Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary

398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association

**Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary**
Navigator, 600th/601st Squadron

Beckley's Mission No. 1

**31 July 1944**
**Target:** **Munich, Germany**
No 1: Munich, July 31, 1944: 8 hours 35 minutes flying time. Bomb load 10 five-hundred pound general purpose bombs (GP). We were really broken in the hard way for combat missions. There was a lot of flak over Munich, and to hit the target, we had to barge right through the middle of it. Over the target tail-gunner Hatcher’s oxygen hose became unfastened and he passed out for about ten minutes. He thought sure that he had been hit when he came to. Upon landing we looked over our battle damage and counted thirty-five flak holes in the ship, two of them through the astrodome over my head. The ship was taken to the sub-depot for major repairs. We were lucky that we all got by this first one in one piece.

Notes:

Lt. Robert J. Beckley was the Navigator for the Linn R. Rogers crew.
The above transcription was provided by Ann Collins, daughter of Phillip Collins, Ball Turret Gunner on the 601st Saul Marias Crew.
This transcription is a reproduction of the original. Spelling and punctuation changes have been made to improve readability. In some circumstances, material may not have been transcribed or was rewritten.
Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

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