398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


S/Sgt. Chilton H. Jorgenson's Diary
Ball Turret Gunner 601st Squadron

Jorgenson's Mission No. 20, but not counted

12 August 1944
Target: Versailles, France

August 12, 1944

Today we started on a mission to Buc, France [Versailles] but fate stopped us. We took off in a heavy overcast and it was just about the finish of our crew. Climbing in the overcast, Jack saw a ship directly ahead of us and put us in a steep bank which ended in our ship going over on its back and then into a spin. Everyone was thrown up to the roof and stuck there. Clark and I tried to get our chutes and get to the waist door but I could not find mine. After being thrown around inside the ship, Markland’s chute came sailing by me and I caught it and threw it back to him and started again for the door. Another chute came by me and I grabbed it and put it on. By that time Clark was to the door and I was almost there.

By the grace of God, Jack pulled it out and leveled it off. Duff was having one hell of a time in the tail while Andy and Danny Cohen, the toglier were likewise having a lot of trouble in the nose. Pheiffer was doing his damnest to hold Jack in his seat so he could control the ship. Some of the bombs pulled off the shackles and were rolling around in the bomb bay. We went out in the North Sea and opened the bomb bay and let them roll out. When we got back over land Clark and Duff put the pins back in the rest of the bombs and we came home. Was I ever glad to be on the ground.


Editor's Notes:

  1. The official 398th Mission that day was to Versailles, France. The diary indicated the target was Buc, France. Buc appears to be near Versailles.
  2. Because of the return to base, the mission did not count for the crew even though the actual flight was quite hazardous.

Notes:
  • S/Sgt. Chilton H. Jorgenson's was the Ball Turret Gunner for the Selmar Gustaves, Merwin L. Genung, and John J. Falkenback 601st Squadron crews.
  • The above transcription was provided by Raymond Borys.
  • 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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