The Bombardier Brothers
A book published in 1943, Skyways to Berlin: With the American Flyers in England, told the story of Jack and Mark Mathis, the bombardier brothers....
09
Dec
11
Mar
Memphis Belle
Last weekend the B-17 Memphis Belle came to town! This is not the original Memphis Belle, the B-17 piloted by Robert K. Morgan that was celebrated so highly in 1943 for finishing 25 missions. That plane is grounded and being lovingly restored in Dayton, Ohio....
15
Aug
A ride on the Aluminum Overcast
I recently had the opportunity to take a flight on the restored B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" when it was visiting the Waterbury-Oxford CT airport. The plane is one of a handful of B-17s that are still airworthy ...
24
Jul
Unbroken
Favorite (2010) By Laura Hillenbrand is the amazing true story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, the B-24 bombardier who became a Pacific POW. That he survived his ordeals at all is the story....
30
Dec
12
Mar
27
Feb
The B-17 Bombardier
Herman received Bombardier training at Victorville as well as navigator training at Carlsbad. He had been taught to use the Norden bombsight, that highly guarded military secret. ...
26
Feb
Mission 1 – December 1, 1943
Herman's' first bombing mission was on December 1, 1943. He flew with another B-17 crew whose bombardier had been grounded. Since he had arrived at Thurleigh barely ten days before, and his flying equipment hadn't been issued yet, he had to "beg, borrow and steal"...