Military History 8: Transport

 

At St. Magum Base in Cornwall there were 2 P-38's which had been converted to photo reconnaissance planes which needed to get to Italy. The B-25 was to lead them to Casablanca Africa. They only carried enough fuel to make that flight with a tail-wind. When the wind was favorable one of the planes would not pass the pre-flight test. We spent Christmas in Cornwall with an English family. In fact we spent a lot of time with this family. After a few weeks one of President Roosevelt's sons was made commander of the photo outfit. He called and commanded them to take off the next day, climb to altitude, and fly directly across France or Italy. The next day they left and we flew to Casablanca. I returned home 6 weeks after I left and Christmas was still waiting for me.

We did make a trip into London and watch the V-bombs come over and explode. We had landed at a field north of London but the pilot wanted to visit London the easy way. The British sent us to an air base which was on the edge of London 13 minutes from where we were. I was lost for the only time in my career. We were dodging around the barrage balloons. These balloons were on long wire cables to prevent the German low-level bombing. The British radioed us and said "We saw you go over. Better land at Heathrow Base which is off your right wing."

I navigated a C-47 down the US East coast, down the East coast of South America across to Ascension Island to Africa and the very eastern part of India. The Operations officer wanted to use me on a mission over "the hump" into Burma that night but the commanding officer wouldn't agree.

[Wikipedia: The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces  based in China. Creating an airlift presented the USAAF a considerable challenge in 1942: it had no units trained or equipped for moving cargo, and there were no airfields in the China Burma India Theater for basing the large number of transport aircraft that would be needed. Flying over the Himalayas was extremely dangerous and made more difficult by a lack of reliable charts, an absence of radio navigation aids, and a dearth of information about the weather.]

I was then transferred to Presque Isle, Maine to the Air Training Command to fly in C-54's, and flew many missions across the North and South Atlantic ocean. Since we were hauling high priority cargo over and seriously wounded back, cargo weight was critical therefore we didn't carry parachutes. We were told that we could live a maximum of 90 seconds in the water of the North Atlantic. During the Battle of the Bulge we hauled two ship loads of sled dogs and their drivers.

 

 

B-25

 

 

 English Family

 

V-Bomb

 

Barrage Balloon, London

 

C-47 Skytrain

 

C-54 Skymaster

Africa

 

Dec. 2, 1942

Wayne, Michigan

 Dear Mom and Dad,

 Lee sent your letter to me. He was in New York. That was Monday. Probably by the time you get this he will be over there or on his way back. I doubt if he would want me to tell you --thinking you'd worry but I don’t think I could stand it if I didn’t tell someone. You can just act like I never told you - I

don’t worry about him - because I know there isn’t a better navigator anywhere. Just so the plane holds together and the weather is good. They take only new planes so that eliminates that worry. I doubt if he was supposed to write to me. He left home Monday just as any other day and I expected him back at 6:30. So Tuesday nite I called a friend and they said he had gone to Alabama Wednesday at noon I was looking for him home when I got his letter - so it will be sometime before he gets home again. He said he hoped to be home by Christmas time...

Wanda

 

Wayne, Michigan

Dec, 22, 1943

 Dear Folks:

Well I had a wet blanket throwed on my Xmas spirit today, "what little I had." Got a cable gram from Lee and he won’t be home for the holidays. So little Sandy and I are going to be mighty lonesome. I would love to come home but I just can’t seem to start traveling again. I am sick of it and Sandy has a cold. So I'd better just sit tight and be waiting when he arrives. I have heard news from him all along and several boys saw him over there. The conclusion we drawed is that he is having to come back by boat and has to wait over there until they get enough soldiers to fill the boat. So he will be here when he gets here. He very heartily wished me a Merry xmas and knew very well I’d be too lonesome for words. I am going to go ahead and fix the tree and leave the gifts until he gets back and then we will have Our big day. Lieutenant Scrivener and his wife were over tonite and they insist on having me for dinner Saturday. We four had planned it and now my better half will be missing. Still I am thankful that he'll be home soon - very soon I hope! Maybe he will be luckier on the next trip. He is in England now. What part I don’t know. I bet he is freezing. He doesn’t have his short coat with him only his rain coat. They should have let him known that he was going so he could have gone prepared.

 I shed a few tears of disappointment but now that I know he won't be here for a few days more. It's really better than this anxious watching. This is the army--

Wanda

 

Wayne, Michigan

Jam. 7, 1944

 Dear Mom and Dad:

 Have been waiting for Lee to get home and just haven’t written. So tonite I got another cable gram from him and all it said was "am still waiting." So by that he hasn’t started on his other mission yet and it will be at least two more weeks until he gets back. Just when I get all set for his return I get some word. The cable was sent yesterday. I am seriously considering coming home for a few days and that would pass away a week at least. Still - just hate to leave for if he ever gets started home he will be here in two or three days and I do want to be here when he gets back. It is hard to make up my mind. Anyway I know he is safe. So my mind is at ease. But I'm so lonely. I’ll get over it. Six weeks is a long time and by the time he gets back it will be two months. We sure are making a lot of money. He is getting $7 a day besides the regular $338 a month. But I’d rather not have the money and have him. He once told me that the only thing I had tried to change about him was his whistle. I won't let him whistle in town on the street. Believe me-when he gets back I want him to whistle every minute because at nite it’s that unmelodious whistle around the house that I miss...

Wanda

Wayne, Michigan

February 4, 1944

Dear Folks,

Gee! But it is good to be home. I got home about five o’ clock while Wanda was at the store. Boy was she surprised when I opened the door. I believe Sandy even knew me. And gosh how she has grown. I no longer have a baby. She is a child and & sweet one too if I’m allowed to say so. I think I’m a prouder papa now than ever before. She says DADA and MAMA and bye-bye. Also many other things I can’t understand. You may laugh at our scientific baby but she’s the least trouble of any I ever saw. Thanks to Wanda. I was really amazed at what could be accomplished in 2 months. But I won't go on with this you've raised plenty yourself and did a good job of it too. But I’d sure love to come home and show you for yourself. They just aren’t giving any leaves anymore. I got 3 days off by getting down on my knees practically. And then had to call in everyday.

I took my 64 examination again yesterday. It’s the one determines if I’m fit to fly. Well I was all but one tooth. My wisdom tooth. Gosh what a waste of time. It took me 8 years to grow it and in 15 minutes the Doc had it out. I took yesterday afternoon and today off. It really isn’t very sore but it’s a good excuse.

I’m afraid I’ll be going again next week so I’m taking all I can get.

Well I got ta see how at least part of the other half live and believe you me. I’ll be an American as long as I live. And will be willing to fight tor this way of life. England isn’t so very bad but you can tell there is a war on. These people that gripe about rations and taxes should spend a time there. They’re main eats is potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Of course the American soldiers eat much better. It’s against the law to burn & piece of paper or ice a cake. After you’ve made $20,000 a year the government takes $8.00 our of every $10.00 and blackouts. I never thought it possible a big town could be so dark and still carry on business. But they do and after so long a time one takes it far granted. And just think it has been that way for five years. Kids are growing up that have never seen a town lit up. People are allowed one egg per month in the shell and take it from me the powdered ones aren’t nearly as tasty.

Lots and lots of people haven’ t seen an orange or lemon in 4 years. They would give anything they have tor lemons. A few are being shipped in now but most of the servicemen get those first.

I met a very nice family. My buddy went with the 19 year old daughter and the two sons and Mamma and Papa entertained me. You'd be surprised at the idea they have of the average American. I think it is changed for the better since we educated them. They were rather surprised to find a Yankee that didn’t drink or smoke. It's just the same here. The rowdys get out and make the impression while the good boys aren’t noticed. We discussed everything from Roosevelt to ettiquette. They think Churchill isthe greatest man in the world and Roosevelt runs a close second. They wonder why any man would want Wilkie for a leader. And so do I. I went out to pay the coal man and Sandy read my letter.

We delivered the B-17 to England and then were to deliver a B-25 as lead ship for 3 P-38 to North Africa. When the weather would get right the P-38s wouldn’t fly. So we had a bad time of it finally we came off and left them. Our home base was really raising a row because we weren’t back.

We stopped three places in Africa and boy those native Arabs are actually the dirtiest and filthiest people I ever saw anyplace.

I think I liked South America better than any of the others. The natives there aren’t bad at all. Oh by the way I spent one Sat. nite in London. The next nite they had an air raid. It is in a rather bad shape but they have most of the wreckage cleaned up now. It's just like a bunch of houses anywhere. The British Isles are really pretty from the air. Most of Africa is just Like we imagine it tho--desert and sand storms.

Coming back we flew 7300 miles in 43 hours and 4 hours of that we spent on the ground. That is really traveling. We were passengers tho an a luxury liner. The best ride I ever had.

With lots of love,

Lee and family