B-17 Miss Liberty Belle in WWII

[Jigs Bumper]

Good evening Mr O'Neil, Once again thank you for sharing your memories with the 365th Sqn.
I wanted to ask if you would allow, for me to piece together the comments you have shared here, plus the two pictures, and submit them for our CAN DO notes newsletter? I spoke with Barb Tesch and she would be pleased to have this for inclusion on the next available space. What I propose is to reference your memories shared here and link them with information on the missions flown. I did this for Richard 'Jake' Jacobs on the 422nd Sqn he was also a Tail Gunner by coincidence. You may have read this article on his mission list I prepared with his help in a recent CAN DO newsletter. Would you let me know if this is agreeable to you, either here or email me.
Thanks for your help on this.
Sincerely yours
Ian White
UK-EU Contact
2nd VP - 305th BGMA

[mustangdriver]

This is all really cool and there are many more things in the works for MLB, and I can't wait to see everything come together.

[rtoneil]

Roy, where are you from? We would love to have you out to the B-17 and give you the grand tour.

Mustangdriver:
Thanks for the kind offer of a grand tour of your facility. I really appreciate it, would love to accept, but unfortunately, I cannot travel. I'll have to follow your actiities thru the internet. Isn't the internet great?

I've lived in Westlake Village, California for the past thirteen years. However, I'm from the Seattle area.

Roy O'Neil

[mustangdriver]

Roy, where are you from? We would love to have you out to the B-17 and give you the grand tour.

Mustangdriver:
Thanks for the kind offer of a grand tour of your facility. I really appreciate it, would love to accept, but unfortunately, I cannot travel. I'll have to follow your actiities thru the internet. Isn't the internet great?

I've lived in Westlake Village, California for the past thirteen years. However, I'm from the Seattle area.

Roy O'Neil

No problem. I am going to send you a PM. I agree that the internet is great for things like this. Connecting people that may have never had the chance to otherwise.

[rtoneil]

Ian:
In your March 26, 2011 post you said you would like information on all the missions I was on. Rather than transcribe my notes, I'll just send copies of the originals. I don't know how to control the picture size but in this case big is good because in those days my printing was very small.




Roy

[lmritger]

Mr. O'Neil, THANK YOU so much for posting these records! It's so rare to be able to see and hear about such experiences online, and I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to share your experiences with us.

All the best,

Lynn

[Django]

Agreed, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us!

[Jigs Bumper]

Thank you Roy for taking the time to share the diary with everyone.

I would like to create a piece for the CAN DO notes, adding photos of the B-17's you flew on the dates supplied and any 365th diary comments for each mission, plus of course quoting your personal notes. It would be similar to the 'Jake' Jacobs article I wrote recently.
If you would let me know you are OK with this, I'll get started on preparing it for Barb our editor. One other request would be hearing your memories of working in Operations at HQ's at 305th between the mission you were wounded Estampe France, and when you returned to combat flying in September. I'm sure you had an interesting time working behind the scenes of missions at HQ's? Your recollections would be valuable additions to this.

Thank you again

Ian
305th BGMA

[mustangdriver]

I swear that this thread keeps getting better and better.

[rtoneil]

Thank you Roy for taking the time to share the diary with everyone.

I would like to create a piece for the CAN DO notes, adding photos of the B-17's you flew on the dates supplied and any 365th diary comments for each mission, plus of course quoting your personal notes. It would be similar to the 'Jake' Jacobs article I wrote recently.
If you would let me know you are OK with this, I'll get started on preparing it for Barb our editor. One other request would be hearing your memories of working in Operations at HQ's at 305th between the mission you were wounded Estampe France, and when you returned to combat flying in September. I'm sure you had an interesting time working behind the scenes of missions at HQ's? Your recollections would be valuable additions to this.

Thank you again

Ian
305th BGMA

Ian: I have no objections to you writing a piece for the CAN DO notes. I worked in the 365th Squadron, not the 305th Group. Here's a picture of the staff in front of LAURA:

Standing: Major Thomas, Philip Landry, James Coyne, Leslie Rasmusson, Frank Marco, Squatting: Roy O'Neil, Clyde Didier, Mosden Brock, John Gabony

One of my duties was to awaken crews for missions. I remember one sad case. A pilot had fallen on his face the night before a mission (after partying). His motion to be excused from the mission was rejected and he flew with an oxygen mask on his skinned up face. I also remember looking all over the base for crews to slo-time engines after maintenance. They didn't like that duty and would sometimes go out the back door of the officers club when they saw me coming. Once I shook a sleeping covered body. It turned out to be a blond female who told me " the lieutenant has gone to fly". Another time, while awakening a crew, I was talking to them and holding the crew list down to my side when somebody sneaked up behind me and set the list on fire. I also helped write citations for proposed awards. On cold days, the first one to the office had to start the fire in the stove. I remember doing that.
Roy

[Jigs Bumper]

Dear Roy, Sir... tks for the approval to work up an article for the newsletter. I'll get on it now and let you read it when done before submission.

Thanks for the photo of LAURA. This is 44-8796 Fuselage KY-F 'Freddy'. She belonged to the 366th Sqn, sister Squadron to your 365th. She was a PFF Pathfinder equipped with H2x Radar. As with many ships with H2x, she was used by many crews from across the Squadrons at Chelveston. Because H2x were special, if a Squadron was short of a plane to lead a mission, they used whatever was available.

I appreciated your comments on Operations duties when you were recovering from the Estampe mission wounds. Especially the 'Blonde in the cot'.

From several independent sources:- In the LeMay era beginning of 1943, the accommodating of females on the barrack communal sites was very common. However it became such a problem, things came to a head one day when an important and regretfully unannounced visitor arrived.

As often happened, an unscheduled group inspection was raised by the Inspector General, 8th AF Bomber Command Pinetree High Wycombe. The General arrived, and radioed for a jeep to pick him up from the C-47 he'd just landed in. He immediately ordered 'a tour' of the base and the many sites around the perimeter. Well.... it was around Noon and he was just making his way from the Main site B Communal site housing the mess hall, PX, Gym, 'O' Club etc.. and about to pass a Squadron site (name and number withheld) When the General turned his head and caught between the hawthorne hedge an amazing sight. He immediately slammed his hand on the windsheild and order his driver to stop, and back up. In doing so, he found the gap in the hedge once more, and saw before his eyes.... a washing line hung between two sets of tar and paper barrack huts. On the line... were several pairs of ladies under garments! Feeling his blood pressure rise, the General ordered his driver to enter the site, stopping at the first hut. Things got even worse. There on the step of that first hut was a partly clothed young lady, clearly only just out of bed! 'Hello love', she says, looking up with an innocent smile towards the General, who is swaying on his toes in complete disbelief. 'And who are you??!!??' The General bellows! 'Oh' the girls replies, still smiling and totally oblivious to him or his rank. 'My names Mavis, and I live here......!!!' BOOOOOOMMMM! Mavis was not alone, and upon hearing the raised voices, several other girls appeared at the next hut and open windows. Some say there were a dozen or more ladies spread over several huts; a real community and 'home from home', keeping house and waiting for their men to return home later that evening.

The story goes, the General headed straight to Le May and they had quite an exchange of views for a few minutes. Although only a Colonel (then) he gave as good as he got and more. The upshot of those exchanges was an order was put out that very afternoon, that ALL guests MUST be off the camp by 2300hrs, PERIOD. Many have said that while Le May towed the 'official' line and made the order, he also cut some slack and didnt deny all privileges to his airmen, specifically combat crews. Often known as a stern man, with no humanity, it seems the actions and his defence of his men that afternoon is contrary to such a belief. Iron Ass by name, but certainly not true in many incidences. He knew the stresses of combat and the exuberance of youth, which most of the aircrews were. Many of them actually considered such 'comforts' to be essential to the war effort, even though it wasnt in the official military code. Whether right or not in a military environment, it did happen. Whilst a repeat of so many girls living at one time may not have been repeated again, it did never the less happen right through those years of operations at Chelveston. Roy's recollection of just one example in 1944, would appear to uphold this fact.

I'm sure our 305th are not alone in having the above happen.

Ian

[Jigs Bumper]

I'm sure our 305th are not alone in having the above happen.

Ian

Nope, tho the details are talked about by some veterans but not written. For the 305th perhaps it was the reverse of others, as rank had its privileges, I guess.

The events I shared have never been written down from official sources, however, several (305th) veterans who were there at the time of the above infamous episode have independently spoken about it, at varying times in recent years. Ive specifically withheld the Squadron or site location, and although I also have a couple of names allegedly involved, again Ive spared them from being sighted. Never the less it is a part and parcel of the history of our group, much like the goings on while away from base on furlough, Piccadilly Commando's and the like. I can very well beleive many would not write such things down, but would be surprised if the experiences at our group were not mirrored at our neighbours and beyond to a lesser or greater degree. While we all remember the courage and heroism performed and rightly so, the majority of the legacy we celebrate, we must never forget such other things or allow them to be ignored, or airbrushed out for convenience, and cut from the rest of the story. It is part of who they were.

Ian

[mustangdriver]

I actually have never heard this before. Very interesting!

[Jigs Bumper]

Howdy Chris...
Speaking for just the 305th, I know we have a varied number of everyday stories other than the combat events. The Stag Parties at the 'O' Club, fire extinguisher fights...!!! The good 'ol boys who lived down at Site 6, way out in the woods, and built a moonshine still....!!! The Canadian soldier AWOL who lived at the 305th for almost 6 months as a driver taking combat crews to planes every morning.... The infamous 'Loyd Hammer's Monkey' and its shameful performances on many unsuspecting victims. They should be posted on another thread so as not to detract from the MLB subject here....

Getting back to MLB.

Message for Roy O'Neil. Roy I spoke today with Barb and she has asked we piece together the article based on your memories here, plus pictures, for the very next edition, scheduled for end of May. I'll work up the piece, and add further pictures for ships you flew in such as REICHS RUIN. Can you let me know best means to send a final draft to you before final submission, so you can pass for printing. Thanks in advance.

Ian

[rtoneil]

Mustangdriver:
The lead article in the June 8, 1945 Rushden Echo & Argus tell the story of the 305th Bomb Group's participation in "The Schweinfurt Raid" (Oct, 14, 1943). This mission was an attempt to make a huge dent in Germany's ball-bearing production. It didn't go well. Sixty B-17s were lost and many others were damaged beyond repair. Only two of fifteen 305th airplanes returned to Chelveston. Wikipedia's account:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Raid_on_Schweinfurt

[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/14o4176.jpg[/IMG

If you think this newspaper would be suitable for your museum, let me know and I will send it to you. I'll need your mailing address.

Roy