BOMBARDEMNT GROUP (H) NARRATIVE
February used to the month
back home when bills cam knocking at our doors a little earlier, this month
being the shortest of the year. Overseas it simply means that we sign the
payroll or pay voucher before we have had time to gamble, squander, or
otherwise dispose of our last lira. With the weather warming up a bit during
this month, Spring will soon be here unless this changeable wind blows from the
alpine regions, in which case we shall continue wearing long handles and
burning a wee bit more fuel to keep our cases, tents, or barracks warm until
the snows melt up north.
A soldier said the other
day: "I don't mind being told that I stink, but when I can smell my own self,
then I think it's time to take a bath." There need not be such a soldier in the
450th at all, for Capt. Hessen has secured a portable 32-man shower
unit with a 1000 gallon tank which is now being installed by S-4. When this
unit is ready to serve enlisted men and officers, they should all be able to
perform their ablutions before they reach the intolerable stage.
And speaking of buildings,
the S-4 department did not do so bad. First they were in the lean-to back of
the hangar, then they went to a rambling building where the Wing once held
fort, and then someone chased them into a narrow quarters that looked like an
overgrown sausage. Tired of being kicked around, they decided to build in the
elite neighborhood where all prosperous departments have homesteaded. Captain
Robinson supervised the building and saw to it the Engineering, Inspection,
Gunnery, Safety Equipment, Supply, and Statistics had a comfortable room or
cubicle wherein to carry on.
Another Group building of no
small proportions was the new hospital on the base, completed during February.
First it was to be tents, then lumber, but it ended up as a tuffi, two wing
affair with private offices for the Squadron medics, supply rooms, officers'
ward, EM ward, indoor bathrooms with hot and cold running water, and every convenience
that could be made. Communications put in a speaker that keeps the patients
informed of the news, and Special Services supplied all sorts of reading
material, games, and a late showing of the day's film. Very cozy for a bunch of
men who are supposed to be hospitalized.
OPERATIONS BUILDING FOR
Squadron also got the building fever, a fever which may well be undulant or
recurrent, for the 450th suffers from it constantly. This bunch is
the buildingest outfit in the Air Force. They say that when two Italians get
together the embark upon an argument throwing the arms wildly about, but when
two members of the 450th get together and gesticulate they are
talking about the dimension of some building they have decided to put up.
Anyhow, the Operations
officer of the 720th engaged Major Stevens in conversation and
before they parted they had plans for a new operations building which was
finished and occupied in February. So much building has taken place around camp
that Italian quarries have spring up everywhere trying to supply the Americans
with their tuffi stone blocks.
A NEW FLAG POLE
No Headquarters looks like a
Headquarters unless it has a good size flag pole in front to set it off. First
they put up a 35ft. pole, but it did not suit the Colonel, so Capt Hessen was
asked to bring down a mast from a cruiser in Taranto if necessary. Now our
garrison flag floats proudly and we stand retreat as it come down 1700 daily to
the "canned" notes of the National Anthem.
BOTTOMS-UP WILL SOON BE
"Bottoms Up" the veteran of
100 missions isn't through yet. Right now she is undergoing a complete overhaul
after which she is expected to fly over the Axis and continue the same good
record it now has. Crew Chief Witherspoon was taken the old ship apart and
claims he can make her airworthy again.
INSPECTION IS COMING
We used to laugh at the
"Eyeties" for their inveterate use of whitewash on every house interior and
wall. Calce the natives call it. But it's their turn to laugh at us.
Every inspection calls for no less than 75 tons of the slimy stuff and it is
daubed on any protruding board, tin, or wall until it is snow white. During the
end of February one had to keep on the move, for orders were out that anything
stationary would be white-washed. The fellow who stopped to look at a formation
in the sky felt a brush stroke graze him, and before he could turn around he
had a white streak from head to toe. "Scusa, please," said the astonished
"Eyetie" as he picked up his bucket full of calce and proceeded to the
next wall. Anyhow, the 450th won the last Wing inspection with their
paint, white-wash, spit and polish and they intended to do no less on March 3
when the big boys come around to look.
"MOLTO BUONO" IS MOLTO
On March 1, 1944 a very cleaver
mimeographed four page paper was published by the 723rd Squadron
under the direction of Capt. Luke Quinn, "Molto Buono" was the name. By the end
of the month it assumed the role of a Group news-weekly and it was printed at
the orphanage in Oria. It was an unpretentious little paper, but it had the
usual 450th growing germ.
The combined efforts of
Special Services and poop from the Public Relations office kept the paper alive
until it grew to its full size. But it was definitely a chore. The type was hand-set
in Oria by a bunch of teen year olds whose knowledge of English did not go
beyond "Allo, Joe, Gomma?" "W, J, H and Y" were letters that gathered dust on
the shelf, and when they came down to be used in setting up an American paper
they were just as likely as not upside down. The boys tried their best, but
their errors were numerous. Then too there were festas about every other week,
and the electric power was only available on certain days of the week. Finally
the paper was given to the I & E Officer, but he was short-handed so one
day the Colonel asked Public Relations to do the Honors. During February 1945
this department assumed responsibility for writing, setting up, and publishing
the Group newspaper. They expect to unload it on the Mess Office next.
DOGS MUST GO
A dog's life in our camp
meant the life of Riley, or at least it did until the rabies menace decreed
that those canines which had not been inoculated the year previous would have
to leave. No vaccine was available so there was no way out. "Nero" the big
black hound who hounded the "Eyeties" on the base was loaded on the truck along
with a host of squealing, howling pooches of all descriptions. Now the dog
owners are Sad Sacks with out their pets.
FIREMEN SAVE MY PANTS!
It was a nice morning, one
of those Spring mornings when it is nice to sleep late. The "Quinn-Hessen
chateau" was quiet as the truck backed up and started to fill the gas tank back
of the house. Suddenly, flames burst out and enveloped the tank, the truck and
the driver. A fire call went out and the truck driver was hauled to the
hospital to have his burns dressed. Meanwhile, the occupants of the house came
running out with as much of their personal effects as they could carry. Fires
on the base were now new thing, but it was new to these officers. Water poured
through windows and doors as the firemen tried to keep the entire gilding from
going up in flames. Pajama-clad Quinn looked quizzically at the impending
catastrophe, saved by the speed of the firemen and declared that hereafter he
would sleep fully clad.
"THIS IS THE GENERAL
Capt. Hunt, the Group
dentist, was in no mood to play. He had been grinding away at molars and
filling cavities all day. The phone rang and the voice informed him that
General Rush was speaking. A joke is a joke, but a busy Doc has work to do so
he answered the prankster with: "Oh, blow it!"
The voice insisted on
speaking to the Surgeon, whereupon Dock Hunt decided to listen to the voice.
When all apologies were personally made, and accepted, Doc Hunt complained:
"How was I to know it wasn't some of these guys who are always calling
LEISURE IN CAMP
Some men go to the dogs in
their leisure time, but Lt. Maurer of the 722nd Squadron goes to his
crayons and starts doing portraits. His favorite subject is his pretty wife,
and wives of his fellow officers and enlisted men. Now and then he reproduces a
curvaceous pin-up with a couple of alterations. When the Colonel found out the
young artist's talent he pressed him into painting insignias in Headquarters.
Doc Throp also asked for appropriate insignia for his hospital and got it. The
lieutenant is quite busy now-a-days with his crayons.
Transportation being what it
is in the army, despite the fact that it is winning the war, some men try to
figure out a way to get around without having to walk. Even jeeps shy off the
road when they see some of these creations coming down the ramp. Pfc. Sam
Schpok of the 723rd devised a "whoosa-whazzit", a cross between a
put-put, and "Eyetie" motorcycle, and the back end of a Fiat going south. This
deep sea monster haunts the field back and forth to the line, and even the Libs
dare not cross its path. "Anyway", says Schpok, "it's transportation."
The Wing promised a five-day
trip to Rome to any officer or enlisted man who won the public speaking contest
sponsored by them. The subject: "What to do with war criminals." We all love Manduria, but a trip to the
capital is a trip to Rome, so several men went out to show their wares. Sgt.
Nocolosi of the 722nd Squadron had the most to show and enough to
place him on the list of contenders for the Wing play-off. Sgt. Metchik of the
723rd showed but did not place. When the Wing contest was over, the
722nd Sergeant was still on top of the 47th Wing.
The first thing an Italian
civilian wants in these parts is a cigarette. If he manages to wangle a fag he
immediately informs his benefactor that he has been in America or that he has a
cousin, sister, or grandfather in the States. If all the relations claimed were
in the States, there would be no Italians left in Italy. Many Italian-American
soldiers run across some of their kin when they come to Italy. Sgt. Alleruzo of
the 723rd not only looked up his family in Sicily but he laid claim
to a bit of property that he had coming to him, and what's more he made his
Sgt. Salvatore Ferrante of
the 723rd also visited Sicily where he paid a social call to some of
his near of kin. The visit was returned when a dozen of his relatives showed up
at the Albegro Manduria and asked him to a big feed. He invited several of his
buddies and off they went to a big spaghetti dinner such as Momma used to make
back in New York City. Now all soldiers of Italian descent are writing home to
enquire about any parenti in the vicinity. They too would like to have a
home-cooked meal of spaghetti.
The boys from the Mexican
border, who also declared war on Hitler, decided it was high time they showed
Americans and Italians how to stage a party, so they took over the Town Hall in
Manduria for the occasion. With lariats dangling, guns totin' and boot heels
clicking the Texans got together and held a round-up party where they ate, sang
and drank toasts to their former haunts in the sagebrush. Twangling guitars and
jingling spurs were music to their ears. Some guy from Brooklyn got in by
mistake and they almost "moidered de bum."
MEN WACKY ABOUT WACS
1st Sgt. Cherry
of the 721st Sq., aided by a committee of six, decided to have a bit
of style for their party, particularly since they would have ladies present.
Theirs was no brawl, feed or round-up. The 721st held a
Buffet-Supper-Dance at the Municipal hall in Manduria where they all munched
delicately to the strains of a salon ensemble. "Shet yer goddam trap!" said on
of the "Boys" aincha got no manners?"
A company of Dziewczenta
Polskie was escorted to the dance and for four hours the Squadron enlisted
personnel dined, wined, and danced. The gallant men wanted to walk their ladies
home, but they had come from a sixty mile distant camp, and walking would have
been too strenuous.
An Italian Colonel showed up
at camp during February to inspect the building which had been turned over or
constructed for the base. Thirteen months after the 450th had
occupied the lean-to the hangar, the signor Collonnello decided that the
roof was very badly built by the Italian engineers. He upbraided the contractor
and said that nothing was too good for the Americani. We had gotten so
used to the building, defects and all, that we hated to see it torn up, so Connonnello
Lewis was thanked for his solicitude.
Lewis did not sound Italian,
but he claimed that name and added that he was related to the Lewis of Lewisite
gas. You can never tell about gas.
STARS FEEL ON THE 450TH
Rumors prevailed that
General Doolittle would visit the base, so the usual army spit and polish was
applied to everything in sight. There were a least a half dozen photographers
ready to take pictures of all the dignitaries that would come in the entourage.
Last minute plans prevented the General from visiting the 450th, but there was
a shower of stars when the C-47'ws and the B-17's arrived, and we don't mean
Hollywood stars either. Lt. Gen. Eaker from MAAF, Lt. Gen. Spaatz, Major Gen.
Twinning of the XV AFF, B. Gen. Boren and B., Gen. Rush made up the
constellation of visitors. Photo amateurs and camera addicts were on hand in
addition to the official Public Relations photographers. The Generals were very
observant of military punctilio in catching the salutes that eager officers and
men gave them, and they returned them with equal gusto. Some Pfc. was heard to
remark: "Dem big wheels is easy to talk to!" After typing out and reading so
many directives and correspondence signed "By command of…" the men wanted to
know just what these commanders looked like.
You wouldn't associate
bombing with ping pong, but even Majors and higher get all hepped up about a
point in ping pong as they do over bombs on the target. Of course, over the
target it's bombs, but when the little pill is in the air and about to make a
landing on the southeast corner of the table, then it's do or lose another
point. Basketball too is a popular sport. Upwards of twenty teams participated
in February in intra-group tourneys with the 720th Combat officers
winning top honors. With such tall timber as Capt. Daniels of S-4, Capt'
Jackson, and Group Adm. Inspector, Sgt. Cunningham of Special Services and Lt.
Wm. Courtney of the 720th, the Group made a bid for distinction.
When they went after the Wing pennant they were caught at one of their worst
moment, succumbing to the 449th with the close score of 35-32.
Men who live in the 723rd
area and work beyond HQrs do their daily dozen by walking back and forth to
chow. And when the men are eager to get in line before the other fellow gests
there, they must do a 440 run in record time. Some of them are hungry by the
time they get back to duty. The mess Sgt. is thinking of issuing K rations to
USO shows played once to the
450th in February. There was the singer of sentimental songs that
made the men remember. The marionette manipulator was more than an amateur and
the audience reminded him of it with their applause. They kept yelling for more
and more, but the only thing the marionette did not do is fly a Lib. The clay
molder was no mud slinger, even if he did caricature a few members of the
audience. With a deft hand and a pretty girl to "help" him to keep up the
interest he drew many a belly laugh. Then there was the pretty little miss who
coyly sat and stood and tapped and danced and mostly showed a wicked leg. Now
there was a gal who used her personality to win friends and influence GI's. She
called her number: "Invitation to the dance" but the audience never went beyond
the first word.
GIRL ORCHESTRA IN LECCE
Sgt. Shain was in the fourth
balcony in the Apollo theatre in Lecce when the director of the girl orchestra
asked for volunteers to lead the band. Before he could get through talking
Shain was stretching out a hand for the baton. He was eager for music. Said he:
"Think I'd miss a chance to be next to dem babes?" The orchestra was good, but
the lady from Louisiana was brutal – the way she sang those moon in your eyes
songs, languorously, softly, purringly, persuasively, and all with her
beautiful hair caressing those lovely shoulders. Even Major Engstrom and other
gentlemen had to restrain themselves, but their eyes spoke volumes!
THIS AND THAT
Letters are regularly coming
in from our "Alumni" back in the States. At first they are glad to be back on
home soil, but there is something about American complacency and American black
market that galls them. Soldiers and civilians have grown far apart. There is
so much mail order house business at home that they are trying to run the war
in the same way, according to returnees.
GROUP CITATION RETURNS
Some of the home papers are
running stories about Private Joe Doakes who "won the Distinguished Unit
Citation for flying 200 missions over enemy territory." And when Private Doakes happens to be a
clerk in the orderly room his is really on the spot. The home town expects him
to be another Sgt. York. The original release read: "who is a member of a group
that has flown 200 missions."
FIGHT AND VINO
Last year we admired the
large fresh figs grown in Italy and ate them avidly. This year we saw them
being grown and harvested so no one cares a fig about a fig. They grow on trees
where the passing trucks cover them with dust from the road and they are
harvested and handled…nuff said. Vino, the kind that used to warm the soldier's
innards on cold nights, was drunk until we saw it made. Now it's niento
The orange of North Africa
is hard to beat, but some of these Sicilian oranges are a bloody log, as the
Limeys would say. One look at the blood streaked pulp and you are driven to
drinking canned grapefruit juice! The California navel orange is not popular
here, but even so, fresh fruit is fruit and we have enjoyed it during February.
The Intelligence reports
announced: "One plane went down and two are missing." When the plane is beyond
control, the crews hit the silk and quite often we find the boys are back on
the field ready for more, particularly now that we have won so much territory.
It's an experience that few want to repeat, but once they have come through it
they enjoy having had it, hard though it may have been. In February a 720th crew ran into
trouble while bombing Vienna and bailed out. After being picked up by
Hungarians they even enjoyed a dinner with Russian Generals and made their way
back to the base with the usual aid of friendly forces. That is a story that
hundreds of our gang lived to tell.
"PAOLI LOCAL'S" LAST RUN
One of our most publicized
planes form the 723rd Squadron made its last run when its crew had
to abandon it near the field. Flak had disabled her beyond control so she
spiraled when she was already in the traffic pattern. Its original pilot is a
POW in Germany.
"MIGHTY MOUSE IS NO MORE"
Squadron boasted of a Mighty Mouse piloted by Lt. Haines, but a trip to Vienna
disabled the ship beyond control and the crew bailed out over the field. Vienna
will not bring memories of waltzes and rhythmic music to the crews of the 450th.
A trip up there means only accurate, heavy and intense flak from 329 guns.
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
The Distinguished Service
Cross, the highest award ever earned by a member of the 450th was
awarded posthumously to Lt. Lael of the 723rd Squadron. In his
attempt to see every member of his crew safely out, the valiant Lieutenant lost
his life riding his craft to a crash.
Next highest award this
month went to M/Sgt. "Pop" Witherspoon, crew chief of the famed "Bottoms Up"
whose enviable record of over 100 missions earned for "Pop" the Legion of
Merit. The proud sergeant is even more eater now that his efforts and good work
have been so well recognized an rewarded.
Lt. Col. MacWorter becomes
"third row" Man when he added the Silver Star to his bemedalled breast this
month. All in all, the month of February was a good month for awards.
Distinguished Service Cross 1
Legion of Merit 1
Silver Star 2
Oak Leaf Cluster of DFC 2
Bronze Star 3
Soldier's Medal 1
Air Medal 205
OLC to Air Medal 132
Purple Hearts 10
Oak Leaf Cluster to PH 1
The Commanding Officer got
his eagles just as the month was drawing to a close. It was a pleasant surprise
to Col. Jacoby when Col. Kyle, Wing Deputy Commander, reached up to the "Old
Man's" shoulder and replaced his silver leaves with a bright pair of
"chickens." The C.O. of the 722nd also was upped another notch to
Lt. Colonel. It is now Col. Legg, grin and all!
Better weather conditions
enabled the Group to run more missions, 18 in all, mostly against communication
lines and supply centers in the Reich. In view of the Russian advance into
German, many bombings were coordinated directly in support of the Russian army.
The percentage of bombing accuracy was not as high as it might have been,
despite the fact that for the fourth successive time we led the Wing with 48%.
There were a total of 531
sorties for the month, 51 of which were uneffective due to mechanical failures
that caused planes to turn back, or to drop elsewhere than on enemy targets.
Our strength is on the
upgrade with 520 officers and 1988 enlisted men at the beginning of the month
and 539 officers and 2030 enlisted men at the end, making a total respectively
of 2518 on February 1, and 2569 on February 28, a gain of fifty-one in all.
The heavily defended targets in German, particularly Vienna
and Linz took a small toll of crews. Four men were killed and forty-two are
missing in action, while thirteen have been wounded. A total of 59 casualties.