Click on picture for larger size
-
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
- Art (88)
- Behavior and Psychology (20)
- Business, Industry and Finance (63)
- Constitution and Law (370)
- Consumer Affairs (4)
- Culture (17)
- Deep State (5)
- Economy (3)
- Education (238)
- Environment (74)
- Fraud Alert (8)
- Global Issues (1)
- Health and Medicine (149)
- History (8)
- Humour (94)
- Military (115)
- Morals and Ethics (149)
- News Media (11)
- Police, Crime, Security (215)
- Politics and Government (144)
- Religion (91)
- Science and Technology (19)
- Veterans' Issues (13)
- World (12)
Recent Comments
- ClayPidgeon on Scam Calls from the American Police Association
- Michael Davis on Life In Chico and Other Places Infected by Bums
- Patricia Lieder on Scam Calls from the American Police Association
- Dawn on Thaddeus Kerns Boy Aviator
- scott sproat on Scam Calls from the American Police Association
Recent NorCal Blogs Posts
A day to be proud of.
Can’t remember if I have put this up on Post Scripts before or not. In any case, it is apropos here. One man’s story encompassing October 14, 1943.
Have been enjoying some books I got and picked up some bits of info I did not know.
In one of the books is the story of Peter Seniawsky, a B-17 left waist gunner. On October 4, 1943, he and his crew flew their third mission in a ship named Ruthless. Reading between the lines, its my guess that there was not enough fuel available to top off the fuel tanks in all the bombers in their group, but the math said that there was enough so all of them could make it to the target and back. Many factors can affect fuel consumption, and Peter’s pilot was not impressed. Another member of the crew witnessed a heated discussion between their pilot and a member of the ground staff, but to no avail. In their case, it would turn out their pilot was right.
They survived the fighters, flak, and bomb run unscathed. The first sign of trouble on the return trip was when the pilot came on the intercom and said “Boys, we’re going to have to lighten the ship. We are very low on fuel.” Out went the waist guns, ammo, and anything else the crew could get loose. The pilot took them down to tree-top level. They crossed the Belgian coast and soon an RAF Spitfire pulled up on their left wing
as escort. However, it was obvious they weren’t going to make it. Just before they were to run out of gas, the pilot gave the order to prepare to ditch. Everyone not flying the aircraft moved amidships to the radio room. While he still had power and control of his aircraft, the pilot set Ruthless down in the North Sea. Fortunately, everyone got out and into the life rafts. They were picked up by a British patrol boat just before
dark and safely returned to their base. (B-17 life rafts are stowed in external compartments immediately behind the pilot and co-pilot windows).
On October 14, they were assigned a brand new B-17 for their fourth mission to Schweinfurt. It would be their last. This was before the arrival of the P-51 Mustang and long range escort. The bomber formation numbered 257 aircraft. The Luftwaffe attacked with over 400 fighters. 28 bombers were shot down before they reached the target. Peter’s ship made it to the target and they dropped their bombs. On the way back, the formation was attacked by fighters that had had time to land, re-fuel and re-arm. With the two left engines on fire, the pilot gave the order to bail out.
Peter manage to parachute down safely. The short version is—for the next fourteen days, Peter managed to travel (by foot and by train. Train tickets purchased with French francs from his issued escape kit) out of Germany, across France, and over the Pyrenees Mountains into neutral Spain, and soon after back to his unit in England. The amazing thing is that he never manage to contact the French Resistance. Lady luck smiled on him more than once, and some friendly civilians helped out with food and clothes, but the rest was on his own. He was the first (and probably only) American airman to do this. And here is the part I didn’t know—
As such Peter Seniawsky is a member of all three of the following “un-official” clubs:
The Caterpillar club, for bailing out of a combat damage aircraft.
The Winged Boot Club, for walking to freedom from behind enemy lines.
The Gold Fish Club, for surviving an aircraft ditching in water.
There is only one other individual who is documented to be a member of all three clubs.
If you did put it up before I missed it. This is a great story that bears repeating over and over.
Some day I will relate the story of my uncle who trained in Chico and subsequently flew bombers in the European theater.