Answering Nature's Call on Missions
Fri Feb 24, 2023 1:33 pm
Thought some people here would enjoy this article on adventures and misadventures answering nature's call on long missions during World War II. Can't say I've seen this written about anywhere before.
https://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/chro ... ure-calls/
https://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/chro ... ure-calls/
Re: Answering Nature's Call on Missions
Sat Feb 25, 2023 2:46 pm
As the box fell, it hit the windscreen of a trailing B-17 in the formation and lodged frozen solid blocking the pilots view. Upon returning to base in England, the pilot had to land his aircraft by sticking his head out of the cockpit side window.’
– Bill Markum. Pilot.
One of the articles on the restoration of Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby (Air Classics Quarterly Review, I believe) mentioned that Baby was the victim of such a dropping during a mission!
Re: Answering Nature's Call on Missions
Sun Feb 26, 2023 7:55 pm
The irrepressible "Andy" Anderson of the 43rd BG regaled those of us at the 2018 reunion with the following story which literally left the entire room in tears from laughter:
As Andy told it, he was out on a familiarization flight in one of the unit's B-24s with a recently assigned young replacement pilot. They weren't flying with a full crew, and partway through the flight, the new guy mentioned he needed to "drop the kids off at the pool", so to speak. Andy suggested he make his way aft and use the strike camera port located aft of the bomb bay- apparently they didn't have any of their gunners with them on this hop. So the guy works his way aft, and Andy continues to turn around every minute or so to check his progress. Finally, the lad gets there, manually opens the doors of the strike camera hatch, works his way out of his flight suit, and just as he squats over the hatch... Andy begins violently yanking the control yoke back and forth, throwing this poor kid all over the back of the Liberator as he proceeds to crap all over himself and the interior of the plane.
That is hands down the single funniest story I have ever heard from a veteran. War is he||, y'all!
Lynn
As Andy told it, he was out on a familiarization flight in one of the unit's B-24s with a recently assigned young replacement pilot. They weren't flying with a full crew, and partway through the flight, the new guy mentioned he needed to "drop the kids off at the pool", so to speak. Andy suggested he make his way aft and use the strike camera port located aft of the bomb bay- apparently they didn't have any of their gunners with them on this hop. So the guy works his way aft, and Andy continues to turn around every minute or so to check his progress. Finally, the lad gets there, manually opens the doors of the strike camera hatch, works his way out of his flight suit, and just as he squats over the hatch... Andy begins violently yanking the control yoke back and forth, throwing this poor kid all over the back of the Liberator as he proceeds to crap all over himself and the interior of the plane.
That is hands down the single funniest story I have ever heard from a veteran. War is he||, y'all!
Lynn
Re: Answering Nature's Call on Missions
Mon Feb 27, 2023 6:01 pm
I used to talk with 8th AF vets in the 80s and 90s, and this came up every now and then. One consistent thing I heard was they'd keep empty .50 cal ammo wood crates for that. They'd keep the metal inserts out so their backsides wouldn't freeze to them. With wood, all was okay.
They'd usually throw the box out somewhere over Der Vaterland. I remember one gunner form the 91st at the Tacoma reunion in 2002 (I think) told me they were coming home with one engine out, flat-hatting across France. The ball turret gunner said he could see a grouping of trucks, which had to be German, so they dropped the crate out and the ball gunner swore it went in among all those trucks. Imagine that mess! But then again, anyone down there would have possibly thought it was still better than a bomb instead.
They'd usually throw the box out somewhere over Der Vaterland. I remember one gunner form the 91st at the Tacoma reunion in 2002 (I think) told me they were coming home with one engine out, flat-hatting across France. The ball turret gunner said he could see a grouping of trucks, which had to be German, so they dropped the crate out and the ball gunner swore it went in among all those trucks. Imagine that mess! But then again, anyone down there would have possibly thought it was still better than a bomb instead.
Re: Answering Nature's Call on Missions
Mon Feb 27, 2023 6:33 pm
In the RV6a on early-morning departures to Gatineau for warbird flying (each flight two hours or so long) after 3 cups of tea at home and in the truck, it became apparent to me that the "Call" addressed in this thread is a Most Significant Thing.
Thus, a few years ago, I went into the "drink-aisle" of a modern fully-stocked grocery store on a mission -- essential to the preservation of equilibrium -- to buy a bottle NOT for the quality of the fluid within, but for the size and shape of the neck.
Of course it was a wide-mouthed bottle... but that's reality more than affectation -- the cockpit of an RV6 is cramped.
Thus, a few years ago, I went into the "drink-aisle" of a modern fully-stocked grocery store on a mission -- essential to the preservation of equilibrium -- to buy a bottle NOT for the quality of the fluid within, but for the size and shape of the neck.
Of course it was a wide-mouthed bottle... but that's reality more than affectation -- the cockpit of an RV6 is cramped.