The Glenn Miller Conspiracy Theory ... True or not?

December 15, 1944, a cold, wet and foggy afternoon, Glenn Miller departed RAF-Base, England in a Norseman C-64 aircraft. The flight was to take Glenn Miller and other passengers to Paris. However, the flight never made it. It is believed the aircraft encountered icing conditions over the English Channel and crashed. Glenn Miller and his band had been performing for Allied Troops prior to the crash and was planning on putting on a show in Paris, France. Glenn Miller and his band was idolized by many during his career. Or so they say ... truth or fiction? Here is what they say in the Glenn Miller Conspiracy theory:

A German newspaper says wartime bandleader Glenn Miller died of a heart attack in the arms of a French prostitute in 1944 and not, as officially reported, in a plane crash. The mass-circulation Bild newspaper alleged that the famed trombonist and exponent of the big band swing sound met his death in a Paris brothel. The paper said German journalist Udo Ulfkoutte discovered the secret of how he died in U.S. secret service files while doing research for his book, "BND, The Secret Files." The paper quoted the journalist as saying the true cause of Miller's death was concealed to keep his legend alive and protect the morale of U.S. troops. U.S. military and intelligence officials were not immediately available to comment on the cover-up allegation.

Official reports said his plane vanished over the English Channel in December 1944. But Bild said British diver Clive Ward discovered the wreck of his single-motor plane off the French coast in 1985 and found no signs the plane had crashed, or any human remains.

A retired colonel who says he was Glenn Miller's pilot disputes the claim. Lt. Col. Robert Baker told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he and Miller were drinking together in England the night before. "I just know the brothel story is a lie because there was no way Miller could have gotten to Paris by December 15 except on my flight," Baker insisted.

Just two weeks before his death, Miller and his orchestra recorded 20 new tunes in London that were only unearthed in 1995. On the recordings, Miller can be overheard in an unguarded moment flirting with a German girl.In the year before his death, the 40-year-old Miller had a serious illness. And although Baker claims he drank with him, others say Miller was once kicked out of a bar for being a teetotaler.

Supposedly, Miller, another passenger and a pilot took off informally on an uncharted flight without clearance, on a foggy day when all other aircraft were grounded.

"Why Glenn, who had a real fear of planes, decided to risk a trip under such adverse conditions has never been determined," wrote his friend George Simon, author of the book The Big Band Era and The Glenn Miller Story.

For more read these blogs:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2654822
The Straight Dope
Glenn Miller Wiki

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)

Arlington National Cemetery - Where the 8th Sleeps

Arlington National Cemetery - Section for the 8th AAFC . . . "Where Valor Proudly Sleeps"

They shall grow not old As we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them . . Nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, And in the morning, We will remember them!-- Lawrence Binyon

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)

Dangerous Dan ...

I came across this piece years ago. The author has a wonderful website; so directly from his website . . .

dangerous dan

"Dangerous Dan" That was the planes name. Today in the span of an hour I helped a man find out two things. What happened to his plane, and what happened to his friends father.

To understand you'll have to go back with me to 12.22.43, once more to the skies over Europe. Why do we keep going there? Everyday the men who were there grow older and with age, the memories begin to come back over a lifetime. They are a bridge spanning the time between youth and the period just before death, from a time when we can't see the end to a time where it is always with us. And these men with their memories have as many questions as I do. Sometimes, we need each others help.

Like today.

Background. My mother calls me with the number of a gentleman who has been trying to reach me. Says he has some things I may be interested in. I call out of curiousity. The man was with the 8th Airforce, 379th Bomb Group, 524th Squadron. We chatted it up for awhile and then he asked his question.

"You ever heard of 'Dangerous Dan'?"

I'm 27. I was born 26 years after the conflict ended. Hundreds, indeed thousands of bombers were built during WWII. The 379th lost over 140 herself. And I was supposed to have heard of one? Sure, names like Sad Sack, Sentimental Journey, Strawberry Bitch, Patches, Memphis Belle, they all mean something, but never, in all my reading had I heard of Dangerous Dan and it didn't surprise me.

"No. Was she yours?"

"One of 'em, but it was so long ago and we lost so many..." His voice seemed to fade on the other end of the line for a moment.

"A fellow asked me about her awhile back, wanted to know if I knew anybody who could tell him about her crew or what happened to her, I was just hoping you'd heard. His father was on board"

Isn't that something, a fellow who was there hoping I'd heard about a plane that dissapeared 28 years before I was born.

I logged on. Checked some records and found a pilot from the 379th, 524th who was alive and had an email address. He had heard of Dangerous Dan. He knew the serial number and the pilot and the day the plane was lost. 12.22.43. It was on a raid to an aircraft plant in Germany and crash landed in Suffolk, England. The plane was salvaged (which means scrapped for parts) and the crew...well lets just say they almost made it home.

I called the man back and gave him the info. It started coming back to him.
"Yeah, that winter in England we got moved around a lot, things happened so fast. We lost a lot of planes and I remember Dangerous Dan, being assigned to the plane, but it wasn't around long after I got it. Now I remember that day, she didn't make it back...no, I remember they sent a salvage party on the 24th down to Suffolk. I didn't go, I had to get another plane combat ready...it took a long time to get one ready you know."

"Lt. Davis was flying you say?"

"Yeah."

"I remember him too, funny guy, but he played it straight. He should've made it back. A lot of them almost did. You know we had one plane that had one wing in the water and one on land...they made it. You couldn't get too caught up though, we were young and all."
And so one more plane from the 524th can rest in peace. One more family can finally know what happened to there husband, father. Not that they were lost over Europe, but how, when. What the temperature was like that day. What the grass smelled like. What shade of blue the sky was. They can talk to someone who last saw the plane as it made the coast of England for the last time and talk to the fellow who worked on her before she lifted off that last time. Not because of me. I'm a thread, a middle man.

The web can make time and distance shrink. Like those memories that come flooding back to the old, it can bridge a gap, and for that we must be thankful...and careful.

goodnight 10.8.98

(Source)