1943 WWII Photos by Slate Magazine

Fabulous picture from Slate in "Today's Pictures - This picture depcists a pilot - ABOARD USS SARATOGA—A pilot in the ready room preparing for a mission, November 1943.

For more fabulous shots ... click here.

Angel on My Wing ... A Book by Lt. Colonel Richard B. Lewis

Looking for a good read? Check out this new 82 page, 8-1/2 x 11, "mostly color", paperback book "Angel On My Wing;" written by Lt. Colonel Richard B. (Dick) Lewis, a member of the 493rd Bomb Group 8th Air Force during WWII. He kept a diary and wrote the book from the diary along with his unbelievable memories of his 35 missions. (and, upon request he will be happy to sign your book.)

Forward- of book

"Before I even began to think of some of my experiences in the Battle of England during WWII, I was asked what the title of the book might be. I really didn't have any trouble with that because the title expresses my world experience, both in combat and out. However, the real time of this title was taken from a dream my Mother wrote me about.

Ask anyone whether they are superstitious or not and half will say "not in the least" and half will say they are. Being somewhere in the middle I believe the answer is really in how you react to things as they happen. For instance, I started flying my missions using an old yellow handled toothbrush every morning before we were briefed. After about twenty missions it occurred to me that it was looking pretty decrepit. Do you think I would go get a new one? No way. Didn't even think of doing that until I was safely back in the states.

Sometime between my tenth and twelfth mission I received a letter from Mom that described a dream she had. (According to the bible the Lord corresponded with people in their dreams.) She said that her mother, who she adored but who had died at the age of forty-nine had appeared in her dream. In the dream she assured Mom that she needn't worry about my safety because she was sitting on my wing on every mission. Everyone dreads their thirteenth mission, but my crew and I didn't even sweat it.

Now in looking back over my life she has been with me in every endeavor. At least, if not her, I believe I have had a guardian angle watching over me all my life."

If interested, you can purchase the book on Ebay.

Brigadier General James M. Stewart, USAFR (RET)

On Mar. 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed at Moffett Field, Cal. During his nine months of training at that base, he also took extension courses with the idea of obtaining a commission. He completed the courses and was awaiting the results when Pearl Harbor took place. A month later he received his commission and, because he had logged over 400 hours as a civilian, he was permitted to take basic flight training at Moffett and received his pilot wings. During the next nine months, he instructed in AT-6, AT-9, and B-17 aircraft and flew bombardiers in the training school at Albuquerque, N. Mex. In the fall of 1943, Stewart went to England as Commanding Officer of the 703d Bomb Squadron, equipped with B-24s.
He began flying combat missions and on Mar. 31, 1944 was appointed Operations Officer of the 453d Bomb Group and, subsequently, Chief of Staff of the 2d Combat wing, 2d Air Division of the 8th Air Force. Stewart ended the war with 20 combat missions. He remained in the USAF Reserve and was promoted to Brigadier General on Jul. 23, 1959. He retired on May 31, 1968. (More info click here)

Dangerous Dan, Part Two . . .

The second part of Dangerous Dan ... again, from a wonderful site I found years ago ...

dangerous dan {2}

the background

Some of you may remember the first piece on Dangerous Dan, and some of you may not have even gone back that far and picked that one piece of history from my ramblings two years ago.

But if you do remember, or did check it out, I'd like to write the second part of that story now.

Back during WWII groups like the 379th were scattered all over England and the skies of Europe. What I wrote in that first piece came from the memories of two men. One who happened to see Dangerous Dan get hit and one who had a vested interest in her, it was his plane. By that I mean he was crew chief.

I've not researched beyond what these men told me, mainly because they were actually there. However, I'm always picking up something different, looking through archives and old photos when I can and I found something quite amazing the other day and I still don't really know how to react.

I was going through a box of stuff. A box that hadn't moved in ten years. A box of clippings and photos from an estate. Just stirring around junk on a Saturday looking for something, anything on a green front lawn in North Carolina. A lawn with a big sign that read "Tag Sale".

And what I found amounts to nothing less than remarkable and really shrinks this world another size down and leaves me wondering what to make of it all. Coincidence, fate, some deeper meaning. But enough, this is simply part two...
the story

As I leafed through that box I began to come across things from the war. One yellowed newspaper clipping caught my eye, "Gunner Flies Bomber Home". Fastened to the back by a rusty paper clip was the photo below. Nothing less than the 379th's B-17 #229891, Dangerous Dan.

The article stated that Dangerous Dan was on her first mission to Wilhelmshaven. The pilot and copilot were wounded when a 20mm shell exploded in the cockpit taking them both out of action, the top turret gunner flew her home.

Being a war time article there wasn't anymore detail and it was just a small article, not even front page material. I couldn't tell what paper it came from but it was on page 5.

The article didn't say where Dangerous Dan landed so I guess Suffolk is as good a place as any. From the photo it looks like a farmer's field.

The photo with the first piece is not Dangerous Dan, just another B-17 that shared the same ending, but in the photo I found there is no mistaking the name on that bullet riddled B-17.

As for the crew, they all made it home (at least from that mission) though the pilot and copilot were seriously injured. And there may have been a Lt. Davis, but not on this trip. The pilot was Lt. William T. Jones, and that famous turret gunner was Sgt. Clifford Erickson.

I don't fault the pilot that saw Dangerous Dan get hit and fall from formation for getting it wrong. I'm amazed he remembered that one plane at all, and he was still right about the target and the date. And I don't fault the crew chief either, hell, he only had the plane for one mission. Hardly enough time to get to know the crew, but I could see how the name would stick in his mind. The only one he had for just one mission.

What Dangerous Dan wants with me I don't know.

goodnight 4.7.00

(source)

Hollywood at War ... The Hollywood Canteen

History of the Hollywood Canteen

John Garfield was feeling the need for a club for the servicemen who frequented Hollywood. He spoke with Bette Davis about this idea. With much interest she took the idea to a friend of hers. His name was Jules Stein.

It seemed that Davis had been represented by the Music Corporation of America since 1938. Stein was the president.

Bette Davis, "Jules Stein, up to this time, was seldom ever seen. Few people even knew what he looked like. He preferred to live this way. It was a big decision when he said he would head the financial committee. He would have to alter his way of life. Without his hard work, advice, and investments of our funds the Hollywood Canteen could not have been successful, to say nothing of the work of his wife, Doris, who I asked to be the head of the committee for the hostesses necessary for dancing partners for the servicemen. When the canteen was no longer needed after V-J Day, $500,000 remained in the canteen account. These monies were the result of Jules's ideas. A great source of revenue came from a film he urged Warner Bros. to make called Hollywood Canteen, a large percentage of which was allotted by Mr. Warner to the canteen itself. With the remaining monies a foundation was formed, and to this day contributions are made to worthy projects dealing with the armed forces."

The Canteen, a former livery stable and nightclub, the Old Barn, was located at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard, off Sunset. (Source)

Squadrons of the Eighth AAFC of WWII

Mighty 8th Museum
Squadrons of the Mighty 8th
379th BG Kimbolton
379th Bombers
The 379th Virtual Heavy Bomber Group
379th Missions
The 91st Heavy Bombardment Group
93rd Bomb Group
The 100th Heavy Bombardment Group
The 303rd Bomb Group(H)Heavy
The 352nd Fighter Group
The 352nd Fighter Group
361st Fighter Group
The 376th Bomb Group
The 381st Bomb Group (H) Heavy
392nd Bomb Group
445th Bomb Group
446th Bomb Group
448th Bomb Group
The 453rd Bomb Group
The 456th Heavy Bombardment Group
457th (Heavy) ("Wild Hare") Fireball Outfit/94th Wing 1st Div/748th Sq.
The 463rd Heavy Bombardement Group
The 466th Bombardment Group
The 486th Bomb Group
The 467th Bomb Group
The 486th Bombardment Group Memorial Association Website
489th Bomb Group
492nd Bomb Group
The 78th Fighter Group
The 94th Bomb Group
The 401st BG
WWII Stories

John Wayne is Back

You can't get more American than John Wayne. Read the article "John Wayne is Back" by Peggy Noonan. I love it!

Visit "Freedom Rock"

Every year, for the last five years, a talented artist, Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II, has done a Memorial Day tribute to our servicemen and servicewomen, both past and present, with a stirring tableau painted on a large granite boulder which stands next to Highway 25. The huge granite boulder came out of the nearby Schillberg Rock Quarry and it weighs approx. 56 ton (50.8Mg) and is 12 ft (3.7m) high.

For years this boulder was known as "the graffiti rock" and was decorated for high school rivalries, love interests, etc. Since the Memorial Day paintings began, the "rock" has remained with the annual tribute intact.

When Sorensen was 19, he saw 'Saving Private Ryan' and he felt that patriotism was at an all time low and was not being taught in our schools and this motivated him to paint the rock. People were always driving by to see what was painted on the rock. Sometimes there were bad things and other times is was good. He knew if he painted the rock a lot of people would see it.
Sorensen paints over the previous years mural with white paint and starts with a black canvas. He draws a sketch of his idea on paper and then draws the design by free hand onto the rock. This takes him anywhere from one to three weeks to paint. He gets his ideas from books, movies, previous artwork and images by other artists.