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. 8

**26 August 1944**
**Target:** **Gelsenkirchen, Germany**
No. 8. Essen, August 26, 1944: [Editor's Note: The Official 398th Mission this day was to Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Holland; the secondary was Delsen, Holland. Probably Essen is near Gelsenkirchen or Delsen.] 6 hours 30 minutes flying time. Bomb load 10 five-hundred pound IB. We really sweated this mission out. Making two runs on targets, on different targets, getting flak at each, opening and closing the bomb bay doors three times and, still, we dropped no bombs. On the way back the Lead Bombardier was still looking for a target of last resort so we toured the Holland coast looking for something, but finally turned for home with the bombs. The mission was accredited.

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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