Relatives

[Warhawk]

Ma's uncle, Dick Bishop, was a right gunner on a B-29. His plane was shot down on August 20th 1944 during a raid on the Imperial Iron and Steel Works in Yawata Japan. He spent the rest of the war in P.O.W. camp.

[Jeffrey]

well, as some of you might already know, my father flew in Vultee Vengeances with 12 squadron RAAF during WW2 as a wireless operator/air-gunner and had one mission as a replacement gunner ( according to him a very boring and long mission ) on anti sub patrol in a catalina.

he also had a cute story of trying to get an air sea rescue boat from the marine squadron airborne coming out of a harbour, which from memory ( mine not his as he's no longer with us ) was Darwin or somewhere similarly north or something like that, in rough weather but not so sure that counts.

[Robbie Stuart]

Hi Karen, My father, 1st LT. Charles F. Stuart JR flew P-51s with the 363rd Fighter Group, 381st Fighter Squadron, of the Ninth Air Force in Europe during WW2. He flew 111 combat missions. Upon his return to the USA, he was a P-51 instructor with the Third Air Force in Venice Florida. After his discharge, he went back to the Laundry & Drycleaning business he had worked for before the war. He did go on to use his G.I. bill to get Multi Engine, Commercial, & Instructor ratings, then he quit flying. He passed away 2 years ago, & he told me many times that he wished he had either stayed in or at least kept current with his flying. He was one heck of a man & I miss him!
Regards
Robbie Stuart

[Dak Mechanic]

I'm currently (re)reading Fall of Fortresses by Elmer Bendiner - Rip Rohr features heavily and I was wondering if there was any connection between our very own Colonel and the above - pleased to see that there is!

For anyone who hasn't read the book, I can't recommend it highly enough - superb.

JC
Guess which forum is down again......

[Dak Mechanic]

You'll pay ANYTHING? <mmmmm ebay....>

Seriously though Rob, if I get to meet up with you on your trip over here to the UK, you're more than welcome to borrow it for the duration - it's not a weighty tome and can probably be devoured in a few hours.

Give my regards to the original Col. Rohr - there's still many people in England in awe of his (and the thousands like him) acheivements and sacrifices.

Apparently one of his favorite sports was using other officers' hats as target practice. With a rifle. From the control tower.

JC

[HarvardIV]

My great uncle got kicked off P-38 training. (We think he told too many puns to his Instructor Pilot.), and was put in transports to fly "The Hump". Flew C-54s

My Grandpa flew B-29s, B-25s, A-26s, F-86s, T-33s, T-6s in the U.S.
During the Korean war, he flew night photo recon in B-26s aka A-26s.

Incidently, met a lady at the airport whose dad was KIA in 1945 in a Corsair during the battle of Okinawa. She told me that his squadron mates said he had the "fighting spirit". Also, sopposedly he also had a C.O. on his ship with the nickname of Pappy

My hanger amte is a flight instructor who flew B-17s at the end of the war, and then left the Army.

Chris

[HarvardIV]

Forgot to mention; a friend from church flew F-5's in Europe in WW2. Say's he didn't like the air brakes on them, and hit it by accident too close to the ground once, and nearly crashed.

[Chris Brame]

I forgot to mention that my "unrelated uncle", Sgt. Bernard (Bud) Seglin went back into the USAF during the Korean War as a copilot or crew chief in C-46s in Japan. One of the photos he took showed a Commando that some lieutenant colonel bellied in after he snagged the gear on a breakwater on final approach... Also should send a "well done" to two of my cousins, Philip Cassibry and Roy Cassibry, veterans of the modern USAF - thanks for your service!

(oh yeah-hi to "Tom Post" Vietnam era USS Kitty Hawk disc jockey! )

[Oscar Duck]

My father-in-law was a F/e on B-17's with 815th BS 483rd BG. WIA on 28th April 44 over Italy. His acft "Chief Wahoo" shot down on very next flight near Milan Italy. My father was in RAAF from 40-45...

[BrianB]

My mothers cousin, F/O Charles Welcker, joined the RCAF in '39 (I am still researching his Canadian flying history) and then transitioned to the USAAF in '42. He was killed on a training mission outside Casper Wyoming piloting B-24J 42-99962. I have an extensive accident report that pinpoints the crash site (within a 1/2 mile or so) in an uninhabited area NE of Casper. I have not been able to make a trip up there to look for artifacts. If there are any WIXers in that area, send me a PM and I will forward a copy of the crash report. I also have some photos (poor copies) that will help identify the site.

[Dennis7423]

Hello All-

I finally got the pictures figured out, so here is a smaller photo of my Grandfather's B-17G attached to an artwork I made up to have some custom decals made for a plastic model, and another photo of his second crash. Both time his aircraft recieved battle damage over Germany. If I remember correctly, my Grandfather completed 35 missions. He flew with the 96th BG, 337th BS out of Snetterton Heath.







-Dennis S.
Greeley, CO

[Archie]

My grandfather was a Halifax pilot in Bomber Command during WWII. He was killed on his 26th Op in March 1942 while attacking the German Battleship, Tirpitz, which was moored in a fjord near Trondheim in Norway. The entire crew of 7 men perished. This was one of 6 Halifaxes out of a force of 34 which failed to return. There were no survivors from any of the six lost.

We Will Remember Them.

[Jack Cook]

Found this shot of my cousin Don's VMF-112 Corsair after landing with battle damage on the Bennington after doiwning 2 George Fighters. As I understand it he landed with the Corsair on fire. It was pushed over the side. He was KIA shortly thereafter.