Veterans Day 2018

[Baz]

Much gratitude to the many who served.....we love you!


Mom and Dad.....WWII and Korea

[Baz]

Today is also Remembrance Day for many countries including our good neighbors to the North...

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by Baz

Today is also Remembrance Day for many countries including our good neighbors to the North...

Thanks Baz,

Here is what one of your compatriot did for some of our vets a few weeks ago; https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/features/regional-contact/regional-contact-archive

[Arizona_928]

Armistice day

[pwd72s]

[pwd72s]

He often flew to Germany and back to England. Luckily, never landed.

A short history of one of his flights:

USAAF B-17 Crash nr Manston. 12th September 1944.










USAAF B-17 Crash nr Manston. 12th September 1944.

« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2017, 23:15:28 »



Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-38093. 367th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, US Army Air Force, based at Thurleigh Bedfordshire.
Pilot Lt Gordon L Donkin.

On the 12th September 1944 the 306th BG took part in a raid on the Ruhland oil refineries south of Berlin, part of a concentrated effort by the USAAF to destroy German fuel supplies.
367th BS sent nine aircraft, with Lt Donkin's 42-38093 as the lead aircraft of the lower group. North of Berlin the group came under heavy flak and fighter attack, 367 squadron losing four aircraft to fighters and 42-38093 badly shot up. In 42-38093 the tail gunner was killed, the radio operator and top turret gunner wounded and one of the engines shot up. The aircraft continued to the target and on the return flight came under renewed fighter attack with another engine and the intercom put out of action.

Escorted part of the way by P-51 Mustangs 42-38093, now with just a single engine, crossed the English Channel rapidly loosing height. As soon as the English coast was crossed Donkin ordered the crew to bail out but only four had time to do so. On the final approach to Manston the last engine quit and the aircraft crash landed on a smooth area, crossed a ditch and knocked down a search light tower before coming to a halt, then catching fire, the bombardier being killed in the crash.

The crew.

Lt Gordon L Donkin: pilot. Injured in crash.
Captain Donald C MacDonald: Co-pilot. Injured in crash.
2nd Lt Gerald A Weiler: Navigator. Injured in crash.
Technical Sgt Clarence B Tuers: Flight engineer/top turret gunner. Wounded in action.
T Sgt Willard M Colvin: Radio operator. Wia.
Staff Sgt Norman Morrow: Ball turret gunner. Injured in jump.
Sgt Lawrence G Joslin: Waist gunner.
Capt Arthur S Hostettler: Bombardier. Killed in crash.
S Sgt Jack B Eppler: Tail gunner. Killed in action.



http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=19856.0

[Baz]

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

Thanks Baz,

Here is what one of your compatriot did for some of our vets a few weeks ago; https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/features/regional-contact/regional-contact-archive

Wonderful story, JJ......thanks so much for sharing!

[Baz]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

He often flew to Germany and back to England. Luckily, never landed.

A short history of one of his flights:

USAAF B-17 Crash nr Manston. 12th September 1944.

USAAF B-17 Crash nr Manston. 12th September 1944.

« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2017, 23:15:28 »

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-38093. 367th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, US Army Air Force, based at Thurleigh Bedfordshire.
Pilot Lt Gordon L Donkin.

On the 12th September 1944 the 306th BG took part in a raid on the Ruhland oil refineries south of Berlin, part of a concentrated effort by the USAAF to destroy German fuel supplies.
367th BS sent nine aircraft, with Lt Donkin's 42-38093 as the lead aircraft of the lower group. North of Berlin the group came under heavy flak and fighter attack, 367 squadron losing four aircraft to fighters and 42-38093 badly shot up. In 42-38093 the tail gunner was killed, the radio operator and top turret gunner wounded and one of the engines shot up. The aircraft continued to the target and on the return flight came under renewed fighter attack with another engine and the intercom put out of action.

Escorted part of the way by P-51 Mustangs 42-38093, now with just a single engine, crossed the English Channel rapidly loosing height. As soon as the English coast was crossed Donkin ordered the crew to bail out but only four had time to do so. On the final approach to Manston the last engine quit and the aircraft crash landed on a smooth area, crossed a ditch and knocked down a search light tower before coming to a halt, then catching fire, the bombardier being killed in the crash.

The crew.

Lt Gordon L Donkin: pilot. Injured in crash.
Captain Donald C MacDonald: Co-pilot. Injured in crash.
2nd Lt Gerald A Weiler: Navigator. Injured in crash.
Technical Sgt Clarence B Tuers: Flight engineer/top turret gunner. Wounded in action.
T Sgt Willard M Colvin: Radio operator. Wia.
Staff Sgt Norman Morrow: Ball turret gunner. Injured in jump.
Sgt Lawrence G Joslin: Waist gunner.
Capt Arthur S Hostettler: Bombardier. Killed in crash.
S Sgt Jack B Eppler: Tail gunner. Killed in action.

USAAF B-17 Crash nr Manston. 12th September 1944.

Thanks for sharing, Paul. Much respect to your Uncle and his crew.

If you get a chance to see it, Nova had a program on the other night entitled "Last B-24" that was quite compelling.

[pwd72s]

Uncle Gordon never talked about the war...this account was recently sent to me by his youngest daughter...she'd never heard of it before. Gordon died while undergoing heart surgery back in the late 70's. Only time I ever heard my dad cry was when he called me to tell of Gordon's death.

The horrors bomber crews must have seen as well as the horrors experienced by those below them. I can't really imagine.

Even this brief account...his plane left in a group of 9 from his squadron. Only 5 made it back to England, including his...

Yes, we owe a debt to all who served...in all wars.

[Baz]

[Baz]

[Fly Mach .86]

Elliot Cannon SSGT USAF Inflight Refueling Systems Technician. 1966-1970
Proud to serve.

[Fly Mach .86]

My Fathers B-24 group was training to bomb Tokyo in 1942 not long after Pearl Harbor. Dad was a top turret gunner/flight engineer. By the time they finished their training, the Chinese airstrips they were to take off from had been over-run by the Japanese so they were sent to North Africa. The Italian fleet was on its way to Malta to attack the Brits there. After Dad's mission bombed the fleet successfully, the Italians were forced to turn back to Italy. Dad was awarded the Silver Star for that mission. Unfortunately, my Fathers plane was shot down and he was the only survivor. He swam in the Mediterranean Sea for 3 1/2 hours and was picked up by an Italian freighter, the crew of which was not happy with my Father to say the least. He was turned over to the Germans and spent the next 34 months as a POW in Austria and Germany. My Father served in the 376th Bomb Group. Ironically, I also served with the 376th Strategic Wing on Okinawa in 1969/70. My Father and I wore the same patch. My Father is the one on the bottom left of the picture.

[Racerbvd]

My Grandfather, can't find my father's pictures from W.W.II

[pwd72s]

The photos say a lot...so young as warriors. For the most part, barely out of their teens...

[tabs]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Uncle Gordon never talked about the war...this account was recently sent to me by his youngest daughter...she'd never heard of it before. Gordon died while undergoing heart surgery back in the late 70's. Only time I ever heard my dad cry was when he called me to tell of Gordon's death.

The horrors bomber crews must have seen as well as the horrors experienced by those below them. I can't really imagine.

Even this brief account...his plane left in a group of 9 from his squadron. Only 5 made it back to England, including his...

Yes, we owe a debt to all who served...in all wars.

I had a friend who flew 10 missions in a B24 over Germany. On the 10th his tail gunner was killed... I surmise it was a very gruesome sight...He never talked about it ever, after that he was reassigned to training pilots in S CA.

Another friend flew P51's out of England in the same group as Yeager, he said several things one was that in a heavy fog he refused to take off, all that did never came back. another was that one day over France he saw the engine fall off of a P51 where the pilot was killed and that he always flew as a wingman because he knew he would stick with the lead pilot but never trusted anyone to stick with him as a lead pilot. The other thing was that he said he always wound up stealing Yeagers GF's.

My Dad's First Cozin was in the same PT Boat squadron in the Solomon Islands as JFK...He knew him quite well playing poker together and living in the same Quonset hut. He said JFK never talked about women he had been with while all the other guys did. He also said JFK was quite an individual as he had written a best selling book before the war. JFK later helped save his job in Detroit as the House of UnAmerican Activities started to investigate him for his very socially conscience views.

[sc_rufctr]

"Lest we forget".

Adelaide Cemetery
Rue d'Amiens, 80380 Villers-Bretonneux, France

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Why didn't the president go to Arlington? Was there any ceremony at all?

[tcar]

Originally Posted by tabs

....He also said JFK.... had written a best selling book before the war... .

What book was that? Would like to read it.

I've only heard of the book he wrote in '45, right at the end of the war... well after his PT Boat days.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Why didn't the president go to Arlington? Was there any ceremony at all?

which president? JFK? he's buried in Arlington
There was a burial ceremony
and a low key reburial without ceremony when he moved to his final burial spot