 on a practice mission,
flying no. 4 in lead sq. I didn't do much besides getting a couple QTF's
and listening to music Laz had on the R. compass. On the raid yesterday
the Jerries were using JU 87's and almost every kind of ship imaginable.
One fort pulled out of formation when he was hit, made 2 slow rolls, a
4000 ft dive and got home, at least to a base in England. A '24 would fall
apart if it did a stunt like that. In the afternoon Mac, Laz, T.W.G., Mamlock
+ I took our new ship up to altitude. She's a [tried twice to spell 'damned',
crossed both out] good ship, not a thing wrong with her. I can tune the
liason xmitter up on 213kc on fixed wire + burn all the insulation off
the wires. Enclosed waist windows, extra oxygen outlets in radio room +
nose + cockpit, heated suit outlets that are extra. We got down about 4:30,
cleaned a gun + went to chow. Read for a while and hit the hay. B 9:00
R. February 12
Sat.
Got at 7:45, ate chow and got to theater for roll call at 9. Practice
mission at 9.30. We were flying skeleton crews, Laz, T.W.G., Mamlock +
I got down there to find out that we were to fly in some other ship than
ours as the ground crew were changing a carburator on #1 engine. We didn't
get away from the briefing room until 10:20, sat in the ship waiting for
orders to takeoff or to come back until 11 when we caught trucks + came
back. At 1:15 all combat crews met in the theater to be awarded Air Medals.
All of the crew except Mamlock + I got them, some mistake somewhere. We'll
find out. I was scheduled for radio school but went to there instead. We
didn't do much today, no alert for tomorrow as yet. A practice mission
scheduled for tomorrow. B 9.45
9th Mission February 13 1944
Sun.
Got up at 8:15 this morning, just in time to get to messhall to eat.
Read around the barracks until 9:30 when Lt. Dalzell said we were on alert
for a mission. Went up to P.X. + got the rations, fooled around barracks
until 10:30. Reported directly to ships, I had no briefing T.W.G. got my
flimsy. T.O. 12:30 in 868, called "Due Back". We were carrying 12x500 demo's,
six delayed action. Our bombing altitude was 12,800 bombing some target
on the coast of France. The "A" group, the one we were in, didn't see any
flak or fighters, "B" group ran into a lot of flak and some fighters 127
+ 104 came back like sieves. We lost 2 ships, one hit by flak + went down
in flames, one ditched. Somebody sent SOS's for them + we saw the launch
going out on the way in. After chow cleaned guns. B 10.
February 14
8:00 The C.Q. came in at 2:30 to wake up Jimmy Boyd for a raid. He was
the only one of the barracks to get up. We had been napping all night thinking
we would have to go too. After 2:30 we slept like logs. Got down to theater
for roll call at 9, went over to combat library until 10 when Fred + I
went to the gym to get some excercise. We played basketball and used most
of their equipment. Really nice. After noon there was a lecture 1:30-2:30.
Came back to the barracks to play poker until suppertime. Wrote letters
until 9 when I went down to the shower room to get cleaned up, getting
back at 10. Last night a lot of Jerries were over Ipswich and London. We
could see and hear the barrage of A.A. fire put up. From this distance
it looked like red lights going on + off. We could here the planes and
saw 2 go down in flames, almost like a skyrocket going down instead of
up. Almost everybody was out watching. B- 10:30
R. February 15 1944Tues.
8:10- Ate breakfast + got to briefing at the theater at 9. We had two
classes during the morning, a lecture on tactics 10- 11, a test on aircraft
rec 11-12. I had radio classes in the afternoon: an hour and a half in
the trainers, using 200 kc on the liason set and working in a net. I was
the grnd. sta. which kept me pretty busy. At 3: I went out to the ship
for a while + came back with Fred, Mac, + M.D. After supper cleaned my
gun and helped check the rest. Had tea + cakes in A.R.C. at 7:45-815. There
is a red alert on tonight. So far have seen no flak, just searchlights.
T.W.G. + Laz went up to the section hospital with Doc Bartos this afternoon
to visit McGurer. They say he is feeling a lot better now, joking + all.
They, the doctors, used $6000 worth of pencilin getting the two, McGurer
+ the navigator in shape. We probably go on a mission tomorrow. B-9
R. February 16
Gas mask day.
8:00 No important classes except a medical lecture 11-12 which lasted
a half hour. It started to rain in early morning and has continued all
day. Some rumors on impending movement to someplace are flying around,
but there's nothing to them I hope. Wrote letters and did some sewing most
of the afternoon. After supper M.D. Fred + I went over to the A.R.C. and
had cakes, tea, and sandwiches. Came back to barracks at 8:30. The waist
gunners are going to get cameras to take pictures of anything interesting
on the next raids. The civilian workers on this base are for the most in
the land army, they get regular army wages, get furloughs regularly + almost
are soldiers in civilian clothes, going wherever work has to be done. Lt.
Mamlock is in the hospital with a cold again. We are supposed to be alerted
for a raid tomorrow, but I don't know, the weather is lovely outside, a
lot of rain coming down. B 9:30
R. Snowed all day but melted as fast as it came dowm. February 17 '44
Thurs.
The C.Q. came around at 4:30, waking us up for a mission. It was snowing as we went to the messhall to get our fried fresh eggs. As we sat down to eat Van Langen came in + told us the mission was scrubbed. Went back to bed until ten to 9 when we went down to the theater for roll call. A movie on combat showing pursuit ships, P47's shooting down enemy planes. 11-12 we had a lecture by a British Naval officer on the German Navy and naval recognition. He was really good. He said their are: one battleship, Tirpitz in a fjord in Norway being repaired, 2 pocket battleships, in Baltic sea, about 10000 tons, one aircraft carrier Graf Zeplin, 4 heavy cruisers 4 light cruisers, 20 destroyers + subs. There is a serious shortage of trained naval men keeping some of these ships out of commission. This officer was a very good speaker. Went to show after chow, went to A.R.C., came back to barracks at 8:30, read until 1045. No alert
B-1115.
February 18
Fri.
Slept until 745, got up, had breakfast, roll call at 9 in the theater,
as usual. It started to snow at 8 this morning + has snowed all day, stopped
at 6 PM. We recieved instructions to take all diaries over to S-2 section
to be kept in a safe because of the confidential + secret information in
them might be lost if they are stolen from barracks by civilians. I had
an hours work in the Horwell trainer 900-10. Maj Newman gave us a lecture
on dicipline 10-12, no classes in afternoon. Hess made some fudge. It didn't
harden so he stuck it outside for 5 hrs. We are now eating the stuff on
toast. It is snowing again. No alert on, probably because of the bad weather.
Wrote letters all afternoon. All resistance has ended in Solomon Is. I'm
getting tired of sitting around doing nothing. A few missions wouldn't
be bad if not too many in a row. The ship 124 is named Dear M.O.M. for
Marion O Mcgurer. B 10:15 A stand down tonight.
R. February 19 1944
Sat.
7-45, Breakfast, roll call as usual. Went down to equipment room, put
my name on the roll sheet, went to photo shop + had my picture taken again.
The old shots weren't big enough. Jack Fleming also took a picture of Mac,
Fred, M.D. + I. He is going to give us a copy. A talk by a pilot of a pursuit,
P-51 at 2 was good. He said he was diving after a FW 190 at 550 mph, which
tried to roll away. The tail broke off. Some Jerries thing the ME 109 is
faster than the P51. He says he just gets on his tail + waits until he
is close enough to open up. Once he got a long burst at one of two ME110
rocket ships stacked one over the other by about 200 ft. He set a rocket
on one wing of the lower ship on fire which blew up the wing gas tank.
The blast tossed him up in line with the other ME 110, all he had to do
was to pull the triggers. It's been snowing all day; on alert for tomorrow,
we've been sitting around long enough. From now we'll be dropping 2000
lb bombs. This barracks are a bunch of coal hoarders. We've got 3 barracks
bags of coal under our bed for future week. B- 9:00
R. February 20
Sun.
The C.Q. woke us up 145, chow at 230, briefing at 3:40. T.O. at 7:35,
headed for a place 70 miles N.W. of Berlin. No fighter escort. We had full
gas tanks, Tokyo's + mains. Carried 42 incindaries. A ex tail gunner flew
with us as toggelier and nose turret gunner. Seemed to be a nice guy. The
course took us straight across the North Sea to Denmark, across Denmark
to the Baltic Sea to the target, inland about 100 miles. We ran thro very
little flak. The group ahead of us + behind us we[re] attacked by pursuits,
but they didn't touch us. Bombing altitude was 12000 ft. We bombed by pathfinder
method, and after passing over target there were clouds of smoke coming
up thru the clouds at 7500 ft. The mission was awfully long, 10 hrs of
flying at 12000 ft with no oxygen. It is hard on a guy. Landed at 5:20,
ate sandwiches, had a chicken supper, went back to clean guns. Went to
bed dead tired. B- 9:45
February 21
Mon.
Got up at 1030 after a good nights rest. I haven't done a thing all
day, except go out and sweat in our ship; a 711 crew was flying her. They
yelled like heck because the bolt studs wouldn't fit in the guns. When
they got in everything was OK but half of the bombs wouldn't release, after
they closed the doors 10 x 100 lb demo's dropped down on the bomb bay doors.
The doors didn't break open as the<y> should have. When the<y> landed
10 hundred pound demo bombs were stacked in the radio room. They bombed
an airfield in Germany. Yesterday we flew 1450 miles in 10 hours or less.
In an hour more we could have landed in Newfoundland if we had have pulled
a "Wrong way Corrigan stunt". A few ships were banged up today. Our ship
had another hole put in her today by flak. Went to show after chow. There's
an alert on tonight. Expect to go on a mission tomorrow. B- 1000
R. February 22 1944
Tues.
We got up at 3:30 AM for a mission. Briefing at 0500, takeoff 0806.
We didn't get out of briefing until 545, and had a time meeting the schedule.
We were heading for Schweinfurt Germany. Bombing altitude was going to
be 24000, 10 x 500's. We fooled around over England until 10:45, when we
climbed to 24000 ft. The planes up there had formed thousands of vapor
trails; we couldn't see more than 100 yds, + couldn't form groups + wings.
The group leader couldn't find the rest of the 3rd Division so we came
back home. Landed at 12:30, got in chow house at 1. Almost all ships came
back from the coast, the rondevous, by themselves as we lost each other
going thru all the cloud banks + vapor trails on the way back home. We
were glad to come back, tho, the weather has been rotten the rest of the
day. Slept from 2-5, ate chow, cleaned my gun, came back to the barracks
read mail + hit the hay. We're on alert tonight, as usual. Hope we get
a sortie in tomorrow. B 9:45.
February 23
Wed.
We climbed out of bed at 0300 again. Briefing was at 04, supposedly
but we didn't make it in time because breakfast wasn't ready in time. T.O.
was scheduled for 0730, but they put it off an hour because of thick ground
fog. We sat around in the tent with Rudisill + his crew shooting the bull
for an hour, then they cancelled our mission altogether. We were supposed
to have gone to Schweinfurt Germany to bomb the ball bearing works. From
now on if a ship is disabled deep in Germany or up around Kiel we are supposed
to head for Sweden or Switzerland + land instead of parachuting down +
trying to hike our way home as it has been done. We would have to destroy
all confidential information, IFF, + all radio equipment possible before
landing. Landing in a neutral country, previous to now we would be interned
for the duration, but now the Swiss + Sweds are sending us home to fight
some more. It's just a recent agreement. Made a foot locker, showered,
B- 845. Alert tomorrow. I hope we go, I'm tired of dressing for nothing.
February 24
Thurs
C.Q. came around at 2. Briefing at 3:15. We took of in our ship headed
for Tutow, with Rostock as the secondary. After getting the group together
we got the wing together as we left the English Coast headed NE across
the North Sea. About 20 minutes out there was a short in the inverter circuit.
When T.W.G. turned one off the other caught fire; so he had to leave them
turned off, making the electronic superchargers, engine instruments and
radio compass inoperative. We had to drop out and head for home. I called
in to M.P./D.P. to identify myself and tell them we were coming back. Got
to the base ok at 12:30. After lunch Fred + I did some chasing around doing
some stuff we'd been putting off, got back to the barracks at 2:30 to find
we had to go on a practice flight test hopping 868. We wen up to 20000
ft, flew around a while, most of the time listening to the liason reciever.
Fooled around in ball turret for a while. Came back + went to bed at 8.
We're on alert as usual.
R. 11th Mission. Regensburg
February 25 1944
Friday
Up at 3, briefing 4, T.O. 8:10. Left English Coast at 10:50 at 13000
ft. headed for Regensburg Germany. Ran into flak going over coast of France
at target and on the way home. The leader of our group was hit by flak
over Germany, 10 chutes opened then the ship blew up. A ship went down
at the target + one on the way home; both shot down by fighters. The flak
was very heavy at the target. When it hit the ship it sounded like gravel
on a tin roof. We were attacked by 2 ME 109's, 4 FW 190's + a ME 110. The
110 shot rockets and 20 mm, the rest just 20 mm. When the rockets burst
about 50 yds behind the ship they looked like flak bursts. Dill, Gene +
Schneider (ball turret in Harris's plane, got in a few shots, 200 apiece.
Dill damaged one. Came back at 15000 ft. We had fighter protection most
of the way in, none on the way out until the French Coast. Got back at
1820, bad overcast + low cieling. Cleaned guns, skipped supper + hit the
hay at 10:00
R February 26
Sat.
Slept until 11:15 when I got up for lunch. Went out to the ship afterward.
Harris gave me some togellier instruction to satisfy my curiosity. All
of the crew except Lt. Gilleran + Kealer were put on D.N.I.F. last night
to get some rest. Most of us put ourselves on D.N.I.F. Harris + I got back
to the barracks at 3, at 330 Lt. Fisher came in + told crew 5 we would
go on pass at 5. It was a heck of a rush, but Fred + I got ready on time
headed for Newcastle Staffordshire. Got to Ipswitch at 6, London at 9 +
Crewe at 6 AM, Stoke on Trent at 7. It took us 3 hrs to find the Lower
Lodge May Place The Brompton's, Newcastle Staffordshire. Didn't sleep at
all during the night so am pretty sleepy. Odds + ends: Lt. Fout's crew
the first crew to ditch went down today. While on a 7 day rest from ditching
the RO, N, E were injured + LW killed in a train wreck. They went on a
mission today and flak got them. Some parachutes were seen.
Newcastle Staffordshire February 27
Sun.
Fred and I walked into his cousin's house at 9. The cousin's name is
Francis, whose husband is Eric. Eric has a munitions job + can't get reliesed
to join up, he wants to pretty bad. We got there in time to eat breakfast
with them. We tried to keep them from it but they got some eggs + ham for
us. I told them they shouldn't give us their weeks ration of ham + eggs
but they wouldn't listen to us. It was snowing all day. We sat around talking
until noon when Fred's uncle Tom took us to Cousin Molly's house. One of
Molly's friends + niece, a girl 19 yrs old was introduced. Good looking,
shy, and nice. Almost another hearthrob. Wait + see. Stayed for 2+ half
an hour, went back to Frances's house + took a two hour nap. At 6pm the
whole croud came over + had tea. Alma was very quite, + didn't say much.
When we walked back to Molly's she talked a lot more. We had tea + cakes
+ sandwiches before going to bed at 2AM in the softest bed I've ever been
on.
Newcastle-
Ipswich-
R. February 28
Mon.
Molly called up at 7AM. I got up went down + got cleaned up. We had
breakfast at 710, Molly walked down to the bus stop, about 1 mi, got on
a bus + took us to the R.R. station to see us off. From Newcastle we went
to Stafford, got on a different train + the only other other stop was Rugby.
It was a fast train. We arrived in London 1330, a train for Ipswich at
1440 so we went to the Liverpool Station by subway, went up to the street
level to a cafe + got lunch, even tho Molly had packed us a lunch. We went
to a few shops, buying nothing. Left on time, got to Ipswich at 545 where
we met T.W.G. Laz + Mamlock. We came to Stowmarket with them, caught Liberty
run truck going back to the base. Even tho 4 hrs late had no trouble. The
group went on a nobal raid + lost two ships by flak; on was Lt Fouts with
Charlie Harris, T.Q. He's probably a PW now. If I go back to Fred's uncle's
place it'll be to get to see Alma again. She thinks she'll be going into
Nurse Corpse soon. B- 245
R. 12th mission February 29
Tuesday.
We had to get up at 3AM this morning to go on a mission. Briefing at
4. There wasn't much of a rush, T.O. at 715. Leaving English Coast at 10:15,
I.P. at 11:33, bombing Brunswick by Pathfinder method. We bombed throu
10/10 clouds at 23000 ft. It was cold outside, about -35 C, but with the
closed radio hatch and waist windows it was very warm in the ship. For
most of the missions in the past there were supposed to be RAF flown P-51's
protecting our withdrawal. We always called them the ghost ships, they
were never there. Today they were for the first time right in there. Besides
them we saw P38's, US P-51's, P47's. Best fighter protection we've ever
had. We ran thru some flak, but it was innacurrate. Returned at 1350, got
back to barracks at 1500, slept from 1700- 2000, + read for a while. We
once thought we'd have to abort as the left oxy. system had a leak + got
down to 50 lbs pressure. Standown tomorrow. B- 11
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