Clark Gable,Waist gunner?

[agent86]

Mr.Gable flew a few missions as a part of whatever outfit filmed actual bombing missions.Didnt he play waist gunner in some of these missions he flew?Just the fact that he was willing to fly shows he was no poser

[Steve Nelson]

From Wikipedia...

Gable joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942. He had made a public statement that prompted Commanding General of the Army Air Forces Henry H. Arnold to offer Gable a "special assignment" <making a film about> aerial gunnery.

Gable spent most of the war in the United Kingdom at RAF Polebrook with the 351st bomb group. He flew five combat missions, including one to Germany, as an observer-gunner in B-17 Flying Fortresses between May 4 and September 23, 1943, earning the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. During one of the missions, Gable's aircraft was damaged by flak and attacked by fighters, which knocked out one of the engines and shot up the stabilizer. In the raid on Germany, one crewman was killed and two others were wounded, and flak went through Gable's boot and narrowly missed his head. When word of this reached MGM, studio executives began to badger the U.S. Army Air Corps to reassign their valuable screen property to non-combat duty. In November 1943, he returned to the United States to edit the film, only to find that the personnel shortage of aerial gunners had already been rectified. He was allowed to complete the film anyway, joining the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Hollywood.

Adolf Hitler esteemed Gable above all other actors; during the Second World War, he offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed.

The Kalamazoo Air Zoo's B-25 was assigned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit at one point. I wonder if Gable ever flew in it.

SN

[Rajay]

Many years ago, when I read (literally cover to cover) Roger Freeman's book The Mighty Eighth, I got the impression that whatever aircraft Clark Gable posed next to for a publicity photo was lost soon thereafter. Seems that he wasn't exactly a "good luck" charm for them.

[TonyM]

In Clark Gable's defense:

He did make it through regular basic training and also Officer Candidate School as a forty year old man. That alone was a pretty good accomplishment.

Gable flew on several missions. When he flew those missions, mid 1943, the chance of getting shot down was great.
During the period that Gable flew, duty in the 8th AF was tough, tough, tough. He made it.

About Gable personally:
He was so bummed about losing his wife, actress Carole Lombard, to a stateside DC-3 accident in Feb 42, he told a close friend that he did not "give a hoot" if he came back to the states alive or not.
He joined the AAF only because one of the last things his wife said to him was that he had to "join this man's army". Gable was never the same guy after losing Lombard.

TM

[DLSheley]

He also flew at least one mission (May 4,1943 to Antwerp) with the 303rd Bomb Group.


"The 8 Ball Mark II"
B-17F-27-BO Flying Fortress
s/n 41-24635
359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force.
Was scrapped on February 8,1945.

[sgt hawk]

Clark Gable went, how many avoided it? Whatever you may think of "Clark", he went when many wouldn't or couldn't. Those missions were not easy in 44 but he went. Let's give the man credit for what he did and not speculate on what was motive.

[Robbie Roberts]

Clark Gable went, how many avoided it? Whatever you may think of "Clark", he went when many wouldn't or couldn't. Those missions were not easy in 44 but he went. Let's give the man credit for what he did and not speculate on what was motive.

When it comes to the WWII generation, many more of them went than would EVER join from the ranks of todays Hollywood "Elite"

http://www.commonsensejunction.com/xtras/wwii-movie-stars/wwii-movie-stars.html
http://palletmastersworkshop.com/flipside.html

The reason John Wayne did not serve was that he was deaf in one ear, and chronic back pain, but believed he could still help the war effort in films, since they would not take him. He did volunteer, but was turned down...

Today's crowd would NEVER think to serve anything but themselves. They are too important to be in the service of their Country.(For the most part- I do know there may be a few who feel otherwise..) But the WWII generation felt it was their DUTY to serve.

Scott

[JohnB]

The reason John Wayne did not serve was that he was deaf in one ear, and chronic back pain, but believed he could still help the war effort in films, since they would not take him. He did volunteer, but was turned down...
Scott

His detractors seem to forget he was born in 1907 so he was a bit old (in other words he was 16 years older than my father who was a B-17 pilot late in the war) and married with four children by that time (unlike Stewart and Gable...although Gable has a secret daughter).
Yes, he could have joined, but at his age and with a large family to support, I'm not sure I would have done anything different.
Besides, wiki says he was threatened with a lawsuit if he tried to get out of his studio contract. So who knows.


Back to Gable...

Why was he a major so soon? Seems like a few rapid promotions.
Spokane, Washington there is a locally produced history magazine. There was a recent article that he taught gunnery at a Ft. George Wright, where they had a aerial gunnery school.

[whistlingdeath77]

I thought John Wayne kept getting himself defered for later dates? He actually could have gone in but really never put a massive effort in to do it. I'm not knocking the guy at all, i don't blame him. At his age, it would have been tough. BUT Robert Montgomery did serve and skippered a PT boat, and was 3 years older than Wayne. Both starred in " They were Expendable" as John Ford directed. Ford on set was badgering Wayne about how his salute wasn't correct and continued to harrass Wayne. Montgomery finally had enough and told Ford to knock it off, since he himself was a actual Naval veteran. Montgomery basically informed the director that if he thought the salute was good enough, than so be it because he actually knew how to do it. True story

[TonyM]

Gable was six years older than John Wayne and smoked and drank just as much and he-Gable- made it through basic and OCS.

The story I remember was that John Wayne hated president Roosevelt and vowed he would not help him with the war effort.

TM.

[whistlingdeath77]

Gable was six years older than John Wayne and smoked and drank just as much and he-Gable- made it through basic and OCS.

The story I remember was that John Wayne hated president Roosevelt and vowed he would not help him with the war effort.

TM.

wow. i didn't know that. That's a good piece of info if it is indeed true.

[Steve Nelson]

I've heard The Duke accused of being a cowardly draft-dodger by liberals, and lionized as America's greatest patriot by conservatives. I figure the truth is somewhere in the middle. This is not intended as a slam against either side..Wayne was a an outspoken conservative, which tends to color the opinions of his supporters and detractors.

SN

[whistlingdeath77]

personally, my only opinion on Wayne is from his movies. To me, his war movies were really good.

[JohnB]

I've heard The Duke accused of being a cowardly draft-dodger by liberals, and lionized as America's greatest patriot by conservatives. I figure the truth is somewhere in the middle. This is not intended as a slam against either side..Wayne was a an outspoken conservative, which tends to color the opinions of his supporters and detractors.

SN

Agreed.
The truth is always in the middle. Yes, the guy didn't knock himself out trying to join. Buit at 35 and 4 kids..I'm not going to fault him for that.

Re: Politics and Wayne. Those of us who remember the 70s might recall a smear campaign by his detractors...they said (and many believed it because it kept popping up in those "Ask a question about celebrities" columns) that Wayne was 5'2" and rode a shetland pony.
That's nonsense if you look at any of his films and you don't need to be Mr. Ed to see that his horses weren't ponys.
My point is he did/does have his detractors, some of which were willing to believe anything.

Last edited by JohnB on Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[The Inspector]

As to why he was made a Colonel so soon probably had a lot to do with good P.R. You couldn't have a heart throb like Rhett Butler as a lowly 1st Looie and disappoint all those women who went to the movies during the war could you?