Personnel

Below is the result of your feedback form.  It was submitted by

Earl C. Rudolph, Jr. (earlrudolph@accesstoledo.com) on Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 15:59:38

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subject: 100th Bomb Group TAPS Report Form



email: earlrudolph@accesstoledo.com



realname: Earl C. Rudolph, Jr.



Relationship: I am the veteran's child



vet_name: Earl C. Rudolph, Sr.



Vet_died: MARCH 8, 1997



family_contact: 2926 Deep Water Lane 

Maumee, OH 43537



comments: Thanks for having this website.  It is a fine tribute to the 8th Air Force and the 100th Bomb Group.



My father was in the armament section of the 351st  BS.  He is in one of the photos on page 08 of the 351st section of the website.  He is sitting on the cart with the 



4,000 lb bomb.  One of his closest friends was Fred Granger who is in the next photo on page 08.



 



Sincerely,



 



Earl C. Rudolph



Midwest Sales Manager



Calmac Manufacturing Corp.



2926 Deep Water Lane



Maumee, OH 43537-9245



Tel: (419) 868-1834



Fax: (419) 865-6543



Mobile: (419) 902-1162



E-mail: erudolph@calmac.com



www.calmac.com





FORM SUBMITTED BY: Earl C Rudolph (earlrudolph@accesstoledo.com)

FORM SUBJECT: Report a website error

SUBMITTER RELATIONSHIP: I am the veteran's child

:::::::::: END OF SUBMITTER SECTION :::::::::::





:::::::::::::::::::: MESSAGE :::::::::::::::::::

Message: You have erroneously listed the date of death of Earl C. Rudolph as August 3, 1997.  The actual date of death is March 8, 1997.  Thank you.

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                                              Earl Rudolph, Sr. World War II Diaries - 1943



January 1, 1943 Friday Left Wendover, Utah for Sioux City, Iowa today. Biggest part of the outfit were tight, officers included. Big parties last night.

January 2 Saturday. On board train. Poker, blackjack, and crap games going on throughout the train. Still plenty of liquor left.

January 3 Sunday. Arrived Sioux City 4 AM. Ice and snow and cold! Living in upper bay of two story barracks. Hot air heat.

really blows January 4 Monday. Took over our new shop today. Furnace heat, good location, about one block from the barracks.

January 5 Tuesday. Really cold here. 20 below today. The wind has a clean sweep across the camp and cuts through.

January 6 Wednesday. Ordnance is in this building with us. 349th ordnance and armament is in the other half of the building.

January 7 Thursday. Our barracks is only 150 ft from the mess hall. What a break! Get in the chow hall early.

January 8 Friday. Working shifts here loading practice bombs. 418th and our squadron fly our combined ships in shifts

January 9 Saturday. Really cold loading those bombs before daylight. The wind really blows here and no protection on the ramp.

January 10 Sunday. Long distance phone call today from Irma. Scared hell out of me! She and Mom are coming next Thursday.

January 11 Monday. The operator had that call screwed up yesterday. Said it was from Cleveland. Finally traced it to Toledo.

January 12 Tuesday. Two more days and Irma will be here! Going to be wonderful to see her again. I have missed all the folks.

January 13 Wednesday. One day left. Tomorrow is the big day! I am glad that Irma is coming and bringing Mother.

January 14 Thursday. Irma and Mom arrived tonight. Train an hour late. Boy, was I glad to see them! First time since Denver.

January15 Friday. Put the folks up at the Martin Hotel. Stayed with Irma last night. Wonderful to be with her again!

January16 Saturday. Wish I could forget that they are going back again in a few days. Wish I could go with them!

January 17 Sunday. Sweet to stay at the hotel nights with Irma. Just like being at home again. Nice to come and see what’s to eat.

January 18 Monday. The fellows are giving me a break. They are pitching for me while I am with Irma and Mom.

January 19 Tuesday. Just come in mornings to the base and spend a few hours and leave again. The fellows are covering for me.

January 20 Wednesday. Swell to lay around with Irma and then go out to dinner and a show with her and Mother.

January 21 Thursday. Really have swell steaks at the steak house. Really the best I have had,

January 22 Friday. Just got out today! They put a restriction on the base. Just got out of the orderly room where it went on.

January 23 Saturday. Can’t get out, dammit! Irma and Mom are coming to the base and we are going to the show here.

January 24 Sunday. Got out this afternoon. Just one more day with the folks. I know it is going to be tough to see them go.

January 25 Monday. Rough today. Irma and Mom left for home. Squadron party tonight. Don’t feel up to it. Kind of low.

January 26 Tuesday. Still feel low down. Almost wish Irma and Mom had not come. No, I don’t mean that, either.

January 27 Wednesday. Back to the old grind again. Loading bombs and cleaning guns. Owe the fellows a lot for carrying on for me.

January 28 Thursday. Going to be nice when I get back with my loved ones again! I really miss them but I am one among many.

January 29 Friday. The Coca Cola outfit has remodeled the “coke” machine. The boys have been robbing the thing.

January 30 Saturday. Packing up today for the next move. The orderly room called for drivers and they turned in my name.

January 31 Sunday. Leaving Sioux City today. Driving a jeep through to Kearney, Nebraska. Sixty one men driving. The rest coming by train. We were scheduled to go overseas from Sioux City. Instead we are going to Kearney, Nebraska for the next three months.

February 1 Monday. Spent last night at the YMCA in Omaha. Picked up more vehicles at the depot. Spend bed money for eats and drinks. Officers had meal tickets.

February 2 Tuesday. Had a great time on this trip. Good meals. Only drove about 100 miles of about 300. Arrived late at Kearney. The rest had the barracks ready.

February 3 Wednesday. Sixty vehicles in the convoy. Wore flying clothes and kept warm. Had four meals on the road, all good.

February 4 Thursday. The squadron came to Kearney on an antiquated train they swore Jesse James must have robbed. There were stoves in the coaches.

February 5 Friday. This is a new base. We are the first outfit here. Everything is new and needs cleaning. We are the first group on the base.

February 6 Saturday. Cleaning latrines, barracks, and setting up beds for the other squadrons. Enough to piss a guy off! Latrine orderlies!

February 7 Sunday. 418th and 349th arrived today. Soft for those guys. We had their whole areas ready for them.

February 8 Monday. We have our new shop just about ready with troughs for cleaning guns with hot and cold water and a hot air furnace for heat.

February 9 Tuesday. Ordnance has one end of our building and the 349th has the other wing for their shops with the photo trailer behind.

February 10 Wednesday. We will be here for the next three months processing new groups, ships, and crews before they go overseas.

February 11 Thursday. What a life! Dropping bomb bay tanks, checking racks, and reinstalling the tanks. My poor back!

February 12 Friday. Some of these crews act as though they never saw a machine gun before. They have rust all over them and they are in poor condition.

February 13 Saturday. These crews have been riding the gravy train too long. Hope they learn before Jerry gets them!

February 14 Sunday. Attended church and communion today. I have neglected church lately. Chaplain Reeves is a good speaker.

February 15 Monday. These gunners don’t want us to screw up their guns. They are taking care of them. I can tell they are by all the rust on them!

February 16 Tuesday. The group we were processing has moved out. We will have another one in a week or ten days.

February 17 Wednesday. Our ships and crews are now at Walla Walla again. They are going through the phases again.

February 18 Thursday. Our crews have also been riding that gravy train. They are not ready for overseas duty.

February 19 Friday. I will probably have a vacation now for the next week or so. There is nothing for us to do but try to amuse ourselves.

February 20 Saturday. I am making regular trips to the P.X. for candy bars, cokes and sandwiches. Everyone is looking for something to eat.

February 21 Sunday. Ordnance has a shipment of rifles and pistols for the new groups. All are covered with nice, lovely cosmoline.

February 22 Monday. I am helping ordnance clean those guns. It is something to do to help pass the time. The photo boys are taking a few pictures.

February 23 Tuesday. We are getting furloughs of seven days plus up to three days of traveling time. Some of the fellows have theirs now.

February 24 Wednesday. My furlough comes on the 27th of this month. It is going to be swell to see Irma and the folks again!

February 25 Thursday. Tomorrow is the day! I am all packed and ready to go. All the equipment is ready to turn into supply.

February 26 Friday. I am leaving on furlough today. I waited from 12 PM until 6 PM for the 1 PM train. We are due to arrive in Chicago at 10:30 AM tomorrow.

February 27 Saturday. I caught the 10:50 AM train to Toledo. It is due in at 2:50 PM. I am anxious to get home if only for a few days.

February 28 Sunday. I arrived at Union Station thirty minutes late yesterday. I met all the folks at the station. It was wonderful to see them. It was wonderful to be home with Irma and Mother and Dad again, even if the time was so short. I have missed them. I wonder how long it will be before I am back with them again for good. They all look great which makes me happy. It is nice to see all my friends again, too. I hope this is all over soon and we can live again in peace.

March 1 Monday. I went to Salem Lutheran Church with Irma and Dad and Mother. It is nice to be back again. It seemed like a long time.

March 2 Tuesday. Wonderful to be in one’s own home again. Sort of a preview of the future when things are normal again.

March 3 Wednesday. Irma had the family and friends over for a sort of homecoming party. It was nice to see them and the best way.

March 4 Thursday. I tried on my civilian clothes while at home. It was great to get out of G.I. issue for a while. I never want another uniform.

March 5 Friday. This is the last day and night at home. The time has gone quickly but it is better than no time at all.

March 6 Saturday. Irma and the folks were down to see me off again. It was tough to leave again. I took the 1 PM train to Chicago.

March 7 Sunday. I arrived back at Kearney this afternoon. I had dinner in town at one of the restaurants.

March 8 Monday. Back to the same old grind again. The boys have had it easy while I was gone. There is nothing to do.

March 9 Tuesday. We have some new .30 carbines for the squadron. They are going to be issued to us instead of rifles.

March 10 Wednesday. We are helping ordnance clean carbines for something to do. They are to be issued to combat crews.

March 11 Thursday. I am pulling K.P. again. How I hate this. One good thing, K.P.’s get plenty to eat and the best.

March 12 Friday. This is my second and last day of K.P. fir another month. On the clipper today. It is better than scrubbing pots and pans.

March 13 Saturday. Another new group has arrived on the base for processing. There are more racks to check and tanks to drop.

March 14 Sunday. Lt. Clark Gable is with this group. He is supposed to be a gunner, the first one I know with that rank.

March 15 Monday. These guys around here act like a bunch of movie-struck school girls because Gable is here.

March 16 Tuesday. This group is finished as far as we are concerned. They will be off again soon, possibly overseas.

March 17 Wednesday. The boys are working on the Coke machine again. Lt. Anderson is the worst of the lot.

March 18 Thursday. Six cases of Coke through the machine and only seven nickels in the coin box. How long will it last?

March 19 Friday. The ramp is empty again. Some of the fellows are shooting jack rabbits from the jeeps!

March 20 Saturday. I think the hunting will end now. Lt. Anderson ran the weapons carrier into a ditch. The front is wrecked.

March 21 Sunday. Pheasants are plentiful around here. The fellows are keeping the cooks busy cooking them, and rabbits, too.

March 22 Monday. We have been playing football and softball to pass the time and for exercise. It’s a hell of a way to fight a war.

March 23 Tuesday. I am on night C.Q. tonight. It is quiet and a great place to write letters. It is nice to have peace once in a while.

March 24 Wednesday Hibbard took my picture tonight. I hope it turns out OK. I haven’t sent many pictures home.

March 25 Thursday. The photo shop is spending most of its time taking pictures of the officers in the squadron.

March 26 Friday. Lt. Anderson had the photo shop make a bust picture of him, 36 x 36 inches. What would a guy do with one like that?

March 27 Saturday. Lt. Anderson has been raiding the supply depot regularly. Airplane clocks, flying equipment, etc.

March 28 Sunday. I went to church again today. I feel better after attending. I must make an effort to go every Sunday.

March 29 Monday. The picture turned out OK. I am sending a dozen to Irma. I hope she likes them.

March 30 Tuesday. More pictures again today. There is a bomb behind the shop and they are using for a prop. It is a 4000 pound demolition bomb.

March 31 Wednesday. I wish I had my own camera but I am just too lazy to lug it around, I guess. I should send for it. Just another month has been wasted as far as we are concerned. We could do more good back on our jobs at home.

April 1 Thursday. Wilinski and McGrath are in the guard house again. They overstayed their passes to Grand Island by two days.

April 2 Friday. Moe and Alex were out picking up cigarette butts around the guard house today. What a pair!

April 3 Saturday. Coca Cola got wise finally and took out the Coke machine. It’s a wonder they left it this long.

April 4 Sunday. I am sending a few pictures home to Irma. They will probably be interesting to look at someday in the future.

April 5 Monday. More ball and loafing today. I am spending a lot of time at the P.X. eating sandwiches and candy and ice cream.

April 6 Tuesday. The aircraft mechanics were less subtle with their pilfering of the Coke machines in the hangars. They took them apart!

April 7 Wednesday. Col. Alkire has been relieved of his command. Charges: Incompetence. Other reasons are rumored.

April 8 Thursday. The 100th Bomb Group was an experiment on Alkire’s ideas of training. His own ideas of how it should be done.

April 9 Friday. Alkire was practically born in a B-17. He is an old West Point man and a great guy. I liked him a lot.

April 10 Saturday. I heard that the reason for relieving Col. Alkire was the Group’s poor showing on the flight to March Field in California.

April 11 Sunday. Col. Turner has replaced Col. Alkire as the Group Commander. He is a friend of Alkire’s and a B-24 man.

April 12 Monday. We started drilling again today. Marching to work and back again wasn’t enough. What a way to live!

April 13 Tuesday. We are drilling on the ramps with field uniforms and carbines like damned infantry men. Hell, I thought this was the Air Corps!

April 14 Wednesday. We are now pitching pup tents in companies and driving tent pegs into this hard clay. It’s hell to be a soldier.

April 15 Thursday. We had clothing inspection today in the barrack. We had to lay everything out neatly on the bunk, no wrinkles.

April 16 Friday. Today we had clothing inspection on the ramp. Lay out everything on a blanket and try to keep the wind from blowing things away.

April 17 Saturday. More drilling and parading on the ramp. Hut, hup, heep, hor for hours at a stretch.

April 18 Sunday. Thank God for Sunday and a rest from this damn foolishness of the past week. I went to church today.

April 19 Monday. Another clothing inspection in the gym this time. We are wearing the damn things out!

April 20 Tuesday. All these clothing inspections and they don’t mean a damn thing. This is just a lot of crap!

April 21 Wednesday. We had a lecture today on poison gas in the gym. The types of protective clothing and their use, as well as the types of poison gas.

April 22 Thursday. We went through a simulated poison gas attack today with practice putting on gas masks in case of a sudden gas attack.

April 23 Friday. I hope we never go through a real gas attack. The thought of poison gas scares the hell out of me!

April 24 Saturday. We were issued protective clothing and gas detection devices today as well as ointment for gas burns.

April 25 Sunday. Another day of rest from activities of the week. That is from drilling. Other things go on.

April 26 Monday. There was no drilling today. I spent the day at the shop sort of recuperating from the past couple weeks.

April 27 Tuesday. Things are back to normal again. The drilling and so on of the past two weeks seems to be over.

April 28 Wednesday. We are playing ball again today. We are back to the old life of resting and just spending time again.

April 29 Thursday. We are packing up for our next move. It is surprising the amount of stuff we have to pack.

April 30 Friday. The fellows are having sort of a going away party. Just about everyone in the place is tight. This has been sort of a hectic month with drilling, clothing inspections, and the like. I hated to see Col. Alkire leave. He was for the men in his command. I liked him very much. We will never have another like him.

May 1 Saturday. We are leaving today for Camp Williams, Camp Douglas Wisconsin. I pulled K.P. on the train this trip. Not bad.

May 2 Sunday. I worked last night getting the kitchen ready to serve breakfast this morning. I had the day off.

May 3 Monday. Smitty, Bert Gelhaus, John Hibbard, and I have a tent to ourselves next to the latrine.

May 4 Tuesday. Camp Douglas is only a block or so from the camp. I went in for the first time last night.

May 5 Wednesday. I have been working on the rifle range, operating targets behind the butts. Most of the guys are tight.

May 6 Thursday. One guy is operating five or six targets while the rest are shooting crap and getting tight. Wine is all they can get.

May 7 Friday. Today will finish the firing. Everyone is at least a sharpshooter. The boys are generous with scores.

May 8 Saturday. We had a hike today. This past week has been to get us ready for overseas with lectures, digging foxholes, preparing gun emplacements, etc.

May 9 Sunday. We are leaving Camp Williams today for Camp Kilmer. We left at 6:30 after waiting two hours for the train.

May 10 Monday. We passed through Port Huron, Michigan through the tunnel into Canada. I thought at first we would pass through Toledo.

May 11 Tuesday. We traveled through Canada and back into the US at Niagara Falls. We arrived at Camp Kilmer at midnight.

May 12 Wednesday. We are getting settled and lying around today. We will probably get passes to New York in a day or so.

May 13 Thursday. We had another clothing check today. It seems that is all we have been doing lately. This one is by squadron.

May 14 Friday. We were issued some impregnated clothing today, hood, shirt, pants, underwear, socks, and gloves and for our shoes.

May 15 Saturday. Everyone must pull one day of K.P. here including Master Sergeants. I don’t know when my turn comes.

May 16 Sunday. I have been playing ball here for exercise. Given a choice of ball or drilling, ball is preferred.

May 17 Monday. I went to New York tonight. I saw a show and called Irma. It was great to hear her voice!

May 18 Tuesday. A lot of the fellows have been going over on the ferry to get out of camp. There are only a limited number of passes available.

May 19 Wednesday. The camp quartermaster had another clothing check today. I am getting new coveralls and a couple of caps.

May 20 Thursday. There is nothing to do but wait for the boat. I got two pairs of shoes. The shoes I had were too large.

May 21 Friday. Rumors that the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary are in New York harbor. Which one?

May 22 Saturday. I am in New York again. Times Square is a busy place. I talked to Irma, likely the last time for a while.

May 23 Sunday. Salowe has been going nuts trying to get out every night. His home is only a few miles away.

May 24. Monday. Bert Gelhaus has been spending every night with his wife. His home is near here, too, in Newark, NJ.

May 25 Tuesday. We are leaving here tomorrow. Everything is packed and ready to go. I wonder when we will get back.

May 26 Wednesday. I boarded the Queen Elizabeth this afternoon. The Normandie is on her side at the next pier. England seems to be our destination.

May 27 Thursday. I spent the night on the boat. The ship is very crowded. I slept on A Boat Deck. We cleared the security boom in New York harbor this afternoon.

May 28 Friday. Our first day out. There are between 19,000 and 23,000 men aboard. There are also some nurses. There are 18 men in rooms meant for one or two. Two meals a day is all that can be served.

May 29 Saturday. Second day. I am surprised and happy that the weather is so nice. There are so many men on board that they rotate the beds each night.

May 30 Sunday. The ship is covered with anti aircraft guns. There is a three-inch gun on the rear deck. They fired them today. What a racket!

May 31 Monday. Cigarettes are a nickel a pack. The lines to the P.X. are a block long. Everyone is buying candy, cokes, cookies, and cigarettes. There is a rumor that cigarettes are rationed in England and everyone seems to be stocking up. I think I will take a chance and wait.

June 1 Tuesday. They dropped anchor today at Greenock, Scotland on the Firth of Clyde. The harbor is full of war vessels and armed cargo ships.

June 2 Wednesday. We landed this afternoon. The harbor is full of launches manned by members of the W.R.N.S. I saw a submarine just come in from patrol.

June 3 Thursday. We boarded the train yesterday afternoon. We passed through Glasgow going south to England. We arrived at the air base at Paddington at 4 AM. (Podington Airfield)

June 4 Friday. We are finding our way around the new base. It is quite different from our bases in the states. Everything is scattered out for protection.

June 5 Saturday. We are just waiting here until our ships and crews arrive before we move on to our own base. I hear that it is a new place.

June 6 Sunday. I went to church this morning. We have been going to school learning aircraft identification which is important for our protection.

June 7 Monday. More school. My first experience with the ration line. Seven packs of cigarettes, two candy bars, one package of cookies, one box of matches, one pack of gum.

June 8 Tuesday. We are still waiting for our ships. We must carry our own cup and silverware to the mess hall. They furnish the plates.

June 9 Wednesday. More school. We must answer a roll. Must not miss school. I wonder, can it be as important as they say? Also security.

June 10 Thursday. The ships arrived today. No more school. We loaded the ships with ammunition today. We are moving in the next few days.

June 11 Friday. We are packing up again for another move. I hope this is the last one for some time. I am already sweating out that trip home.

June 12 Saturday. We arrived at our new home at 4 AM. I wonder how long we will be here. It is the same setup practically as Paddington. (Podington Airfield)

June 13 Sunday. Practice missions again, practice bombs and all. These boys should be tops in everything with all this practice.

June 14 Monday. More practice today. The fellows seem impatient to go into operation. I wonder how they will feel after the first mission.

June 15 Tuesday. The boys are getting practice missions, formation and school. I am glad these practice bombs only weigh 100 pounds.

June 16 Wednesday. The boys are checking out the villages around here. These pubs are only open a few hours a day.

June 17 Thursday. I think the “Limeys” don’t like the “Yanks” very well. They drink all their beer. They only have so much per week.

June 18 Friday. The base has a N.A.A.F.I. They have sandwiches, lemonade, cider, beer, coffee, and cokes. They do a good business.

June 19 Saturday. The arrangement here is terrible. It is a good two blocks or more to the showers and mess hall. One central washroom for each squadron.

June 20 Sunday. There are sixteen men to some huts, twenty eight to others. They are steel Nissen huts, hot in the summer, cold in winter.

June 21 Monday. We now have movies. The pictures are not new but it is entertainment. The people from the village and farms attend.

June 22 Tuesday. Thorpe-Abbots is the name of the base, known as Station 139. The surrounding villages are Eye, Schol, Dickleborough, Broedish, and Diss.

June 23 Wednesday. I’m glad that Smitty doesn’t smoke. His ration of cigarettes and mine get me through OK. Matches, also.

June 24 Thursday. Our group became operational today. The raids will start any day now, the quicker the better.

June 25 Friday. Target today: Bremen, Germany. Ten 500 # bombs. Three ships lost by 349th. First enemy ship shot down by 350th. The first raid by the 100th Group.

June 26 Saturday. Target: La Havre, France. Two 2000 # bombs. Bombs not dropped. Could not find target. Overcast. Another unloading job.

June 27 Sunday. No mission today. It is quiet and peaceful here. The country looks beautiful from the air. How different on the ground.

June 28 Monday. Target: St. Naziere, France. Two 2000 # bombs. Sub base bombs dropped. The raid was a success for this group.

June 29 Tuesday. Target: Le Mans, France. Ten 500 # bombs. Railroad yards. Target demolished. The crews are getting more serious. There is no glamour now.

June 30 Wednesday. A day of rest for everyone. The boys have been working steady and a layoff is welcome to all. We have been very fortunate so far. We haven’t lost a ship or a crew member so far. I don’t think our crews are supermen. Our streak of luck might break any day. I hope not. Four missions this month. They started with a bang when they did start.

July1 Thursday. Another practice mission. It seems silly to fool with dummy bombs in a war zone but practice does make perfect.

July 2 Friday. A practice formation today without the bombs. The boys are doing better each day.

July 3 Saturday. More practice. I imagine it will help the ships to return safely. Teamwork is necessary for group protection.

July 4 Sunday. Target La Pallice, France. Two 2000 # bombs. Bombs were dropped and the target wrecked. We lost our first ship today. Lt. Pearson’s crew went down in Switzerland.

July 5 Monday. Some of the boys are quiet today. They lost friends on Pearson’s crew. I hope they are all safe. The ship went down under control.

July 6 Tuesday. We are still resting. The last raid was a little rougher than most. Lt. Pearson’s loss is still felt. He had forty raids R.A.F.

July 7 Wednesday. Things have slowed down again. I thought that when we started we would keep going. I was wrong.

July 8 Thursday. Things are still in a slump. The ships should be in perfect condition for the next mission.

July 9 Friday. I hope something happens soon. Time is beginning to drag. The days seem so long with nothing to do. Here’s hoping!

July 10 Saturday. Target: Paris. Twelve 500 # bombs. Airfield. Bombs dropped on target. It’s great to be back doing something again.

July 11 Sunday. The sheet metal men are busy patching holes. Flak is rough on the ships. We are getting ready for the next raid.

July 12 Monday. It really must be something to watch flak burst. The boys on the crew say it is beautiful but deadly!

July 13 Tuesday. Target: Paris. Twelve 500 # bombs. Bombs were dropped and the target was hit. The second trip in the past few days. Heavy opposition.

July 14 Wednesday. Target: France. Twenty-four 100 # bombs. Railroad yard and airfield. Bomb load was split. Both targets were hit. France seems to be getting attention.

July 15 Thursday. A layoff to get the ships back in condition. A lot of work after each mission. Flak holes to patch, engines to change.

July 16 Friday. Target: Germany. Ten 500 # bombs. Target cloudy, bombs returned. Every opposition target was cloudy.

July 17 Saturday. A few more flak holes to patch. I wonder why they don’t drop the bombs on enemy territory. It seems a waste of time.

July 18 Sunday. I still don’t see why they don’t drop the bombs on the Jerries, if only for the moral effect. This is war.

July 19 Monday. It is bed airing day. It’s much easier than making them. I am all for making every day airing day.

July 20 Tuesday. Just another day. Each one passed means another closer to the end and the day I am home with Irma.

July 21 Wednesday. What a country England is. I am still wearing a jacket. I wonder if it ever really gets warm here. It’s a nice place to be from.

July 22 Thursday. The Army sure has some lousy cooks. They sure can spoil food. What I wouldn’t give for a home-cooked meal.

July 23 Friday. It should be time for another mission. We can’t win the war sitting around and flying practice missions.

July 24 Saturday. Target: Trondheim, Norway. Ten 500 # bombs. Bombs dropped on sub pens. An 1,800 mile trip. The target was blasted. The mission was classed as a “milk run”.

July 25 Sunday. Target: Kiel, Germany. Ten 500 # bombs. Dropped bombs on target. Results reported as good. This should help cut the sub menace.

July 26 Monday. Target: Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Five 1000 # bombs. Bombed a convoy, and met opposition. The target was not reached. The colonel must have shit up his neck.

July 27 Tuesday. The crews saw the target from ten miles away. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Still don’t know why they didn’t go over the target.

July 28 Wednesday. I plan on going to the Red Cross this evening. They have cokes, sandwiches, and tarts. Sometimes they have hamburgers!

July 29 Thursday. Target: Kiel and Warnemunde, Germany. Warnemunde was the location of a Heinkel aircraft factory. Ten 500 # bombs. Target was hit. Opposition met the boys at the target. This place is getting attention.

July 30 Friday. Target: Kassel, Germany. Ten 500 # bombs. Target is factories and they were destroyed. Germany is getting a little direct attention.

July 31 Saturday. I hope we get started and keep going one of these days. Let’s get this damn war over and go home! There were ten missions this month. One ship was lost and quite a bit of damage to the others. It doesn’t seem like much for a month.

August 1 Sunday. The first day of another month in the E.T.O. What will this one bring?

August 2 Monday. My second birthday in the Army. How many more? I miss Irma and the folks today.

August 3 Tuesday. Practice mission. More gasoline and oil used on practice missions than on combat missions.

August 4 Wednesday. Still nothing doing. These days drag and get on one’s nerves. I’m really developing a rotten disposition.

August 5 Thursday. The same old grind. This may be August weather here but not in God’s Country!

August 6 Friday. I wonder if the war is still going on. From the looks of it it’s the old soldiers’ home.

August 7 Saturday. When will this thing end? This is tougher than anything else I know.

August 8 Sunday. Sundays are the same as any other day over here. The lack of something to do gets one.

August 9 Monday. Still in a slump. I wish something would happen. Even a Red Alert would be welcome.

August 10 Tuesday. Another practice mission, one of many. A purple alert a while ago.

August 11 Wednesday. An alert tonight. I hope we load. It will be something to do. Red Alert – planes passed over.

August 12 Thursday. Target: Bonn, Germany. Ten 500# M-43 demolition bombs. Seven ships and one ground spare. 089 flew today (230089 Sunny)

August 13 Friday. There were a few flak holes in the ships yesterday, but not much damage. We had two Red Alerts last night.

August 14 Saturday. Alert tonight. Things are picking up. Two Red Alerts. Jerry must be angry!

August 15 Sunday. Targets: Merville and Lille, France. Twenty-four 100 # demolition bombs. Seven ships and one spare, 089.

August 16 Monday. Battle damage was light yesterday. Another alert tonight. I hope these raids keep up.

August 17 Tuesday. Target: Regensburg, Germany. Sixteen 250 # British incendiary bombs. Four ships. 080 went down in Switzerland (230080 High Life, Lt. Oaks crew). 230086 Blackjack was salvaged.

August 18 Wednesday. Alerted again. Good deal. Work to do helps pass the time. More purple and red alerts.

August 19 Thursday. Target: Airfields in France. 24 100 # demolition bombs. Four ships and one spare. Another raid for 089.

August 20 Friday. Jerry has been in the vicinity quite often lately. It must be that he is getting sore!

August 21 Saturday. I spent the evening at the Red Cross. The cokes taste good even though they are not American.

August 22 Sunday. It seems that we are in another slump. The weather conditions hamper operations quite a bit.

August 23 Monday. Alerted tonight. Seven ships can be loaded. The movies help pass the time, but most of the pictures are old.

August 24 Tuesday. Target: Bordeaux, France. Five ships. One ship ten 500 # demolition bombs, four ships 24 MI clusters (6-M4/20 # fragmentation bombs) 089 flew again.

August 25 Wednesday. One of our ships flew with another group yesterday. They are called composite groups. Alerted again.

August 26 Thursday. Loaded 24 100 # M-30 demolition bombs. Three ships. Mission was scrubbed. 089 was not loaded for this mission.

August 27 Friday. Target: France. Three ships. Two 2,000 # M34 demolition bombs. 089 missed this one.

August 28 Saturday. There was slight battle damage yesterday. The target was sub pens. We are trying to knock out the U-boats.

August 29 Sunday. Alerted again tonight. I wish we would load every night. We might get this over much more quickly.

August 30 Monday. Loaded 16 300 # M-33 demolition bombs. Mission scrubbed. Five ships loaded, including 089.

August 31 Tuesday. Today is Mother’s birthday. I wish I could be with her. I miss her and that fried chicken and apple pie! This was not a very good month. We must have more action or we will be here for the next five years!

September 1 Wednesday. Five ships loaded with 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. Mission scrubbed. 089 again.

September 2 Thursday. Loaded 16 300 # M-33 demolition bombs on six ships. Mission scrubbed. The 300 # bombs seem to be a jinx. 089.

September 3 Friday. Target: Paris. Six ships loaded with 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. 230089, 250865 (Janey – Lt. Fine crew), and 230059 (Barker’s Burdens – Lt. Floyd crew) lost in combat. It was the 14th raid for 089.

September 4 Saturday. Mission scrubbed. Five ships loaded, 12 500 # demolition bombs. 230796 Sunny II loaded for this mission. Lt. King flew 089 to Paris.

September 5 Sunday. This month has started OK. At least we are loading the ships. Doing things at least passes the time.

September 6 Monday. Target: Stuttgart, Germany. Six ships loaded, 16 250 # British incendiary bombs. Two ships aborted. 230796 Sunny II went on this one.

September 7 Tuesday. Target: Stuttgart, Germany. Four ships loaded, 2 2,000 # M-34 demolition bombs. 230796 is leading today. One ship is a ground spare.

September 8 Wednesday. The fellows really have a time with their English dames. They all seem to sweat out V.D.

September 9 Thursday. Target: Vitry en Ortais (sp?) France. Loaded five ships with 24 MI(6-M41 20 #) fragmentation clusters. Then we unloaded and loaded six ships with 16 300 # demolition bombs. 796 is in there pitching.

September 10 Friday. Nothing doing last night. A practice mission today. The new crews need the practice. They really are green.

September 11 Saturday. These new crews are getting better. A tight formation is their best protection from enemy fighters.

September 12 Sunday. Things have been quiet lately. The Group has not been operational. They are sort of breaking in the new men.

September 13 Monday. I had some of the new gunners at the shop and taught them something about machine guns. They need it.

September 14 Tuesday. Another machine gun class today. I hope it helps the fellows. We have an alert tonight, the first in some time.

September 15 Wednesday. Target: Paris. Renault Works. Six ships, 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. 796 seems to be making them all.

September 16 Thursday. Target: La Pallice, France. Four ships loaded, ten 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. 796 in there again.

September 17 Friday. Seven ships loaded. Five 1,000 # M-44 demolition bombs. 796 is still flying. Mission scrubbed.

September 18 Saturday. The past three days have not been bad with two missions and a scrub. That is better than it has been lately. Another practice mission.

September 19 Sunday. Paul Vahle was over this evening. I haven’t visited with him very often over here. I see him at the mess hall.

September 20 Monday. Paul made Staff Sergeant at Camp Kilmer. He is now supply sergeant. I am glad that he got a break. He is a great guy.

September 21 Tuesday. Six ships loaded with 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. The ships returned with the bombs. 796 missed this one.

September 22 Wednesday. We loaded and then had the mission called back just a few minutes from the target. That’s one thing I don’t understand.

September 23 Thursday. Target: Vannes Meurou, France. Six ships loaded, 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. 796 back on this one again.

September 24 Friday. Those gunnery classes have helped a lot. There are not half as many parts lost before the missions lately.

September 25 Saturday. The new crews might not be as smart as the original ones, but they sure are a helluva lot more friendly!

September 26 Sunday. Target: Paris. Citroen plant. Six ships 12 500 #M-43 demolition bombs. 796 missed this one.

September 27 Monday. Target: Emden, Germany. Six ships loaded with 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. Three ships were damaged by flak. 796 stayed home.

September 28 Tuesday. The sheet metal men have another busy day patching holes. Flak can sure raise hell with a ship.

September 29 Wednesday. More practice missions. They sure are hell on them. It seems that they fly them every day.

September 30 Thursday. I feel sorry for the poor civilians and their few gallons of gas. These ships burn 250 gallons an hour. Ten missions this month. That is still the best we have done in one month. We had new ships and new crews this month. I wonder when this second front will start. There have been a lot of rumors and promises for some time. Will there be a second front?

October 1 Friday. The first day of another month, our fifth in England. What will this month bring to us? Alerted.

October 2 Saturday. Target: Emden, Germany. Eight ships loaded, one is a spare. 12 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. 796 is back in the war again.

October 3 Sunday. Six ships loaded. Mission scrubbed. Ten 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. 796 was ready to go. Too many missions are being scrubbed.

October 4 Monday. Target: Saarlouis, Germany. Seven ships, six 1,000 # M-44 demolition bombs. 796 again. Sunny II is on the ball.

October 5 Tuesday. There was some battle damage yesterday. All ships returned to the Group. It was a quiet day. Where will the next raid be?

October 6 Wednesday. The crews are getting in more practice. What is the old wheeze “Practice makes perfect”? They should be.

October 7 Thursday. The lull seems to be over again. Alerted tonight. Eight ships that we can load. How many will it be?

October 8 Friday. Target: Bremen, Germany. Six ships loaded with 38 M47A2-65 # chemical bombs. Two ships lost today, 250864 Piccadilly Lily (Capt. Murphy crew) and 230386 Maria Helena (lt. Gormley crew) 796 flew again.

October 9 Saturday. Target: Marienburg, Germany. Four ships loaded for this one with 38 M47A2-65 # chemical bombs. 796 was grounded

October 10 Sunday. Target: Muenster, Germany. Six ships loaded, 12 500 # demolition bombs. 796 stayed home. 230087 Shack Rat (Lt. Beatty crew), 230734 Slightly Dangerous (Lt. Thompson crew), and 230723 Holy Terror (Lt. Beddoe crew) lost in combat. 230234 Little Mike was salvaged.

October 11 Monday. We took a beating yesterday. Muenster is rough. There was ample flak and fighters. The ships were pretty well torn up.

October 12 Tuesday. There seems to be a disagreement as to the date of the Muenster raid. It was either the 10th or the 12th. I am getting this from other fellows.

October 13 Wednesday. Mission scrubbed. Loaded one ship, 38 M47A2-65 # chemical bombs. That last raid left us in bad shape.

October 14 Thursday. Target: Schweinfurt, Germany factories. Loaded two ships, 5 1,000 # M-44 demolition bombs. 796 not on this one.

October 15 Friday. We are getting more of the ships back into commission. The sheet metal men have been busy. There is plenty of work when flak hits.

October 16 Saturday. We are still sort of “licking our wounds”. I’m glad I am a member of the “B” squad. I have a better chance of living a long life.

October 17 Sunday. We are getting replacement ships. We should be back to normal strength before long.

October 18 Monday. There is more modification work to do. I think they would do this work in the States and the factory or at modification centers.

October 19 Tuesday. Alerted tonight. We have five ships that are ready to load. The weather is clear so we are likely to load.

October 20 Wednesday. Target: Duren, Germany. Two ships, 10 500 # M-43 demolition bombs. No 796 this time. No damage this time.

October 21 Thursday. Mission scrubbed. Loaded two ships, 10 500 # demolition bombs. We are short on ships.

October 22 Friday. Yesterday was our fourth wedding anniversary. A hell of a way to celebrate. I hope the next one is at home.

October 23 Saturday. Weather is poor, with fog and rain. The weather is the deciding factor in the Air Force.

October 24 Sunday. The missions have been milk runs lately due to the fighter escort. The bomber men love them!

October 25 Monday. We have been hearing a lot about the new B-29 Super Fortress. I wonder if we will see any over here.

October 26 Tuesday. This is not quite what I expected when I came overseas. Things are practically the same as the States.

October 27 Wednesday. We don’t even have red or purple alerts any more. This war is getting stale. There is no excitement.

October 28 Thursday. There is still nothing doing. This is quite a stretch of inactivity. Even loading and unloading would be a change.

October 29 Friday. Another practice mission today. I flew on this one. Even that is getting tiresome.

October 30 Saturday. I flew on another practice mission today. We were out over the Wash. We were up 2-1/2 hours.

October 31 Sunday. We had another Red Alert last night. I saw flares and flak near Norwich. Jerry is coming around. A poor month with only eight missions. We must do better if this war is to be ended soon. Let’s get going!

November 1 Monday. The beginning of another month. One month closer to the end. What will this month bring in the war effort?

November 2 Tuesday. Sherman was right. War is hell! Another quiet day. The weather is terrible and this is becoming monotonous.

November 3 Wednesday. Target: Wilhelmshaven, Germany, a naval base on the North Sea. Ten 500 # demolition bombs. The target was hit with good results. Opposition was light and all ships returned.

November 4 Thursday. A day of rest. The weather has been bad for some time. We have been using pathfinders on the last missions.

November 5 Friday. Target: Gelsenkirchen, Germany, a mining town in the Ruhr Valley. Ten 500 # demolition bombs. Results were good. Opposition has been light lately.

November 6 Saturday. The fighter opposition has been rather light lately. The bombing of airfields and factories is showing results.

November 7 Sunday. Target: Duren, Germany railway center. Ten 500 # demolition bombs. The target was hit with good results. All ships returned with little damage.

November 8 Monday. The weather will be bad from now on. So far this month we haven’t been doing too badly. We have sent three raids to date.

November 9 Tuesday. Propaganda seems to fill the papers. One paper gives the idea the war is about over and another contradicts the first idea.

November 10 Wednesday. All our ships are operational. I know we will load tonight. Tomorrow is Armistice Day. I returned from a pass this evening.

November 11 Thursday. Target: Muenster, Germany factories. Ten 500 # demolition bombs. Target smashed. That is one way to celebrate Armistice Day. There were no celebrations here.

November 12 Friday. I have been very lucky with my ships. There has not been much maintenance. The crews are a bunch of nice Joes. I am always glad to see them return.

November 13 Saturday. Target: Bremen, Germany, a war production and ship building center. Ten 500 # demolition bombs. Results were good. The crews were nervous today, but all were back safely.

November 14 Sunday. There is nothing doing today. On Sunday there is usually a mission. I must really try to attend church at least occasionally.

November 15 Monday. A practice mission today. Not much is doing. The weather is bad. I don’t think they will load tonight. That was a bad guess. The C.Q. is here now.

November 16 Tuesday. Target: Norway. Five 1,000 # bombs. A number of targets scattered from Norwich to Trondheim. No opposition. It was a nine-hour flight.

November 17 Wednesday. No bombs today! It is cold and damp with rain at intervals. What a hell of a place to be. Another night for sleep.

November 18 Thursday. Rain, sleet, and sunshine. Not much doing. We are just waiting for suitable weather to resume operations.

November 19 Friday. Target: Gelsenkirchen,Germany. Ten 500 # demolition bombs. This was rated as another milk run, with P-47 and P-38 escort.

November 20 Saturday. A day of rest. We had our picture taken in front of one of the ships. I don’t know why we didn’t have a raid. The weather is fine.

November 21 Sunday. It was foggy and damp all day. There is not much doing. The ship hasn’t been off the ground for three days. I wish the weather would clear.

November 22 Monday. Another pass day. There are no missions. I have an extra six hours on the pass this time. London, here we come!

November 23 Tuesday. We saw a couple of shows today. Smity, Hanna, and I just fool around. It’s nice to just take it easy.

November 24 Wednesday. The boys loaded and unloaded last night. That’s what burns a guy up. We got back at 8:45 this evening.

November 25 Thursday. We got back just in time to load and unload last night. Ten 500 # bombs. We finished just before the mission was scrubbed.

November 26 Friday. Target: Bremen, Germany. Eight 500 # demolition bombs and 20 65 # incendiary bombs. One ship, 231035 Hang the Expense cracked up and burned on takeoff this afternoon. Two Red Cross girls and three officers.

November 27 Saturday. All ships are grounded today. The weather is bad. I am just keeping out of sight. The Army calls it F---king Off. I slept until noon.

November 28 Sunday. Rain and cold today. This weather is not fit for a dog. Everyone has a cold. What would Hitler do with this place?

November 29 Monday. Target: Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Eight 500 # demolition bombs and 20 65 # incendiary bombs. The target was demolished. It was very cold, 60 below zero! Several fellows were frostbitten. One man lost both hands.

November 30 Tuesday. Target: Solingen, Germany, on the edge of the Ruhr. Eight 500 # demolition and 20 65# incendiary bombs. The target was bombed through the clouds. All ships returned safely with some battle damage. This has been a record month in this theater of operations. There were eleven raids this month although we have been in only ten. Three officers and two Red Cross girls cracked up in “Hang the Expense”. There were slight injuries only. The officers face courts martial.

December 1 Wednesday. Rain again today. It seems to rain all winter long. There is nothing doing today. It is too bad to be outside. We sleep tonight.

December 2 Thursday. It was still raining today but it cleared up this afternoon. I have been taking a ribbing. I ate a gallon of pineapple last night and have been sick ever since.

December 3 Friday. Nothing much today. Dinner for the ground crew tonight. Chicken by the combat crew. C.Q. tonight.

December 4 Saturday. Not much doing. We are checking new crews. They are pitifully untrained. A new crew crash-landed a 418th ship. 796 Sunny II returned today.

December 5 Sunday. Target: Bordeaux, France. Ten 500 # bombs not dropped due to poor visibility. Takeoff: 8 AM Land: 3:30 PM

December 6 Monday. Pass day again. I am going to London, as usual. A new club this time, Milestone. I wonder how this club will be.

December 7 Tuesday. We arrived London at 8:30 last night. The train was late, as usual. The club is not bad. We arrived in time for supper.

December 8 Wednesday. Back on base again. Arrived at 8:35, 45 minutes late. We were due at 7:49 but had until 10 PM to make it back.

December 9 Thursday. Fog and gloom. All ships are grounded again. This damnable English weather. I will be glad to leave here.

December 10 Friday. Irma’s birthday. I hope I can spend the next one with her. A practice mission today. It’s the first day the ships have been up since Sunday.

December 11 Saturday. Target: U boats in Emden, Germany. Ten 500 # demolition and 12 65 # incendiary bombs. Takeoff: 8:15 AM. Land: 1:45 PM Goin Jessies a spare. We loaded at 10 PM

December 12 Sunday. Target: Sub pens at Kiel, Germany. Eight 500 # demolition and 20 65# incendiary bombs. Takeoff: 8:45 AM Land: 3:15 PM Howell, the radio man was hit in the arm by flak.

December 13 Monday. The Kiel raid was today. We loaded and unloaded yesterday, 10 500 # demolition bombs.

December 14 Tuesday. Loaded 8 500 # demolition and 20 65 # incendiary bombs. Called at 2:30 AM, mission scrubbed at 7:30 AM, unloaded at 11 AM. A helluva way to win a war.

December 15 Wednesday. Another quiet day with a full night’s sleep last night. A practice mission this afternoon. The crews are improving.

December 16 Thursday. Target: Bremen, Germany. 8 500 # demolition and 20 65 # incendiary bombs. This seems to be a favorite target. Takeoff: 8:45 AM Land: 3 PM. No damage to ships.

December 17 Friday. Clouds and thick fog this morning. The fog lifted this afternoon. A quiet day. Chopped wood this afternoon. No alert tonight.

December 18 Saturday. Rain all day. Nothing to do but sit around. A practice mission, two practice bombs per ship, was scheduled and scrubbed.

December 19 Sunday. I went to church today, the first time in quite a while. A practice mission today. We are loading bombs tonight.

December 20 Monday. Target: Bremen, Germany. 42 65 # incendiary bombs. All ships returned safely. I am going on pass today, London bound!

December 21 Tuesday. I arrived in London at 5:30 PM yesterday and stayed at the Columbia Club. I had dinner at the club and spent the evening reading.

December 22 Wednesday. I arrived back on the base at 5 PM. We had another raid while I was gone. Target: Muenster, Germany, 42 65 # incendiary bombs.

December 23 Thursday. Not much doing today. Beautiful day. No missions, probably due to weather conditions that we do not know.

December 24 Friday. Target: Pas de Calais, France. 16 300 # demolition bombs.

231051 Goin’ Jessies grounded. We are sweating out 796 for Russ Stieler.

December 25 Saturday. Christmas Day. A truce has been declared for the next two days. We had the best dinner we have had over here and there was plenty of it.

December 26 Sunday. It’s so foggy you can’t see ten feet in front of you. We are still on a vacation. They caught up to me again. I had three shots today.

December 27 Monday. This is getting good. Three planes cracked up today from a practice mission. 230474 King Bee from our squad.

December 28 Tuesday. Loaded nine ships last night, 10 500 # demolition bombs. Unloaded this morning. Two ships ran off the landing strip. 250997, Heaven Can Wait (Lt. Smith crew)

December 29 Wednesday. Doing better today. Only one ship crashed today, 231062 Holy Terror. We wreck more ships than the Nazis.

December 30 Thursday. Target: Mannheim, Germany, 10 500 # demolition bombs. Two ships were lost in our squad, 250997 Heaven Can Wait (Lt. Smith Crew) and 230796 Sunny II. Sunny II was salvaged after 15 missions.

December 31 Friday. Target: Renault Works – Paris, France, 12 500 # demolition bombs. There were three ships from our squadron in the raid and there was no damage to any of the ships. So ends another year. Next year I hope will bring the end of the war. We have lost 18 ships in our squadron. We flew 58 missions.