Photo: Mr. Russell Chase 

Kearney Neb. November 9 1943
Took off from Harvard A.A.B. at 1330, landed at Kearney Neb. 35 minutes later. An uneventful trip, all I did was to tune in some music on the liaison receiver. We were off duty all afternoon looking around camp. The fellows treat us nice here. Kearney Neb is our staging area for overseas movement. Where the heck are we going? Guesses right and left. The driver of the truck that hauls us from place to place seems surprised at the way Crew #5 gets along together, we are just a regular gang and have lots of fun.

Kearney Neb November 10 1943 
Got up today at 7:45. The officers called for us at 9:00 to go to the briefing and processing building. First a show down inspection, then thru all the stalls checking our records. Got out about 2:15 P.M. to load all our bags on a truck + head for the barracks. After chow in Service Club I went to Radio Building No#1 and spent 2 hrs. taking tests on ROG's duties. I think I came out O.K. I'm to go back tomorrow morning at 8 for code + blinker check. Didn't want supper, went to the show + met Dill + Hawley there. Went to P.X. got some pop, came home + tried on all the new equipment. Bed at 10:30

Kearney Neb. November 11 1943 
Got up at 7:30 to go to the Communications to finish the tests. After being there for ten minutes I was called out to attend lectures on escape procedure. Later Maj. General Street spoke to the group commenting on our training and he wished us all the luck in the world. After the talk I went to the dentist, then back to the radio school until 1:30 P.M. At 2 the crew drew our guns, ammunition and long hunting knife. I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping around in P.X. The whole group attended a briefing at the war room at 7. They tell us, we're going to England but I don't believe it. The whole announcement is fishy. Bed at 11.

Kearney Neb. November 12 Fri

Out of bed at 9:30, breakfast in the Service Club + reported for roll call at communications. We were informed we won't be moving until at least Sunday. I exchanged my G.I1 watch that was running too fast in for a good one, and worked on the "Hi Jinx" for a while this morning. The afternoon was spent reading in the library, working around the barracks, fooling around in the P.X. etc. At 7 Fred, M.D. + Dill + I went to town. Kearney about 18000 souls. First we skated for a while; was I a sight, almost falling down most of the time, then we bowled a line until 12. Got some pie + milk; came home + to bed by 1:15 A.M.

Kearney Neb. November 13 up at 10:30
Another day of inactivity, going between the P.X. library + barracks. We have worked in the ship a good share of the afternoon loading baggage. I have to stand guard over these ships tonight because I drew the lowest card. Tonight at 9 we had a good imitation physical exam, + T.W.G. [Lt. Thomas W. Gilleran, pilot] told us we were leaving the field tomorrow headed for our P.O.E. I've got a hunch it isn't going to be Presque Isle or some other point in Maine as we were told. Oh, well, nobody knows. While writing this I'm listening to the liaison radio receiver to a station in Montreal, Canada. Some life. The crew is glad we're leaving the field, we've been inactive so long. Bed at 10:15

Kearney Neb. - 
Ft. Wayne Ind. November 14 Sun
Got up at seven, left Kearney at 8:30, headed for Syracuse N.Y. We have a lot of rations, all our baggage, and a lot of other things. I received a message from Topeka Kans, the 21st Wing ground station ordering us to stop at Ft. Wayne Ind. We landed at 3:15 PM, the second ship down. Later Capt Smith, operations officer. called a meeting + told us we’d leave tomorrow. This cross country hops are a lot of fun, but no time for play as I have to guard that frequency all the time. Tomorrow T.W.G. says he'll take us over the Niagara Falls. Bediby 8:00

Ft Wayne Ind - Bangor, Me. November 15, Mon
1943 Got up at 6 this morning. Left Fort Wayne at 9, headed for Presque Isle Maine. We didn't get to see Niagara because of the ground fog. Flew altitude for an hour to get over some bad weather. I worked pretty hard sending the position reports in. Landed at Bangor Maine at 4:00 E.W.T. had a short physical, went to the P.X. to get supper. It started to snow so the EMs went out to the ship to put all the covers on the turrets, windows and wing covers on to keep the ship from icing up. It got pretty cold out there. At 8PM Mac [Sgt. Charles H. McHugh, Engineer] + I went to Operations to be briefed. Lt. Laz [Lt. Richard L. Lazarus, navigator] + I went to a separate building to be briefed. They gave us more data than we could digest, we have another one before we leave. Got lost coming back to barracks. Feeling kind of excited by prospect of going across. Bed at ll.

Bangor, Me. November 16 Tues.
Climbed out of bed at 8 this morning to go to radio school at 9. Code practice in the morning and afternoon with a little bit of procedure mixed in. An A.T.C. man is instructor, a swell fellow who knows his business. It has been snowing all day, with freezing weather, altho very nice outside. The crew, 6 of us went to the show tonight + wandered over to the P. X. afterwards. All the grub we bought was on Mac; hot dogs milk shakes + pop. I haven't been too busy tonight. Gene [Sgt. Eugene A. Kealer, ball turret gunner] is guarding the ship now, my turn day after tomorrow, maybe we'll be in England by then, I hope so. If we go to England I've got about 2 months of school ahead of me, so I hope we go on to Africa or some where else; why should we use jungle hats in England? Bought a carton of candy in P.X.. The P.X. here as in Kearney is selling cartons of candy + gum to combat crews going across. Bed at 10:30

Bangor Me. November 17 Wed.
Out of bed at 700 to relieve Gene at the plane. At 9 1 went to radio school until 1030 then out to the ship to get the calibrations and M.O. settings for all the frequencies I'm going to use on the way to U.K. From noon until 2:30 the enlisted men + T.W.G. sat in a booth shooting the bull. This is about the first time we had ever had such a long talk with our pilot. He told us a lot about his ideas + past life. Going thru Cadets he was as much as a G.F.U. as possible + still not wash out. Going to England as we seem to be will mean a 2 month stretch of schooling for the whole crew before any operational missions. I sort of hate to look forward to more school. Maybe we'll stay in U.K. for a week or two + go on to Italy or Africa. Saw another show, "Son of Dracula", (no good) and to bed by 11 P.M.

Bangor Me. November 18 Thurs.
Got up just in time to go to school at 9. Stayed there until 11, went to P. X. + fooled around until about 3. Hightailed it out to the barracks and slept until 5. I had supper and went out to the ship. After playing the mandolin for an hour I read for a while. Those negro wards seemed to be going round and round the ship as long as I played. They seemed to like it O.K. This camp is really pretty nice. A good P.X. noncoms club, pretty good chow house with good grub. We wake up in the morning to the roar of a cannon going off and the bugle. All thro the day the bugle is blowing, it sure is pretty. I'm writing this in the ship as its my turn to guard it tonight. I've read a while by flashlight, and then hit the hay about 8 P.M.

Bangor-Gander Lake Newfoundland November 19
Fri. Harris woke me up at 6. I hightailed it over to the barracks + packed, got breakfast and went out to "Hi Jinx" with the rest of the crew at 7 AM. We took off for Gander Lake A.A.B. Newfoundland at 9:45. kings were sailing O.K. all the way. I tuned the liaison transmitter up on voice + sent in position reports and E.T.A.'s to Stevenville + Gander for the pilot. We used the trailing wire antenna, 190 ft. The range on voice is about 180 miles in poor weather, which we had. Lazarus, the navigator, got us over Gander at the exact E.T.A. Landed at about 1500 E.W.T., the pilot was briefed + was given 10 cartons of cigarettes, as cigarettes are rationed here. Newfoundland time is E.W.T.+1 1/2 hours. Actual flying time from Kearney is about 11 hrs. Half of the field is run by R.C.A.F. + the rest by the U.S. Army. After getting bunks went to chow, P. X. and canteen. Bed by 7:30.

Gander Lake November 20 Sat.
I jumped out of bed at 9:30 this morning. Went out to the ship for a while, then ate chow. At one I went to briefing and they told us about what to expect going across and all the stuff we would need to know. Dismissed about 3, went to the ship again got some stuff out of my B4 + A3 bag that I'd use going across. It is definite we won't leave tonite at 12 because of weather. I'm glad because this post is pretty nice. After supper as we were standing in line at the theater we met a Canadian soldier + got to talking to him. An interesting fellow and very nice. He's from B.C. Canada, been in Army four years. After the show we took him to the P.X. talked + got acquainted, ate a lot. In all ways he is just like any American. We went bowling after exchanging our home addresses. After bowling we parted at 1130, promising to write each other. Bed at 12.

Gander-Nutts Corner Ire. November 21 Sun 
1000 gals in tokyo tanks 
1100 gals in main tanks for takeoff
Got up this morning at 900 went out to the ship to relieve Gene. Read until 12 when Harris relieved me for chow. The rest of the crew came out with me at 2 + worked on the ship until 6 packing and cleaning the ship up in order to go across. We took off at 10P.M. GCT the 21st for Prestwick Ireland. The trip across was uneventful, I guarded 6500KC all the way across, switched to 4220 voice when we got near Nutt's Corner Ire. 

Mon
Nutt's Corner

We landed at 800 GCT in the morning Nov 22, 11 miles from Belfast Ireland called Nutt's Corner. We didn't get to bed until just after noon, local time, 12 GCT, 900 local. It rains almost every day here. The countryside from the air is pretty green. We slept for 4 hours on beds with 3 cushions for mattresses, have blankets for bed covers. The blankets are rough, but not too bad after you lie still for a while. The blankets aren't too warm, but we have 5 of them so it's not to bad. After sleeping for 4 hours I got up and went to chow. The grub here is not much to talk about, mostly meager and flavorless, but it is G.I. grub and it does fill you up. Fred + I went for a walk as soon as the blackout started, about 6, trying to find the P.X. the British call the "Naffie". We met a small red haired English gal from London+ talked with her the rest of the evening. She talks fast + with that lingo of hers neither of us could keep up with her. I had some tea and cakes, the tea was very weak, the cakes were as if someone had forgotten the baking powder. They were an inch thick but still "flat." Beryl seemed to be pretty nice, 23 yrs, and full of common sense. Fred and I are going to take her to the show tomorrow night, at her suggestion. Bed at 11. The first night in Ireland, too.

Tues. November 23 1943 
We got up at 8 this morning at the orders of the P.A. system. A truck came up a little while later + took us out to "Hi Jinx". We stayed out there until T.W.G. came out and told us we wouldn't take off today. We didn't get back to the barracks or hut for a long time as it was raining a heck of a lot, we didn't get a ride very soon. I spent most of the afternoon playing cribbage with Fred. At 6 Fred, M.D. + I went to the "Naffi" + sat back in a corner + let some limey explain the English monetary system. He was a darned nice chap + helped us a lot. Beryl dropped in at 6:40 + we sat around talking until 8 + went to the show. M.D. and I walked Beryl back to within 100 yards of her barracks. Got back to the barracks at 10:30. Ireland isn't bad, altho its always raining it seems. I wish I could go to Belfast but no passes are issued to us + it's hard for us if we are caught in town without a pass. These Irish Jails are supposed to be pretty rotten. Bed 12.


Rattlesden, Eng. 
Wed November 24 1943
Thanksgiving Eve and the cooks promised roast turkey tomorrow
I got up this morning at 8 when all the combat crews of the 447th were ordered to be ready to ship out. At 10 we were out preflighting the ship. We took off at 10:30 headed for Rattlesden, England; landed about 1:30. All the country was really beautiful that we passed over. All or most of the houses were red brick. This field is about 40 miles N.E. of London. It seems funny to be occupying a Field that might be bombed in the future. This 447 Group is the only outfit on this field; we keep our own ships, it ought to be swell. The grub is swell, at least this afternoon's meal was tops. The ground echelon + stuff that is coming by boat aren't here yet. There are a lot of small towns around here, we are supposed to get passes soon. From what the fellows say that have been here a while the people's morals are very poor in surrounding towns, London included. Bed at 8:45

Burtonwood, near Liverpool Thursday. Thanksgiving November 25
Got up this morning at 7:15 because the radioman, pilots and co-p's + navigator were supposed to be briefed at 8:30. After being briefed we took off at 11:00 after a lot of dillidallying for Burtonwood, a modification center for bombers someplace up near Liverpool. Got there at 4, but had circle around the field because of ground fog for 1-1/2 hours. Got down at 5:30. We all had hopes of getting a Thanksgiving dinner but by the time we got to the mess hall we had roast beef. We were very disappointed. They then dumped us in trucks + took us 14 miles to a place to sleep. A G.I. camp between Manchester and Liverpool. Pretty good beds. Got to bed about 10 P.M. Going up we passed over a lot of beautiful country, some large old English churchyards and churches with graveyards around them. I bet some were hundreds of years old. This is my first time away from home on Thanksgiving + I'm kind of homesick. Bed at 10

Near Liverpool

Burtonwood Eng back home November 26
The Major came around + woke us up at 8. Went over + got breakfast across the street. Poor grub. Soon afterward we got in trucks + went back to Burtonwood. It took an hour for T.W.G. to get a ship to take back to Horham. For the time being we were going to act as ferry crews. We took of at 11, landed at Horham about 25 miles south east of Rattlesden. A group of six ships were coming back from a bombing mission. All accounted for, but an ambulance was following one of them. After waiting for trucks an hour + a half we headed back for home. It took two hours before we got to the mess hall + stormed it. Nothing to eat since breakfast. Read for a while, brought diary up to date, etc. I've got to go to school tomorrow, hope it's interesting and beneficial. This English monetary system is pretty bad for me, altho I'm just beginning to see some light thru the dim overcast. Bed at 9:00
Sat.

Rattlesden November 27
Jumped out of bed at 630 in order to get breakfast before going to school. Code occupied us all morning and some of the afternoon. I got back to the barracks at 4 PM. After reading a while Capt Smith came in + put the fellows in the barracks on detail. We were out there sweeping mud off the street about as fast as the trucks tracked it on. It was sort of futile if you ask me. After chow the officers came out + took over our job. We were put to loading cement blocks 3'x3'x2", weighing 150 lbs on a 6x6 truck. Dolan was driving + in his spare time he was making out our ration cards for gum, candy, cookies + smokes. I gave mine to Mac. Ever since we've been here we've been walking around in mud up to our ankles. It sure is hard to keep clean + I succeeded very well in getting good and dirty. The ground crew are supposed to get here two days from now. Bed at 11

Rattlesden Sunday November 28
I happened to wake up at 7:25, just in time to get up and get dressed to get to school on time. All morning there was code classes, afternoon was spent on QDM, QTF procedure. These English instructors surely know their business. Most of them have been in the Air Force a long time as radio operators. The instructor we had this afternoon had a rank equivalent to captain, but he wasn't the least bit strict on discipline. He is really just a swell fellow. I went back to radio school at 7, then a lecture at 8. At 8:20 some captain stepped up + told us to go home. TWO, the rest of the EM's went to the Red Cross Rec Hall + drank tea + coffee for an hour and shot the bull. Then came back to barracks + am going to hit the hay. I sent a telegram home saying I'm O.K. and all that, changed my $30 to English pounds. £8-11' to be exact. Bed at 10:15

Rattlesden November 29
Up at 7:35; school at 8. Same old stuff, W/T procedure, code checks until noon. Afternoon we had a talk by a couple fighter pilots that would escort us in P-47's as soon as we start our missions. They were a couple of quiet guys, they told us how they came up + where they would fly to protect us. They also asked us not to shoot at them; some B-17 crews had shot at them in the past. To help us be able to recognize P-47's we all went outside + they buzzed us + flew around + over us about 20 feet off the ground doing someplace around 350 M.P.H. A beautiful sight, a plane going directly overhead, 20 feet above you, then a second later a big roar + the plane is a mile away. Alter Supper I went back to school at 7. Limey luey's gave us code checks + practice until 8:30. These fellows are nice instructors + sure know their stuff. Bed at 10

Rattlesden Tues. November 30
7:15- Aircraft Identification for two periods in the morning along with code and procedure. Same classes in the afternoon. The ground crew got in this morning sometime. It sure is nice to see some of the old fellows I knew back at Harvard. The mail came in too. One of the men brought in the sack that had been laying near the orderly room for a few hours, went thru it + got all the mail for the barracks + put all the packages + stuff back in the bag + carried it back. I've got 2 packages but we'd better not take them because they've got a list of all receivers of packages. We are supposed to get passes to London after our first mission. The ship "Hi Jinx" is supposed to be back from modification in a day or so. I'm feeling kind of lazy, the only exercise we will get is walking, it's a mile from here to the mess hall. Plenty of mud, too much in fact. It rains almost every day. 1130

Rattlesden Wednesday December 1
7:30, Same school all day. Went back at 7 for lectures on procedure, got out at 9. The lectures are interesting and toward the last became one good bull session. The two English lieutenants, the instructors, are swell fellows, good sports and a heck of a lot of fun to talk to. I got two packages from home today. One from Alice, the other from Grandmother Johnson. The one from Johnson's is a scrap book. Alice included a knife, fruit cake and some other things. It sure is nice of her. I have had no chance to get something for her. Suppose I can get something here and get it there just after Christmas. I sure hate to disappoint her. A ship, B-17 landed with one engine feathered on its way home after a raid. No one was injured + they told us a lot. B. 1130

Rattlesden December 2
730 I was feeling pretty good when I got up. Didn't go to chow, straight to school. I had quite a bit of fun after school, we got off at 3:30 the first time R.O.'s got off early all this week. I came back to the barracks + played cribbage until supper, then the show afterwards. M.D., Fred + I went to the R.C. Rec Hall after the show + got some tea. I have a cold and didn't get anything besides tea. For some reason I still don't like the stuff but at least it was hot. I should write a letter to the Johnsons, Roy's + Lamoine's. Dashed off a V mail to Mom and Dad. Got some presents from Alice and the L.U. Tuck's incorporated today. It's still muddier than all heck and wading around in overshoes all day is hard work. Sent off quite a few Christmas cards. Oh yes, we'll be wearing flak suits + helmets on all our raids. B.11

Rattlesden December 3
9-45 For the first time since we've been here I got to sleep in. The bed sure felt good. Went to school at 10, took the radio equipment tests and a written test. Came out O.K. The Limey lieutenant told us we didn't have to go to school anymore as far as he was concerned. All afternoon it has been raining; Fred + I played cribbage until 4 PM, went to the Red Cross Rec Hall and got some tea. On the way back I stopped at mess hall + ate. After chow spent a quiet evening writing letters and Christmas cards. We're supposed to start practice missions soon. One gunner with 25 missions said Jerry loves to tackle new outfits. The first 4 or 5 trips over will be hardest. After that we'll sit back and sweat it out. B.10

Rattlesden Saturday December 4 
1015 Went up to finance and got my per diem money 1650 or £2-12’ 2, approximately. Came back + played cribbage until 1215 when the whole crew went to chow. Now they are feeding us pretty good . After lunch M.D., Mac, Fred + I took our helmets, oxygen masks up to respective places to be fixed. We got back in time to get in the chow line at 4:45. After supper we went over to the theater + sat from 545 until 7. No show so we came back to the barracks. I played more cribbage, a shilling a game, lost three, won one. Fred had a lot of luck tonight. Lt. H.C.M. came in and told me I'd have to get up by 6:30 to go to Burtonwood again. We fly someone's ship up there + try to bring our ship back. Packed my field bag in preparation. B.1200 

Rattlesden December 5 Sunday 
6:30 This morning to go to Burtonwood. The C.Q. woke me up. I got over to the officers barracks to walk with T.W.G., Mamlock + Laz to the mess hall. Good chow this morning. Got out to the ship we were supposed to take up to B.; Mamlock + I pulled the props thro, then T.W.G. showed up and told us the trip was cancelled. We jumped into the jeep + went back to our barracks. I played cards the rest of the day and read. A show was scheduled tonight, Fred, M.D. + I sat in the theater from 530 to 630, no show. Got more books from the rec hall. I played more cards with Fred for an hour + a half + then got ready to go to bed. I wanted to go to Burtonwood pretty bad. We haven't flown for 2 weeks + I’m getting kind of restless for something to do, especially to try some of the stuff we learned in school here. B.1030 

Rattlesden December 6 Mon 
Got up this morning when Mac and Dill tipped my bed over about II :30 AM. All day I didn't do anything except play cards with Fred. Just after chow (supper) the whole crew went to the theater and sat from 530 to 745, saw "China. " We then went to the Red Cross Rec Hall, got something to eat, then we got books from the R.C. library + came back to the barracks to read and play cards until. Lt. Mamlock came in at 9 and told me our crew couldn’t fly until I completed my schooling. I was supposed to be thru 4 days ago. I’ll go see about it tomorrow. Bed at 12. 

course. Quite a few bicycles are being swiped or borrowed. It sure keeps the M.P.'s busy looking for them. The crew is supposed to go to Burtonwood as soon as the weather is clear. 

Rattlesden Tues December 7 
7:45 Got up early to go to radio school and find out what's wrong with the records. They had me down for needing a lecture that I had already had. Everything is O.K. now. Got back to the barracks at 1030 after buying my weeks rations + selling the cigarettes to T.W.G. After lunch we took our helmets to the welding shop + had them altered; then to the paint shop to put "Hi Jinx" on them in yellow. One of the fellows does it on the side to earn a little extra cash. We are supposed to get them tomorrow. 
Fred + I skipped supper in order to get seats at the theater. When we got there some lecture on rubber dinghies was in progress. A lot of fellows went in + got seats. Fred + I went in too. I felt sorry for that captain giving the speech, everybody filing in all the time. We saw Dianna Durbin in "First Love," a very good show. It was a modernized version of "Cinderella." Went to R.C. + got supper, tea + sandwiches, went back to barrack to read until 11. 

Rattlesden Wed December 8 
9:45 Got up, went up to the paint shop to see if my helmet has been completed yet. It hadn't. After chow Fred + I washed up + showered in water almost ice cold. Went to a P.W. lecture at 3:00, after this I went to the base photo lab to have my picture taken in some English civies. They looked like some of these zoot suits some people wear. The pictures are supposed to be for enabling us to fake passports in case we are forced down in France or Germany. I think its some idea. While Fred went to Mass I went to R.C. library + read until 7:30 when F. showed up. We stuck around listened to piano music + read until 10:30, then came back to the barracks + played 3 games of double solitaire. Mac says he and I are to go to this gunnery school at Oxford tomorrow. Bed at 1130 

Snettisham On North Sea 8th Air Force Gunnery School 
December 9 Thurs 
We got up this morning at 8:40 to go to school at 9. T.W.G. pulled us out of an Aircraft Rec class to see about some flying equipment at A.C. supply at 930. Mac + I went back to the barracks + got ready. We left the field at 1:20. One of the trucks went in the ditch: we had to go back + pull him out. That delayed us an hour. There was a glider field with gliders like Wellington's; an ammo dump spread on both sides of the highway for 4 miles or so, well camouflaged. At one town the kids asked us for gum when we stopped. We gave all of it away but when we started to go some guy threw a dozen sticks on the ground + the kids, girls + boys, fought for the gum. At many places we saw groups of all kinds of tanks, mobile guns + trucks; an invasion force, I guess. We got here at 6, ate chow, then went to the show in the mess hall. I went back to barracks + got some soap + went over to the shower room. 1st shower in 3 weeks; it sure felt good. B 10:15

Snettisham Friday December 10 
Got up this morning at 7:20 to go to school without breakfast. It seems as if 2 meals a day is O.K. because I don't keep too busy; By noon I have a good appetite. From 8 to 10 we had malfunctions on 50 cal, at 1 a we had skeet. I got 1 S out of 22, next to the highest man with 16. I was proud because everybody ribbed me quite a bit. After lunch we met at 1:00 to shoot 50' s. We didn't because some tanker directly off the beach about 4 miles had got stuck when the tide had gone out. This camp is situated on tide flats. At high tide the water comes up within 50 yds of the buildings, at low tide the water is out about 3 miles, + civilians are out on the sand digging clams. Some fellows back from combat talked to us until 3:45 when we were excused. I went back to the barracks + read until chowtime, then after eating went to the small library + read until bedtime. B:900 

Snettisham Sat December 11 
7:30 We stood around in a hut until 830 for the instructors to come. Then shot skeet until 10. I didn't do so hot. Malfunction range until noon. All afternoon we shot 50's. I shot about 200 rounds at a small wood airplane about 200 yds away that went around a track + a lot at a 10 ft sleeve towed by a British Lysander. Went to reading room just after supper + read until 8:30. Last night a couple Ju-88's came over some fields to the south of us. We could see the flak + search lights focused on them. Today we heard that both of them were shot down. So far we have not been in actual contact with Jerry + I’m itching just a little. This place is almost directly across the North Sea from Germany. B-900 

There seems to be no public health department here in England. 
Meat and milk bought outside of army camps is very likely to be diseased; the English people use it anyway. 

Snettisham Sun December 12 
Got out of bed this morning at 745 just in time to get to the skeet range before the instructors. Skeet 8- 10; malfunctions 10-12; shooting 501s all afternoon. I shot about 350 rounds. It was a lot of fun but that shooting of the 50's is awful hard on your ears, even if they are plugged up with cotton. Standing behind the firing line you can feel the concussion against your clothes + eardrums whenever guns shoot. At chow tonight the instructor that was superintending the shooting sat by me in the mess hall. He commended me as being the best shot out of the whole class. I swelled up like a balloon I guess. That's the way I felt. Read in the library from 5: 15 until 9:30. Dill’s class is to go back to Rattlesden by truck tonight at midnight. I hope T.W.G. has had a chance-to go to Burtonwood to get 145. B 10:00 

Rattlesden December 13 Mon 
Got up at 11pm Dec 12 to get packed + get in trucks to go to Rattlesden. Got home at 3:30 after 2-1/2 hr trip. Went to bed and woke up at 10: 30 when P, CP ,N + RO1s were to meet at briefing room. After a few minutes we found out nothing was going to happen so we came back. We were called out again at 1, still no soap. Fred went to gunnery school today, Gene would have gone too but he's on a practice mission with some other crew. I went up to P.X. + got my week’s rations; came back + started to get cleaned up. A fellow came in and wanted an R.O. to go on a ferry trip. T.W.G., Mamlock, and Laz were going too but on a different ship: we got them to trade R.O.’s so I could go with T.W.G. We took the Colonel’s ship to a modification center about 15 miles from here. Had chow there in the noncoms’ mess, good chow too -- started back at 745 + got here at 9:25 after stopping at a Pub, giving some gum away to some kids + etc. B 1030 

Rattlesden Tues December 14 
Got up this morning at 6, ate breakfast for the first time in 2 weeks and got to the briefing room at 6:50. At 7:30 all but P, CP, + N's were excused to go to school. The R.O.'s sat in room 13 for an hour shooting the bull. We broke up to get back to the orderly room to get in the pay line. £15-13’ 9d. I signed a couple of statements of charges in Kearney. We should get flying pay + Nov’s pay at the end of the month. I've got a bad cold + am feeling pretty low. Night before last a Ju88 came over + we had an alert while I was at gunnery school Everybody got in the bomb shelters. The Ju88 was shot down by a Mosquito + crashed about 4 miles away with a big explosion. Gene saw it a1l + said it was thrilling. The Ju88 was held in searchlights until downed after dropping a big bomb in Ipswich. Stayed in barracks rest of afternoon, skipped supper + headed for bed about 730 to read for a while. 

Rattlesden December 15 
Got up just in time to get to briefing room at 8. A lot of officers got up and said a lot of nothing until 845 when all R.O.'s were told to go over to the Equip. room. We did + just sat around for an hour, then went in to the code class + heard a lecture by a 25 mission man about emergency procedure. A good lecture. At 11 all gunners with some instructors went out to a ship, wrote our names on a sheet of paper + went to chow. At 1 :30 we met at the briefing room again + soon after took off on a practice mission. I got my 1st QDMs on this trip. We flew formation most of the time. On the way down thro the overcast I gave the pilot a QDM + we came home on it. With my cold my ears hurt on the way down but cleared up soon after getting on the ground. Today is the 1st time I've flown in Hi-Jinx since going up to modification center; she already has 5 combat hours, not a scratch + a lot of headsets + mikes have been hooked by the group that borrowed her. B 830 

Rattlesden December 16 Thurs 
I crawled out of bed at 6 to go to breakfast. We had to be up at the briefing room at 7 + made it. Trucks are hauling us from the mess halls to the briefing room now. We were told we would fly; got all our stuff out to the ship + and got her started. No.3 engine’s throttle wouldn't close so mechanics started to work on her. We got it fixed, then the flight was called off. I stayed out on the ship to work on some antennas that were broken. I worked until 12:30, got a good appetite + ate. Went to the gym with R. Chase and fooled around with the basketball for an hour, went to a class + skipped out after signing roll. Then went to the R.C. + had two cups of tea, went to show + then the barracks to get ready for bed. A lot of stuff has been swiped from the ship when she was lent out to the other group. Rudisill hooked 4 mikes, 4 headsets + saved them for us. Good old Rudy. We should get them replaced. Feeling pretty good today. B 11 :30 

Rattlesden Friday December 17 
6:00, meeting at the briefing room at 8:30. M.D. + I went out to the ship +.talked to the crew chief + helpers for a while. 10-12 lectures on dinghy equipment + dinghy radio. Didn’t do anything all afternoon except read and play cards. Fred got back from gunnery school at 2. Played cards + read after supper. Ping says his pilot told him we'd be doing operational missions in a week. I'd like to start soon just to get them over with. For the last 3 months ships have averaged 50 rounds a mission because of the fighter protection provided. I got a lot of pictures from the family. They sure make me homesick, but I wouldn't lose or sell them for anything. I'm over that cold now, just rarin’ to fly tomorrow as scheduled. Some Englishmen should see these fellows gambling; a weeks wages changing hands 10 times in 10 minutes. As a rule I stay strictly out of them, except a few penny games for amusement to pass time. B 1030 

Rattlesden Sat December 18 
7:00 in time to get breakfast and briefing at 8:30. Most officers showed up 15 minutes late. We didn't fly so we had a couple classes in the morning. Afternoon was spent washing clothes and cleaning up. About 4 all the fellows got together + mopped + really got the barracks clean. The 1st sergeant was in for a while. That guy seems to think the ground crew's life is worse than ours, air crew barracks are the dirtiest and all that. Back at Harvard he made our life miserable with inspections and G.I. parties. He's starting to do it here too. We are trying to figure something to put him in his place. One thing wrong is an old Army man should be 1st sergeant, this guy has been in for 2 years and a low I.Q. to top it off. B - 10 

Notes written down at spare times: 
[ nothing written ] 

Rattlesden Sunday December 19 
Got up at 7 to go to chow when T .W .G. came in and insisted we get up to march to chow. All of the combat crews had to get up and march to chow because of all the people that were late yesterday morning. Briefing at 8:30 .The weather was kind of bad. We were told to come back at 11:15 for briefing again to fly. We did. A large formation of 18 ships took off + we flew for 4 hours at medium altitude. Spitfires, P 51s + P47s dove on us for a couple of hours to give us a class on aircraft rec and practice on tracking. The P-51s gave us a good time, coming pretty close at times. About 10 B-261s came up and joined the formation for a while then passed on. Later I was trying to tune up on low frequency + insulation caught on fire. Mac saw it before I did + put it out. Landed about 5:30, ate + went to the barracks and played cribbage for an hour with Fred. Maj. Lund came in + inspected the barracks + went back out pretty quick. B 9:30 

Rattlesden - Langford Lodge 
Monday December 20 
Woke up at 5:30, ate chow and was at the briefing room at 6:45. 18 ships took off for a practice mission at about 8 and landed about 1120. As soon as our crew came in the briefing building Capt. Richards asked us if we would like to go to Langford Lodge. P, CP, N +RO of our ship took off at 230 with 4 other skeleton crews in #185. Didn't do much of anything on the way up. Landed about 5:30 + trucks took us to the operations office + then to the mess hall + quarters. After dumping all extra stuff + changing to O.D.'s we, R. Chase, R. Palumbo + I got in a G.I. truck and came to town. Belfast, Ire. is a big town from what we could see. We stopped a lot of girls + talked with them or they stopped us with definite intentions to earn a little money. I met a nice girl + we walked around for an hour then she went home. R. Chase + I went to A.R.C. for a while then went to our beds, also A.R.C. B. 0115 
Langford Lodge + Belfast. Tuesday December 21 
Climbed out of bed at 7:45, got dressed and went down to the R.C. building to get breakfast. Palumbo, Chase + I went up to the Grand Hotel looking for our officers. I found T.W.G. Mamlock + Laz eating up there + talked with them for a while. The 3 radiomen caught a bus for Langford Lodge at 9 that went out through Nutt's Comer to the base, about 15 miles. After getting cleaned up + eating we headed for flight control office, we were late but not as late as Maj. Rawl + 3/4 of the officers. At 1 we were told to go back to town because England was having too much bad weather. The 3 of us hit town about 3 o’clock after catching a ride in the officers bus. We first got a room in the best hotel in town, then had tea, chased around for a while looking the town over, then supper. We were a bunch of wolves the rest of the night, up till about 12 when we went to bed. 

Langford Lodge -Rattlesden Wednesday December 22 
A chambermaid woke us up by knocking on the door, then hollering at us at 7:45. We had breakfast in the hotel dining room. It was a very skimpy breakfast + it cost £1-2' for the 3 of us. The bus took us to the field + as usual we were late to the flying control, the rest of the EM's + officers were later. It took us until 2:30 to get everybody present and ready to go. The P ,CP ,N + I took "Hi-Jinx" + flew her back. The magnetic compass was off a long ways, we didn't have the schedule for splashers so the navigator couldn't get bearings + fixes on them. I got QDM's all the way back; we flew some pretty bad clouds + there was a low ceiling. We landed in the dark without trouble, T.W.G. greased her in. Chase + I had to do some talking to get supper as it was after 7:45. The knife Pop made for me came. It's a beauty + a darned fine one. B- 10 

Rattlesden December 23 Thursday 
Managed to get out of bed at 7:30 in time to eat and get to briefing room by 8:30. After taking role we went to the theater for a lecture on ditching, then back to the briefing room for dinghy equipment, then chow. At 1:30 all R.O.'s went to room 13 to shoot the bull. About half of us are having trouble tuning the xmitter to low frequencies on the fixed wire antenna. The instructor took us out to a ship + tuned that xmitter up O.K. but all transmitters aren't alike, some will and do but some won't. T.W.G. gave me a compass about 1/2" across, for cross country travel if we're ever forced to bailout over Germany or France. It has a luminous dial + should be very handy. This group is now operational, altho all that any planes have done is yesterday they went out and hunted for a dinghy from a plane that ditched. Went to the show tonight, the first in about 2 weeks. B 9:45 

1st mission 
Rattlesden December 24 Friday 
The C.Q. came in this morning and told us to get on the beam, today we got our first mission. All crews were briefed at 7:30, gunners at the main briefing room at 7:30, then they went out to the ship. I had to go to a separate R.O.'s briefing. After collecting all my stuff; got out to the ship #184 to wait 45 minutes for the guns to be brought out. Took off at 12, got over the target about 3:15 dropped all bombs O.K. after going over target twice. Almost no flak even near us, no enemy fighters, a lot of P-38's escorting us were buzzing around. The target was gun emplacements from which the Germans were supposed to be able to bombard cities in England as far away as London with some sort of rockets. It is all supposed to be pretty secret; even our ground crew doesn’t know what we bombed. M.P.s are standing at all doors of the briefing building. We landed at 5:05 after an uneventful trip. B-11 

Rattlesden Christmas Day December 25 Saturday 
About 9 o’clock some of the fellows came in and said there was a swell breakfast served, I got out of bed about 10, got cleaned up in time for lunch. We were expecting turkey and got beef stew. Played cards all afternoon after a 10 minute meeting, of all the crews in the briefing room. There was a swell turkey dinner for the evening meal. It is pretty definite that we won't fly tomorrow as it ‘s 711 Squadron's turn to make a mission. Tonight the time is passing very slow, just because of homesickness and inactivity. I have £22 I'll send home as soon as I get paid for this month and flying pay for last month. Just before we took off yesterday for that mission nobody was around to help us do their work: we had to work a lot longer than we should have. When we came down everybody wanted to know everything about our trip + were dying to help us. Human nature, I guess. B 10:30 

Rattlesden December 26 Sun 
Got up at 7, went to breakfast and got to briefing at 8:30. I had one class in the morning, from 9-11 the whole crew was out to the ship except T.W.G. practicing dinghy drill, cleaning gun receivers and all odd jobs. Spent most of the afternoon playing cards and reading and writing letters. Got to bed about 11. 

[ same page ] 
1/4/43 Some of the planes of the lower echelon were throwing out some sort of metallic powder to throw off the antiaircraft guns controlled by radar. On every mission every crew member is given gum and chocolate to eat whenever we want to. Upon landing we have sandwiches donuts and coffee before interrogation.

Rattlesden December 27 Mon 
Raked my weary bones out of that comfortable sack at 7, limped painfully (?) down to chow and got to the theater at 8:30 the appointed time for all the yellow squadron combat crews to meet and take roll, making the latest announcements. We were ready to go out and Lt Jarrel says "and the radio operators have an all day schedule they are to meet. Report to Equipment room immediately. " R. Chase and I did, no classes, went out to my ship just in time to see Trobaugh off in it headed for Honnington on a ferrying job. We stopped at Chase’s ship + shot the bull with their crew chief; came back to the line and went to a 10 minute lecture, then chow. T.W.G. drops in barracks + says I am to go to Langford Lodge: I got all packed up then we got bogged down in the mud the trip cancelled, I went to a show and played cards with Fred until 11, Bed 1105 

Rattlesden Langford Lodge December 28 Tues 
Out of bed by 8:10, Fred + I went directly to briefing at the theater for role call, arriving just in time. After the usual daily announcements and all, T.W.G. was told he was going to Langford Lodge as soon as possible, along with the CP, N + RO and another skeleton crew. Maj. Newman and his crew went with us to Bovingdon, a field south of London, then north to Valley, Wales to pick up Lt. Huff’s crew who just came in from the States. Huff had left about an hour ahead of us for Rattlesden. We took off very soon headed for Langford Lodge. Landed about 4, got cleaned up; took the 6 o’clock train for Belfast, got to talking to an old Irishman who worked on the base. The train was old + a door on the side of each coach. Went to a show, got a bed at A.R.C. + got to bed by 12 Midnight. 

Langford Lodge-Rattlesden December 29 Wednesday 
Woke up this morning at 845, got up, dressed and got down to the bus station by 9. Took the bus out + got there at 10. Waited at operations until noon, went to the mess hall, ate + met T.W.G. as I was coming out. We took off at 1, I was in the engineer’s position for the first time. It was really thrilling, the way T.W.G. and Mamlock worked together, checking all the instruments and controls, got the ship lined up with the runway and opened up to take off. The runway that we took off on ended 'about 100 ft. from the lake in Northern Ireland. At 200 ft over the lake T.W.G. banked the ship around at 60 degrees, got on course + headed for home. I listened to music over the liaison receiver all the way back, landed about 4. Played cards a while after getting something to eat in the A.R.C. Jimmy Boyd has had a few beers + feels good + got in an argument with R.J. Small. 
Bed at 11:30 

Rattlesden December 30 Thurs. 
Got up at 715 this morning. Ate and got to the theater by 8.30 for roll call. As we were going to the theater, the ships from our group were gathering over the field headed for some target on the Ruhr river area in Germany. After role call the E.M.'s were excused, came back to the barracks and played cards till the 1st class, 10-11 o’clock. Most of the afternoon the crew was out in the ship working on the gun receivers, getting them clean + cleaning up the ship. At 5 the fellows started coming in. Two of the ships came in with number 3 engines feathered. All were accounted for, with a couple crew members wounded by flak. They encountered no fighter opposition, just flak. Fred + I went around to some of the ships + looked for flak holes: we found some too. After chow I wrote letters + hit the hay at 8:45 
3rd raid of Group 
Rattlesden December 31 Friday 
Lt. Jarrel came in and woke all of us up at 2:30 for a mission. We ate at 3, briefing at 4. After getting all our crap we went out to #217, a 710 ship. Our crew was an extra crew to take the place of any ship unable to take off. Takeoff was scheduled for 7:30, we stayed in the ship until 8. All the guns were dirty, no crew chief or armorers were out there, until the last minute. Things were really a mess. At 8 am we came back to the barracks + slept until 11; got paid and ate. Terry came in and took our names at 1245 for not being at a meeting in the street. Later a luey came in when we were in bed + told us to go down to armament because Maj. Lund + Capt. Foley were going to check all barracks. We went down to armament + slept for a while + played poker until 430 when we went out to the runway + watched the planes come home from the mission. They bombed a bomber + pursuit training school in Cognac, France. "Hi Jinx" was flown by Lt. Rozmus + crew with quite a few flak holes. Both fighters + flak. 1 ship lost. B 9:30

Saturday January 1 New Years Day 
This morning I didn't get up unti1 9:45. Didn't do anything after lunch when we came back to the barracks and cleaned it up a bit. Briefing at 2, one crew got a 2 day pass to go to London. Mac, M.D. Fred + I went out to "Hi Jinx" to see if they had started to patch her up. They had fixed oxygen leak + interphone cables that had been cut by a piece of flak. Turkey for dinner tonight to start new year off right. After chow went to show "San Francisco" with M.D. + Fred, This last raid that the fellows went on was pretty bad; but for some reason, I'm not worried a bit about the next, the sooner the better because after 25 we can go home. Lt. McGurer told me this afternoon that we were on the alert for a mission. Since then I've heard rumors to the contrary. If they wake us up at 2:30 AM we’ll know. B 10 

Rattlesden Sunday January 2 
Got up at 7:15 to eat chow and get to the theater for briefing which lately have turned out to be roll calls. I had a class on the camera operation at 11. It lasted 15 min. At least 3 ships in each group have cameras which start taking pictures when the first bomb that is attached to the camera switch with a string drops out. It continues for 10 minutes to get the resu1ts of the raid. It is very successful. After the missions we can see the pictures we take in the crew library. We didn't do much all afternoon except read and play cards. I heard from a good source that on the last mission one of the top turret gunners was hit on the head with a 20 m. shell. This fellow had his crash helmet on. The total results was a dented helmet and a headache. B-8 

Rattlesden January 3 Monday 
Fred and I jumped out of bed at 8: 10, got dressed, walked a half mile to the mess hall, ate a breakfast of a sort and got to the theater for roll call at 8:33. A Record? Crews 2, 3 + 4 got 2 day passes to places off the base + not to London. The 1st sergeant received orders to have the passes made out by 9, but when the fellows showed up he said: "He didn't think it was important." These fellows were mad + didn't get off until 1:30. Maj. Lund was mad at the 1st sergeant who did the same thing with our furloughs in Harvard. He, the 1st sarge, is going to get injured during some blackout but he won't get a purple heart for bruises. Played cribbage + 500 all afternoon, went to "China Girl" after supper with Fred, came back to barracks to find we are alerted for tomorrow. The weather is clearing up so we'll probably go. B-8:30 

Rattlesden January 4 Tuesday 
Lt. Dalzell woke us up at 3, ate at 3:30, briefing at 4. We gunners were told we were to bomb Kiel. We got out to the ship #207 by 5 AM and had enough time for once to get dressed in electric suit, shoes, gloves, and put the guns in. Take off at 8, leaving English coast at 10, I.P. 11:30 and bombs away at noon. We met no fighters, saw a few FW 190's + ME 109's that stayed way out of range. It was a good thing as the tail guns didn't work and the ball turret's oxygen supply had a severe leak so Harris couldn't stay in it. There was quite a bit of accurate flak. We bombed thro a partial overcast at 24000 ft. It was -52 degrees C outside. A lot of fellows suffered minor frostbite about their necks when they got down. Landed at 1500, ate donuts coffee + sandwiches served by Red Cross at the briefing room; ate supper, cleaned guns and bed about 9:30. 

Rattlesden January 5 Wednesday 1944 
The C.Q. came in and woke up crew 7, Sma1l, Hess, Zesuit, Boyd, Hill and Bently at 12 midnight for a mission. We didn't get up until 7:30, briefing at 8:30. I went to school most of the morning. Our crew cleaned guns after lunch for an hour or so. All of us were pretty tired from the raid yesterday and have taken naps whenever possible. The men got back from their mission at 4. They bombed a FW assembly plant in Bordeaux, France, meeting some fighters. Small and Zesuit got a FW 190 between them. 2 other 190s were brought down. Zulo's crew got in trouble+ headed back for land as they were over water. As Crew #5 we are expecting a 2 day pass soon. Hi Jinx is getting patched up pretty fast, she'll be ready to go when we get to go. B. 9:30

Rattlesden January 6 1944 
Got up at 730 this morning, in the dark. There is no electric power on the field. Roll call at 8:30 as usual in the theater. Another crew got a 2 day pass. They seem to be forgetting crew #5 wants passes too. Went to radio school from 9 to 11:20. Lt. T.W.G. hurt his ankle when he was on a little ferrying job at Honnington yesterday. He went on sick call this morning with a sprained ankle. Lt. Mamlock was out hunting a 1st pilot in case we have to go on a mission tomorrow or in the near future. In the mess halls for breakfast and supper light was provided by candles that were swiped as soon as we were thro eating to light the barracks. The mess officer was yelling + objecting; according to Lt. Dalzell. I guess he wanted his candles. I’m going to bed early because there's nothing to do. "Hi Jinx” should ready to fly tomorrow afternoon. B-8:30

Rattlesden January 7 Friday 
Got up at 8: 15, the C.Q. was late waking us up. Consequently we took our own darn time eating breakfast; walking into the theater 15 minutes late. A lot of fellows came in after our crew came in so Jarrel couldn't start the role call until about 9 o’clock. I was told to be at the equipment room at 11:30 to fly as radio op on Lagasse's crew on a practice mission to check the lead ships as they do every day. We got back down just before the fellows returning from their mission. No planes were lost, fighter protection all the way in and out. They bombed some city in the interior of Germany. After chow Harris, Mac and I went to the show, after which a G.I. magician gave a pretty good show. Came back to the barracks to find out I take a mission tomorrow with some other crew. Today is the first time I've ever flown with another crew. B 9:30 

Rattlesden January 8 Sat. 
The C.Q. came in at 5:45 to wake us up for the inspection by the Colonel at 9. We got things real clean as only crew #5 is in this Barracks now, Small and crew 7 are in London now. It turned out that the lieutenant making the inspection commended the barracks on our cleanliness or something, I went to code class an hour this morning, spent the afternoon playing poker. Time seems to go very slow during periods of inactivity. Lately we’ve been playing cribbage, rummy, 500, and poker to pass the time away. Went to the show "Behind the Rising Sun" with Dill, came back + played some more poker until 10. We are not alerted for a raid and will get to sleep until 7:30 tomorrow. Hi Jinx is ready to go now. I didn’t make that mission that was scheduled for today because of the bad weather. B 11