Warbird Information Exchange

B-17Gs of the 381st BG 1945

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Don't touch my junk!!

Thanks for putting those up, Jack.

A few years ago we met a wonderful aviator from western Kansas named Robert Armstrong. He was flying one of the Forts in that series of color photos, I don't remember which. Bob wrote an excellent book, Friendly And Enemy Skies that contains a good bit of his wartime diary and his flying experiences before and after his combat time in England. He remembered flying several of the ships in that formation at one time or another as the 381st didn't assign aircraft permanently to a single crew. Reading his diary notations gives you a good idea of how an airman spent his spare time between missions.

Scott

My friend Jack Burke was a ball turret gunner in the 381st.
http://evanflys.com/jack_burke

Evan

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http://evanflys.com

An excellent account, Evan. I especially liked the photos Mr. Burke took while in the ball. If you're able ask him if he ever flew combat in Mizpah.

Scott

The B-17 is my favorite plane hands down. There is just something about it.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Scott, You met a great individual. I don't know if he is still alive but he lived in Hutchinson Kansas and he was at the Cosmosphere Museum in Hutchinson quite a bit of the time. The cosmosphere museum sold copies of his book "Friendly and Enemy Skies" I have Robert Armstrong's great book infront of me. He mentions flying in 994 "Little Guy" 7 missions, 675" No Name" 2 missions, 112 "Ssleepy Time Gal" 2 missions.

337675 was the B-17 on the 32 cent US postage stamp
Phillip