Warbird Information Exchange

I recently have become a team member on the EAA B-17 program. I thought there may be some interest in some of the folks that we get to take on the B-17 flights.

Here is my first one to post here.

June "Smokey" Morris (maiden name) riveted on the night shift during WWII at Boeing in Renton Washington. She installed the aux gas tanks on each B-17 that left Boeing for England. Hers was the last task and the bomber would fly out the next day for the European arena. Smokey is 90 years old this June 8, and she never got to fly in her bombers.

The day Smokey heard over the radio that the German wolf pack had sunk a freighter in the Caribbean on which her father served as engineer, Smokey reported to her night shift at Boeing anyway. That happened to be the night the union went on strike. When the union rep told her she had to go on strike with the union, Smokey said No. She told him that the Germans had just killed her daddy and she was going to personally make sure that this bird was ready to go after Germans tomorrow morning. The union rep could not persuade her to strike and finally he got mad. He told her that he would drag her out of the hangar if he had to. She invited him to come up onto the wing and get her. Her bucker, Helen, echoed the same challenge, and the union rep backed off and left. The giant hangar was empty except for those two women riveting through the night. Their supervisor, not daring to argue with them, reluctantly stayed and kept the lights on. That bomber lifted off for England the next day.

She is flying with us on Sat. morning.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

That's a great story.

Steve

Not that I've researched it, but I wasn't aware of any Boeing strikes during the war.

Edit: http://www.goiam.org/index.php/headquar ... of-the-iam

1940: Machinists rates average 80 cents an hour. IAM pledges full support to National Defense program. IAM membership climbs to 188,000.

1941: IAM pledges hail support to win the war including no-strike pledge.

1944: 76,000 IAM members serve in armed forces. Total membership now 776,000.

1945: First agreement with Remington Rand. IAM convention votes to establish weekly newspaper, education department. Widespread layoffs follow end of World War II.

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45-47=-2

The major unions took, and generally adhered to, a no-strike pledge during the war. I have not heard of a union-sanctioned strike at Boeing during the war either.

There were wildcat strikes throughout the war in many industries. On those occasions, the unions allied with management in trying to prevent and end them, and many workers came to work.

August

Then June had to hump the tanks from Renton where they were building B-29's, about 5 miles over Skyway Hill to Plant 2 where B-17's were built.
The ONLY B-17 that got major work done on it (other than a possible occasional post war mod) @ Renton was Swage Richardsons 'E' 'The Boeing Bee' (stupid name!).

Boeing workers did hit the bricks in 1946 or 1947.

Oh, yeah, 4485740 is a B-17G-105-VE hatched in Burbank

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

She will be at the plane at Boeing field on Sat. Come out and tell her.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

If you're gonna be @ KBFI Saturday, just point her slightly Northwest from the MoF ramp at the site that used to be Plant 2. The history is what it is Chris-
VE denotes VEGA build, B-17's built @ Plant 2, originally Renton was a Navy building to build the PBB-2 SEA RANGER patrol seaplane but the need for seaplanes diminished as the Army needed the B-29 yesterday. The first few XB and early, pre production B-29A's were built at Plant 2 while Renton was being built.
Since you're @ KPAE and HFF, what is your opinion of Johns little airplane garage?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I believe she called the airport by the wrong name. Something that can easily happen when your 90.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Sorry if you guys are getting wet, but our weather gets good about July 5th-

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-