On Our Way

7 August [7 August 1944]
Left Kearney Nebraska for Grenier Field New Hampshire.

8 August [8th August 1944]
Arrived at Grenier Field. Everything O.K.

9 August [9th August 1944]
Left Grenier Field New Hampshire for Goose Bay, Labrador.

9 August [9th August 1944]
Arrived Goose Bay, Labrador. Everything still O.K.

10 August [10th August 1944]
Went fishing at Goose Bay, Labrador, caught nothing. White mule [alcohol] costs 25 dollars per quart here.

10 August [10th August 1944]
Left Goose Bay for Meeks Field, Iceland. Have my fingers crossed.

10 August [10th August 1944]
Arrived Meeks Field, Iceland. O.K. Hectic journey and colder than heck.

11 August [11th August 1944]
Left Meeks Field for Nutts Corner, Ireland.

11 August [11th August 1944]
Arrived Nutts Corner in fine shape. They took our new ship away; guess we are ground grippers [land travel] now.

12 August [12th August 1944]
Left Nutts Corner for Liverpool, England on a filthy scow.

13 August [13th August1944]
Arrived in Liverpool alright, on our way to Stone, England now.

13-20 August [13th to 20th August 1944]
Stayed in Stone, England, one dickens of a place.

20 August [20th August 1944]
Arrived in Royston, England for combat duty with the Eighty Air Force at Nuthampstead, about 30 miles north of London.

20 August - 4 September [20th August to 4th September1944]
Did usual things and got sick from this “Limey” [“English”] weather.



3 Sept. [3rd September 1944] # 1 [first mission]
Flew first combat mission.
Target:Oil refinery at Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Real scared, had intense flak, lost two ships. We make it O.K.



5 Sept. [5th September 1944]
Got a pass, went to London and looked around.



7 Sept. [7th September 1944]
Had a mission to Berlin, Germany but it was scrubbed [cancelled]. We were all glad of that.



8 Sept. [8th September 1944] # 2 [second mission]
Flew a mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany. Lost two planes, several others shot up a bit. Had several casualties, nearly lost our tail gunner. [I] am plenty thankful we got back.



10 Sept. [10th September 1944] # 3 [third mission]
Flew a mission to Stuttgart, Germany. Lost one plane, had pictures taken.



13 Sept. [13th September 1944] # 4 [fourth mission]
Flew a mission to Lutzkendorf, Germany.



15 Sept. [15th September 1944]
We were transferred to the 603rd squadron.



16 Sept. [16th September 1944]
Briefed for a mission to Berlin---scrubbed [cancelled]. Re-briefed at 11:30a.m. for mission to Bremen---scrubbed [cancelled]… Glad again, we’re not eager for that “Big B” [Berlin, Germany].

Editor's Note: This diary entry does not seem to match other diary entries for this date which indicated a scrubbed mission to Eindhoven, Holland. However, the entry has been left for completeness. It is very similar to other diary entries for scrubbed missions on 6 September 1944 to Bremen and then Berlin



19 Sept. [19th September 1944] # 5 [fifth mission]
Flew mission to Hamm, Germany. Received a Bronze Star for close support of ground troops.

Hamm:
25,000 ft. [feet altitude]
Briefed: 7:30 [a.m.].
12-500 lb. [pound] and 2-100 lb. [pound] incendiary [bombs].
Took off: 0945. [a.m.]
Landed: 1630 [4:30 p.m.].
On O2 [oxygen] 1000-1535 [10a.m.-3:35p.m.]
Bombed PFF [Pathfinder Force].
Bombs away:1335 [1:35p.m.]. Marshalling yards [railroad yards].



22 Sept. [22nd September 1944]
Got a 48 hr. [hours] pass and went to London.



25 Sept. [25 September 1944] # 6 [sixth mission]
Flew a mission to Frankfurt, Germany. A bit rough, but made it O.K.

Frankfurt:
Briefed: 0445 [4:45a.m.].
Took off: 0715 [7:15a.m.].
Landed: 1430 [2:30 p.m.].
On O2 [oxygen]: 0800-1230 [8a.m.-12:30 p.m.].
12-500lb. Demos. [pound demolition bombs].
Bombs away: 10:30 [10:30a.m.].



26 Sept. [26 September 1944] # 7 [seventh mission]
Flew a mission to Osnabruck, Germany.
Osnabruck: 500lb. [pound] incendiaries [bombs].
Altitude: 30,000 ft. [feet].
Marshalling yards [railroad yards]).



27 Sept. [27 September 1944] # 8 [eighth mission]
My crew stayed on the ground. I flew a mission with a Lt. [Lieutenant] Moore’s crew to Cologne, Germany. “Flak-happy Valley” [heavy anti-air craft guns area] lived up to it’s [its] name.



30 Sept. [30th September 1944] # 9 [ninth mission]
Flew a mission to Muenster [Munster], Germany.

Muenster [Munster]:
PFF. [Pathfinder Force]
Briefed: 0730 [7:30a.m.].
Take Off: 1020 [10:20a.m.].
Landed: 1615 [4:15 p.m.].
12-500lb. [pounds] G.P.’s [general purpose bombs].
On O2 [oxygen] 1030-1500 [10:30 a.m.-3p.m.].
Bombs away: 1350 [1:50 p.m.].
Marsh. Yds. [Marshalling yards or railroad yards])



2 October [2nd October 1944] # 10 [tenth mission]
Flew a mission to Kassel, Germany. Got shot up a bit.

Kassel:
Briefed: 0430 [a.m.].
10-500lb. [pound] incendiaries [bombs].
Take off: 0720 [7:20a.m.].
Landed: 1430 [2:30p.m.].
On O2 [oxygen] 0740-1330 7:40a.m.-1:30p.m.].
Bombs away: 1100 [a.m.].
Ordnance plants and Factories [Military supply manufacturing].



3 October [3rd October 1944] # 11 [eleventh mission]
Flew a mission to Nurnberg, Germany.

Nurnberg:
5-1000lb. [pound] G.P.’s [general purpose bombs].
Take off: 0730 [7:30a.m.]
Landed: 1540 [3:40p.m.].
On O2 [oxygen]: 0830-1508 [8:30a.m.-3:08p.m.].
Bombs away: 1140 [11:40a.m.].
Briefed: 0530 [5:30a.m.].
PFF [Pathfinder Force].
Tiger Tank Factory.



6 October [6th October 1944] # 12 [twelfth mission]
Flew a mission to Neubrandenburg, Germany. A long one. Flew over the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Denmark and saw Finland and Sweden.



7 October [7th October 1944] # 13 [thirteenth mission]
Flew a mission to Brux, Czechoslovakia. Had to make a 360° and a 180° [started bomb run over] turn over the target. Bombed PFF [Pathfinder Force]. Everybody got lost, what a mess. Saw a straggler [aircraft unable to keep up with formation] blow up just off our right wing and behind us. I followed it down, no chutes [no parachutes or no survivors]. Lots of soup [fog] here at home.



7-10 October [7th to 10th October 1944]
Spent my “48” [48 hours pass] trying to lick a bad cough and cold due to this Limey [English] weather. Rain.



11-14 October [11th to 14th October 1944]
Rain and more rain.



15 October [15th October 1944] # 14 [fourteenth mission]
Flew a mission to Cologne, Germany. “Flakhappy Valley” [heavy anti-aircraft guns area].



17 October [17th October 1944] # 15 [fifteenth mission]
Another mission to Cologne, [Germany] same thing.



19 October [19th October 1944]
Flew a practice mission up over northern England today. Checked out for the first time in the air as toggleer [togglier] [person who drop the bombs]. I dropped all the practice bombs.



22 October [22nd October 1944] # 16 [sixteenth mission]
It quit raining long enough for us to get in a mission to Brunswick, Germany. Lots of cover from 51’s and 47’s [P-51 and P-47 fighter’s planes]. The 51’s [P-51] threw chaff [radar interference] and the flak was several hundred feet low. Everything was closed in [bad weather] when we got home and we were really sweating [worrying] it out. They finally got us down thru [through] the soup [fog] over at Bassingborne [another air base]. Instrument landing.



24 October [24th October 1944]
Flew a practice gunnery mission over English Channel. Sleeve [long streamer towed behind air craft used for target practice] jammed in tow ship so we came home. Field closed [fog] in again so we sweat blood trying to get down.



27 October [27th October 1944]
Briefed for a mission to Mannheim, Germany. We were rained out so they scrubbed [cancelled] it. OK with us.



28 October [28th October 1944] # 17 [seventeenth mission]
Flew a mission to Muenster [Munster], Germany. Made a PFF [Pathfinder Force] run and saw the groups’ bombs hit the target. Quite a solid blow [bombs on target]. They blew a little too,[.] [T]here was lots of flak and it was accurate. We lost two ships [planes]
.
Muenster [Munster]:
6-500lb. [pound]
G. P.’s [general purpose bombs]
6- 500lb. [pound] incendiaries [bombs].
Take off:1130 [11:30 a.m.].
Assemble:15,000 ft. [feet altitude].
Bomb run: 23,000 ft. [feet altitude].
Bombs away: 1426 [2:26 p.m.].
On O2 [oxygen]: 1200-1600 [noon to 4 p.m.].
Landed: 1645 [4:45 p.m.].
Marshalling yards [target was railroad yards].)



2 November [2nd November 1944] # 18 [eighteenth mission]
Flew a mission to Merseburg, Germany. This was the roughest by far to date. We were in solid flak for 27 minutes and it was thick enough to get out and walk on.

We were hit by fighters just after turning off the target and had a running fight for about 12-15 minutes. Three F.W. 190’s [Focke-Wulfs German fighter planes] made passes at us. I got bursts away at all three ships, and knocked the F.W. [Focke-Wulf] down that came in second. I picked him up at 5:00 0’clock and kept pouring it at him until he blew up just off our right wing at about 2:00 o’clock. He rolled up and to the right, just as he blew [exploded], trying to break away. His ship just disintegrated. When
he exploded he was from 150-200 feet from us.

Our cover was P-51s [Pursuit] [American fighter planes]. They did a fine job but they couldn’t keep the Jerry’s [German fighter planes] from slipping in on us. I never saw such confusion or so much activity in my life. There were airplanes and dogfights [fighters trying shoot each other down] everywhere. Our group lost five ships [planes], two of them just off our right wing.

The three ships I fired at were FW-109’s [German’s fighter: Focke-Wulfs] and made their passes from the rear and just below level. One other FW-190 [Focke-Wulfs] attacked us from head on but Ebb couldn’t get him. ME-109’s [German fighter: Messerschmitt] hit our group too, but none came in close to us although I saw a lot of them.

At interrogation, I made a claim for the FW [Focke-Wulf] that I hit. Chuck, Jonesie [probably T/Sgt. C. T. Jones, Radio Operator] and Salsano [S/Sgt. C. C. Salsano, Waist Gunner] all saw it explode and they backed my claim. A diagram was drawn and sent to 1st Division. They will hand down a decision.

The whole 8th Airforce put more than 1100 B-17’s and B-24’s in the air plus over 900 fighters. The Jerry’s [Germans] put about 400 FW-190’s [Focke-Wulfs fighters] and ME-109’s [Messerschmitts] in the air plus a few jet propelled jobs [planes]. The Stars and Stripes [GI’s Newspaper] said, all told, we knocked down close to 200 airplanes. We were the 17th group over the target, Bassingborn was right behind us and they lost 13 ships [aircraft]. The radio, today, said the 8th Airforce lost 38 bombers and 19 fighters.---Now, they have upped it [to] 40 bombers.

Merseburg: 18-250lb. [pound] G.P’s [general purpose bombs].
Take off: 0900 [9 a.m.].
Assemble: 9,000 ft. [altitude feet].
Bombed at: 27,000 ft. [altitude feet].
Bombs away: 1300 [1p.m.].
On O2 [oxygen]: 1030-1515 [10:30a.m. to 3:15p.m.].
Landed: 1650 [4:50 p.m.].
Synthetic oil [factory: target for today]).



5 November [5th November 1944]
Went to a party last night, was sicker than the devil this morning and as a result, missed a milk run [easy or low Flak or fighters resistance] to Frankfurt, Germany. Besides that, the field here closed in and the boys got to land away from home, at Odiham, England. They ate in the Sergeants’ mess, had clean tablecloths and W.A.A.F’s [English: Women Auxiliary Air Force] to serve them. They also had a nice lounge and bar and all the Scotch [alcohol] in the world. The whole crew probably got drunk and I was back here in this hole [barracks or base], “sweating ‘em [them] out” [worrying about them].



# 19 [nineteenth mission]
8 November [8th November 1944]
Well, we hit Merseburg, Germany again today. We bombed P.F.F. [Pathfinder Force] the other day and missed the oil [target] we were going after. We bombed P.F.F. [Pathfinder Force] again today and I hope we hit it, I dont [don’t] want to go back there again. There was a lot of flak today over the target, but no fighters were up [in the air]. The winds aloft today were terrific and our ground speed on the bomb run was 340 miles per hour. Coming back however, it was different. With that head wind we were lucky to make 100 -110 m.p.h. [Miles Per Hours]. Loaded, we normally cruise at 150 m.p.h.

Merseburg: 10-500lb. [pound] G.P’s [general purpose bombs].
Take off: 0740 [7:40a.m.].
Assemble: 18,000 ft. [feet altitude]
Bomb run: 25,000 ft. [altitude feet]
Bombs away: 1118 [11:18a.m.].
On O2 [oxygen]: 0945-1440 [9:45 a.m.-2:40p.m.].
Landed: 1545 [3:45 p.m.].
Briefed: 0430 [4:30 a.m.].
Temperature: -40° [.] Synthetic oil [factory target]).



# 20 [twentieth mission]
9 November [9th November 1944]
Flew a “milkrun” [milk run] to Metz, France. It was a honey, saw very little flak. We bombed four miles ahead of Patton’s 3rd Army and we went after their 155’s [German anti-aircraft guns]. We hit some 3 or 4 miles southeast of Metz in a village called Chelsnea [France] or Chelsey [France].

Metz: 8-1000 lb. [pound] G.P’s [general purpose bombs].
Briefed: 0400 [4a.m.].
Take off: 0700 [7 a.m.].
Assemble: 15,000 ft. [altitude feet].
Bomb run: 25,000 ft. [altitude feet].
Bombs away: 1001 [10:01 a.m.].
On O2 [oxygen]: 0745-1120 [7:45 a.m. to 11:20 a. m.].
Landed: 1405 [2:05 p. m.].
Used the carpet [ ] today, friendly flak. Ground support.



# 21 [twenty-first mission]
21 November [21st November 1944]
Flew another rough one to Merseburg. We were low squadron and were flying lead of the low element. Flak was heavy as usual and we caught quite a bit over the target.

About twenty five minutes off the target we were hit by several fighters, 109’s [Messerschmitt: German fighter plane] and 190’s [Focke-Wulfs: German fighter plane]. They made one pass from head on. Carlson, the navigator, [2nd Lt. Kenneth G. Carlson, Navigator] was hit badly and the ship [plane] was really shot up [damaged].

Most of the instruments were out, and the oxygen and hydraulic lines were shot out. We were losing altitude fast but after a while, Steve [1st Lt. Staver J. Hyndman, Pilot] managed to hold on and we limped across the lines into Belgium.

We threw everything overboard that we could get loose and we salvoed the ball turret to lighten the load. The ship was mushing and would hardly maintain flying speed. We crash landed at an R.A.F. [Royal Air Force] Typhoon base and Steve [1st Lt. Staver J. Hyndman, Pilot] really did a marvelous job [to] bring it in. The Limey’s [English person] got Ken [2nd Lt. Kenneth G. Carlson, Navigator] to a hospital and they think he will pull through. He had fifty four fragment holes in his face, chest, left hand, arm and left leg. We were in Belgium seven days, spending most of our time in Bruges and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner there. That was a happy Thanksgiving because we had so much to thankful for. We also spent some time in Ghent and Brussels. The Air Transport Command flew us back from Brussels in a C-47 [Cargo plane].



1 December [1st December 1944]
We have been taking it easy since coming back from Belgium. Today, they handed us a nine day leave [pass or time off]. We’re all going down to London for a couple of days, then check in at a “flak home” [for those on rest and relaxation leave] in Southport England, near Liverpool, for a seven day “flak leave [rest and relaxation].”



12 December [12th December 1944
We arrived back here [Nuthampstead] tonight. Had a good time in Southport but we had a rough trip back.



# 22 [twenty-second mission]
18 December [18th December 1944]
Flew a mission to Cologne, Germany. Weather was built up [cloud cover] to 29,000 ft. [altitude feet] and as we got to the I.P. [initial point], we got a re-call and the mission was scrubbed [cancelled]. So, we turned around and came home. Although we didn’t drop our bombs, the “poop from the group” is, that we get credit for the mission.



21 December [21st December 1944]
Here’s the latest, we didn’t get credit for the last Cologne mission, because we didn’t drop any bombs although we flew over Germany. Man, that’s a mission for my money.



# 23 [twenty-third mission]
24 December [24th December 1944]
Flew a mission to Coblenz [Koblenz], Germany. The flak was pretty accurate. The 398th [airfield at Nuthampstead] was closed in [fog] so we had to land at a 3rd Division field, Rattlesden, about 55-60 miles from here. We ate supper there, [and] then had to wait until 11:00 P.M. for our lorries [English word for trucks], - I say, there-to come and get us. We didn’t arrive back here until 4:00 A.M. Christmas Day. What a way to spend Christmas Eve, riding through the fog in a cold G. I. [Government Issue] truck, we nearly froze.



# 24 [twentieth-four mission]
28 December [28th December 1944
Flew another mission to Coblenz [Koblenz], Germany. Wasn’t so tough today, no fighters and very little flak. Our primary target was a large rail [road] bridge that the Jerrys [nickname for Germans] have been moving troops and equipment up to the front over. There was full [clouds] coverage over the target so we went on to Coblenz [Koblenz] and bombed the marshalling [railway] yards PFF [Pathfinder Force].



28 December [28th December 1944]
We had a formation a couple of days ago for the awarding of medals, ect. They gave me another oak leaf cluster for shooting down a F.W. 190 [Focke-Wulfs 190 German fighter plane] over Merseburg.



# 25 [twenty-fifth mission]
31 December [31st December 1944]
Flew a mission to Blumenthal, Germany near Frankfurt. Hit a railway
Marshalling yard. Fairly easy trip. No fighters and just moderate flak.



1 January, 1945 [1st January 1945]
This was a good way for our crew to start the New Year, by missing the raid the boys went on today. How we missed the “flimsy” I don’t know, unless it’s because we’re up to full strength now, 24 crews, and they want the new crews to get some missions in. We are one of the oldest crews around here.



# 26 [twenty-sixth mission]
8 January [8th January 1945]
Flew a mission to Schwerte, [Speyer], (Germersheim) Germany. We went after a marshalling yard [railway yard]. No fighters but they tracked us accurately with their flak guns. On every mission lately, we have been carrying a maximum gas load of 2780 gallons, regardless where we have gone. The reason is that the weather is terrible over here now and this field is often “socked in” [fog in]. On this ride a 2400 gallon gas load was ordered and as a result, most of the group ran out of gas and we had to land in France, a little N.E. [northeast] of Lyon. This city is about eighty five miles N.E. [northeast] of Paris. The field is strafed [fire upon by German fighter] quite often, especially when a lot of bombers are lined up there. Two of us guarded the ship [aircraft] that night and we had a snow storm that lasted all night. We took off the next day for our base here but this field was “closed in” [fogged in] so we landed seventy miles north of here, at Woodbridge, a P-51 [Pursuit] fighter base. It is a mighty nice place. We came back here the next day.



10 January [10th January 1945]
Had to stay on the base on my 48 hour leave. My new blouse and trousers haven’t arrived from supply yet so I have no clothes.



15 January [15th January 1945]
Briefed for a mission to Neuburg, Germany. We were almost ready to take off when the mission was scrubbed [cancelled].



16 January [16th January 1945]
Up at 4:00 A.M. again, briefed for a mission to the “Big B”---Berlin—Lutzkendorf [Germany] was the alternate target. We had an A and B plan. The mission was scrubbed [cancelled] again just as we were ready to take off. That was alright with us, both are plenty hot [heavy flak and fighters areas].



16 January, 1945 [16th January 1945]
The report that the Cologne, Germany mission of 18[th] December, 1944 did not count has been retracted. The latest official word is that it does count. That makes 26 [missions] for me, 9 more [missions] to go.



# 27 [twenty-seventh mission]
17 January [17th January 1945]
Flew a mission to Hanover [Paderborn], Germany today. This one was a “milkrun” [milk run easy mission] with a capital M, no fighters and no flak. I could use exactly 8 more [missions] like this one today.



18 January [18th January 1945]
It is listed officially that we flew a mission to Cologne, Germany today but that is incorrect. We finally received credit for it today but we flew the mission one month ago today, the 18th of December.



20 January [20th January 1945]
Briefed for a mission to Ludwigshaven [Mannheim], Germany. We took off and were forming over Debden and were almost ready to leave for the target, when the life raft, (dinghy) broke loose and hit the left stabilizer. Steve [Pilot] was afraid to go on so we aborted [turned back to base].



# 28 [twenty-eighth mission]
22 January [22nd January 1945]
Flew a mission to Hamborn, (Sterkrade) Germany today. It’s a small oil town but the flak was terrific. They used 105’s and 155’s today, no 88’s [anti-aircraft flak guns]. We flew our brand new ship [aircraft], U-Uncle [name of aircraft], for the first time and it was shot up pretty badly. Number 2 engine was hit and it wouldn’t feather [unable to stop the propeller from turning]. It kept windmilling [windmilling, propeller kept turning], and it vibrated and shook the ship so badly that we thought the prop would be thrown free from the engine. Everyone got out of the nose and all of us got ready to bail out [parachute out]. The prop froze up [stopped windmilling] and we made it back without further trouble.



# 29 [twenty-ninth mission]
23 January [23rd January 1945]
Flew a mission to Nuess, Germany. Nuess is 4 miles from Dusseldorf. We went after a marshalling [railway] yard and it was one hot target, the flak was intense and accurate. Our group only put up two squadrons and the Air Force only put up 200 ships [aircraft]. It was snowing both yesterday and today as we took off and we sweat [worry] out both take offs and landings as the runways are slick. Out of 200 ships we lost only six, but one of them happened to be from this group and in it were riding three very good friends of mine, plus the commanding officer of the this base, Col. [Colonel] Hunter. We were flying #3 spot of the lead squadron and Col. [Colonel] Hunter was C.A. [Commander of the Aircraft] of the lead ship just off our right wing and a little ahead of us. Their aircraft received a direct hit in the right wing. The ship [aircraft] fell off on it’s [its] right wing, flipped over on it’s [its] back and spun down. If the boys managed to bail [parachute] out of that baby [aircraft], it’s a miracle. Three of the members of that crew lived in our hut here.



27 January [27th January 1945]
We were briefed this morning for a mission to Bremen, Germany. We were supposed to go after their submarine pens [bases] and it would have been plenty hot [flak]. The mission was scrubbed [cancelled].



# 30 [thirtieth mission]
28 January, 1945 [28th January 1945]
Flew a mission to Cologne, Germany today. We went after a railroad bridge. The flak was close and accurate but was meager to moderate, not at all like Cologne.



31 January [31st January 1945]
Up at 3:00 A.M., briefed for a mission to Berlin, Germany. The 1st. 2nd. and 3rd. Divisions, which make up the 8th. Air Force, were supposed to “walk over” Berlin which is crowded with refugees. It was supposed to have been a big morale raid for the Russians. Heavy fighters attacks were expected along with heavy flak. A thick fog “socked” [covered] this place in so the mission was scrubbed [cancelled].



# 31 [thirtieth-first mission]
1 February [1st February 1945]
We went after a railroad bridge at Mannheim, Germany today. The bridge is exactly between Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. We flew over both cities and that is really a hot [flak] spot. We still can’t figure why we didn’t catch more flak.



2 February [2nd February 1945]
Briefed for a mission to Berlin. Air Force Headquarters ordered the mission at the last minute and it was really “SNAFUed” [situation normal all f@#@ up…badly confused]. Nobody knew anything except that we were supposed to hit Berlin. We had two routes in, one through northern France and then out north over Metz and up through Germany to the target. The other route was directly in. We also had another target called “B Plan” [back up plan] which was Dresden, Germany. It was raining when we got up and I don’t see why they got us out of the sack in the first place. The mission was scrubbed [cancelled] before we could get off the ground.



# 32 [thirtieth-second mission]
3 February [3rd February 1945]
We finally hit the “Big B” [Berlin, Germany] today. The whole 8th Air Force flew to Berlin. Contrary to reports in the papers that we went after military targets, our objective was the heart of the city. The city was divided up by the Air Force and our M.P.I. was a statue in the middle of town. We made a visual run and I sat in the “ball” and stared down at the city for at least ten minutes. We were about the tenth group over the target and the city was blazing and smoking furiously as we arrived. Berlin is normally a city of four million but there are three million refugees in the city who have fled from the Russians. The London papers estimated that at least 20,000 Germans were killed. We expected lots of fighters all the way in and out but they never did come up. The flak wasn’t what we expected either, it was accurate but only moderate. Nevertheless, they really laid it up there at us. We picked up a large hole just aft of the main gas tank in the right wing.



5 February [5th February 1945]
Well the 8th Air Force walked over Berlin, [Germany] the other day. The report is that the German government, diplomats, etc. have set up headquarters in Munich, [Germany]. So, [the] 8th Air Force Command ordered us to do the same to Munich, walk over it with the whole [8th] Air Force. It was raining, however, when we got up at 3:30A.M. It kept raining all morning so they had to scrub [cancelled] it. It would have been a long haul.



# 33 [thirtieth-third mission]
6 February [6th February 1945]
Well, this mission was “SNAFU” [situation normal all F____up] from the minute we took off. At briefing we had four targets, Berlin, Lutzkendorf, Dresden and Chemnitz, [Germany]. We took off not knowing where we were headed. We all got mixed up after we formed at Debden and over the channel our squadron went to pieces. We flew by ourselves over the continent for some time, [and] then fell in with the Yellow S [another bomber] group. They were flying a bad formation so we dropped back and fell in with Bob Youngs’ outfit, the 351st, [another bomber group] J [call letter]. Our group finally straggled in and hit Chemnitz, [Germany]. We flew a good tight formation with J [call letter of the 351st bomb group] and hit some little town that was much smaller than Chemnitz. It was a last resort and we really blew it off the map, although no one knew the name of it.



# 34 [number thirtieth-fourth mission]
14 February [14th February 1945
We had another A and B plan today. They were Chemnitz and Dresden, [Germany]. We got a new Colonel here after Col. [Colonel] Hunter went down. He’s already making a name for himself as a maniac, etc. He led us today to Dresden, Germany. That is a long haul so we had a full gas load. The crazy guy, or someone, made a little mistake and instead of going to Dresden, we bombed Prague, Czechoslovakia. As a result, we ran out of gas on the way back so we landed at a P-47 [Pursuit-47] tactical outfit [base] at St. Trond, Belgium. We had a wonderful time and we stayed six days. We went to Liege, [Belgium] and to Brussels, [Belgium] for the second time. Picked up several souvenirs and trinkets. We didn’t run into any flak over Prague but it certainly was a long one.



# 35 [number thirtieth-five mission]
21 February [21st February 1945]
Flew my last one today, we hit Nurnberg [Nurnburg], Germany. We ran into some close flak on the way in but none over the target. My electric suit went out and I flew back across Germany in the ball with no heat. The temperature was -48° at the coldest point. I thought I was going to freeze. We went in and came out through France. That was number 35 for me and it completed my tour. Hallelujah!!!



26 February, Monday [26th February 1945]
Left 398th Bomb Group at Nuthamstead, arrived at Nelson Hall, Stone England.



7 March, Wednesday [7th March 1945]
New shipping orders came out yesterday, all officers, [and] no enlisted men. Hyndman and Gidcumb came in with us and they made it.



13 March, Monday [13th March 1945]
Finally got on orders and left Stone. Boarded the SS Uruguay that same afternoon at Southhampton [Southampton], England.



14 March, Tuesday [14 March 1945]
We left port today for the good old United States of America. Hubba Hubba