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as
related to Bob DeLay
TRAINING
FOR THE AAF We went to Hondo which was about 40 miles west of San
Antonio for navigation training. There was lots of Ground School, lots
of math, and lots of good charts. The instructors were good. Working
with AT7s, a twin-engined airplane, carrying four students and two
pilots. We flew four hour missions, practicing dead reconing, pilot age,
and celestial navigation.
I
thoroughly enjoyed the celestial. I soon proved to be better than the
average student. One of our last missions was the first time that we
had to fly in bad weather. It was one of the worst rides I ever had.
Each student had a periodic compass. Everyone of the students got so
sick that they were vomiting in the compass cover. It was awful.
Returning
the instructor asked us for our work and starts down the line.
Everyone replied that they were too sick to finish except me. I was
the only one to graduate and the other guys were washed out of the
navigation school. Once again the discipline of Mac's Scout days
prevailed.
Off
we went to Muroc (now called Edwards Air Force Base). We received
heavy training for bombing and navigation.
After
Muroc we headed to Hamilton field. This time it was Replacement
Training Unit flying B-24's. Four people were formed up into units
comprising of a Pilot, Copilot, Bombardier and Navigator.
Now
flying became fun and we felt that we were in the "Big
Time". Each plane had a crew of 10. This was in May. One day
while about a hundred of us headed out to the tarmac. chatting and
enjoying the days upcoming mission, a guard unit started to yell
"Halt!". Most of the guys weren't paying attention until
they leveled their guns and then things got tense. We quickly
identified ourselves and all ended well. That sobered us up! Soon we
were in our planes and headed to Hawaii. We overnighted in Hawaii and
then flew on to Canton Island.
Our
next stop was Guadalcanal, and Henderson Field. We got a rude
awakening when we got there. We arrived not too long after the Battle
of Guadalcanal in late May. There was an awful smell everywhere we
went. I soon realized that the bulldozers that were leveling the new
runways were also hurriedly burying the enemy in the process. No time
for niceties. I saw some arms, legs and bones protruding from the
earth. You never get use to that.
At
that time we made modifications to the planes. The navigator was down
in the nose with the Bombardier. Obviously you couldn't shoot the
horizon behind you with your sexton. Navigation was critical in the
vast expanse of the Pacific so the navigator was moved behind the
pilot . Volunteers were called for to ride in a C-47 and that meant
you'd learn to be a copilot. I volunteered So I spent the last of that
training with a one -on-one training with a pilot who had flown
fifty-three missions in B-24's. We were flying through the Solomon
Islands, Admiralty Island and to the Manus Island. After this training
we headed to the Admiralty Islands where living conditions were much
better, except for the stench of the filled runways again. I flew my
first missions as an extra person on other crews. Finally I returned
to my crew and we started our typical11 hour missions. During which we
would "Throw a lot of lead".
Working
our way up through the islands we eventually came within striking
range of the Philippines. The squadron was flying everyday. Typically
the 24 ship formation was four blocks of six airplanes in
"V" formation. You may fly two or three missions without
losing anybody and then lose three or four. Nothing compared to the
slaughter that was going on in Europe. It was combat and the tension
was felt by all.
-continued
next month
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