NOVEMBER 1943

1 November – Doctor (Captain) Dunlop of the British Home Guard was host to Major Gaillard and Capt Ralston at a Home Guard simulated warfare demonstration where they actually shot over the heads, had dynamite exploding, had simulated gas and smoke. It was a very realistic demonstration, and the Tommy’s that were observing said that it looked much worse from the observer’s standpoint that from the soldier being indoctrinated. Capt Ralston and myself were quite content to observe.

3 November – For the past ten days there has been very little aerial activity because of poor weather. The combat group is in good condition, but seem to be getting restless. However, there is nothing to warrant any apprehension.

The monthly parties for the officers and enlisted men were held during the past week and were enjoyed by most and abused by the usual few. But, all in all they were satisfactory, and I believe should probably be held more often.

Major Gaillard attended the Eighth Air Force Provisional Medical Field Service School at High Wycombe, from Oct 17-23. The school was rather well conducted, and the most interesting and instructive part was the outlining of the psychiatric evaluation and disposition of combat crew failures.

Captain Ralston attended the plaster school at 30th General Hospital. He had an interesting three days, but apparently didn’t learn very much.

Captain Pease has departed for the American School Center, Shrivenham, Bucks., and in three weeks we expected a full-fledged commando!

In the interests of self preservation from a unit medical group standpoint, we have appointed a local medical board to review combat crew failures and other psychiatric cases before disposing of them. We feel that this will be interesting, informative, instructive, and to the best interests of the individual and the service. To date we have passed on three cases, namely: Lt A, Lt B, and S.Sgt C.  We were reversed by the Central Medical Board on Lt A, and upon reviewing our findings, we were inclined to maintain our original opinion.

There have been no missions flown in the past week, although 22 ships got of the ground on 30th October, were called back before crossing the coast.

There have been about ten new crews assigned during the week.

The following officers and enlisted men were sent to rest homes during the week, to: Eighth Air Force Officers Rest Home at Stanbridge Earls, Hampshire: 1st Lt William J. McDaniel, 2nd Lt Ernest M. Klein, 2nd Lt Louis M. Gill; all 533rd Bomb Squadron.

To Moulsford Manor, nr Chelsey, Berkshire: T/Sgt Louis S. Kalmar, S/Sgts John S. Shepherd,  Charles C. Leazenby, John S. Bunworth, Robert K. Ray, Walter E. Field and Howard A. Pope; all 533rd BS. 

1st Lt Bernard L. Cohler has been appointed Respiratory and Disease Control Officer to fill the vacancy created by Capt Dwyer being transferred.

Lt Col Ralph G. LaRue inspected the medical department on 31 October and was favourably impressed with the personnel and physical equipment.

Major Gaillard was elected to the council of the officers mess with specific duty in charge of entertainment.

The medical department, this date, inaugurated a new procedure in sanitary inspection. Four officers and four enlisted men descended upon the various sites, took them by storm, and left before the site realized they were being inspected. The only hitch in the machinery Capt Dwyer’s volubility, which hindered the operation somewhat. I future he will either be gagged or left behind!

Changes in personnel have been: DEPARTED: Capt Cornelius J. Dwyer – This officer has conducted himself quite well both medically and professionally in the two months that I have known him, and it is with reluctance that we lose his services.

ARRIVED: 1st Lt Leonard J. Lisnow – Dental Surgeon; Cpl Willaim H. Jordan – Dental Technician; 2nd Lt Grace R. Hawkes – Flight Nurse; 2nd Lt Margaret M. Gudobba – Flight Nurse.

T/3s Elmer S. Warzon and William M. Vandervander, both NCO’s assigned to the above named flight nurses.

4 November – The medical board convened to determine the sanity and the responsibility of the acts of Pvt J.W., 1142nd M.P. Company. Board consisted:- Major Ernest Gaillard, MC, president; Capt Milton H. Bland, MC, member; Capt Louis G. Ralston, MC, member and 1st Lt Joseph V. Fick, MAC, recorder.

With Lt Col Michael H. Teitelbaum, MC, neuro-psychiatric consultant. The board found the soldier to be mentally deficient, with an approximate mental age of 8 years. It was felt he should be held accountable for his acts.

Major Gaillard and Capt Dwyer were the guests of Doctor Dunlop at Steeple Bumpstead, a village 4/5 miles from Ridgewell, this date, as part of our “know the allies program.” The meal was skimpy but the refreshments were excellent.

Twenty seven aircraft from this command took off at 09.20 hrs with the target the dock area of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The flight was undercast throughout, and bombing was done by pathfinder. Three divisions attacked the target and those on the mission stated they could see the air solid with B-17s as far as 30 miles ahead and behind. The mission was also remarkable in that P-38s accompanied the B-17s through to the target area for the first time. The flak was light and inaccurate and caused no damage that was observed by our group. Bombing altitude was 23,000 ft, temperature 28 degrees centigrade.

The only casualty of the day was 533rd BS top turret gunner, S/Sgt Shirley E. Goucher, who suffered a fracture of the humerous  when he fell out of the turret. All of the aircraft returned safely to the base, and the pick-up in morale of the crews was a pleasure to observe. It seemed to help everyone to know that the ships had gone over heavily defended area like Wilhelmshaven and came back without a scratch.

5 November – Twenty one ships from this command took off at 09.20 hrs with the target as Gelsenkirchen, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Valley, and was bombed by pathfinder. Very little enemy fighter opposition was encountered, but the flak was very heavy and accurate.

Ten chutes were seen to leave Lt Hopp’s ship just east of the Dutch coast, while six left Lt Butler’s ship on the co-pilot’s orders, and three crew members landed at West Malling, Kent.

Lt Brown suffered from exposure and multiple minor injuries, and Sgt Osborne from a laceration of the dorsum of the left hand. When the order was given to prepare to bail out , the ship was at 28,000 ft. Lt Brown, bombardier, removed his oxygen mask and started to leave by the forward escape hatch. He apparently became anoxic, fell and the rip cord was accidentally released. The chute billowed out the hatch and round the ball turret and pulled Lt Brown’s right leg out of the ship. The wind blast tore off the right boot, but oddly enough he suffered little frost bite. The duration of his unconsciousness is unknown, but it is estimated at 1 ½ to 2 hours. Those missing in action are as follows:

MIA 535th BS V/42-30852

533rd BS Y/42-29755

This mission was remarkable in that the bombing altitude was 28,000 ft, and the outside temperature was minus 40 degrees. The crews were individually instructed prior to take off on the prevention of frostbite, and we like to feel that our efforts were in part responsible for the fact that only was frostbite was received on this mission.

Major Gaillard attended a division officers meeting and according to his own statement, accomplished nothing.

6 November – Major Gaillard, Capt Ralston, Lt Margaret Gudobba (Flight Nurse) and Capt William Thompson, MC, visiting from 121st Station Hospital, Braintree, went down to West Malling, Kent, by air to pick up the two wounded in yesterday’s entry. Lt Brown had a cast on his leg (hemorrhage and contusion of tibial collateral ligament) and had to be evacuated by ambulance and stretcher to the plane. The trip was uneventful.

7 November – Nineteen aircraft from this group took of at 08.20 hrs with the target the marshalling yards at Wesel, Germany. The bombing altitude was 26,000 ft and the outside temperature was minus 40 degrees centigrade. Bombing was done by pathfinder. Six cases of frostbite were incurred during this mission and five of them were about the face and neck, the other was of the foot.

No fighters were encountered, and flak was light and inaccurate. There were plenty of P-47’s around and they gave excellent cover. All the ships returned to base flying beautiful formation. The sense of relief that everyone feels when the ships come back, flying a good formation, and with none of them peeling off or shooting flares, is notable. It is a release to the anxious tension that we all feel when the ships are out on a mission. There were no wounded and the crews were in good shape.

11 November – Briefing this beautiful morning (for a change) was at 08.000 hrs; target, Wesel, Germany, marshalling yards. Bombing altitude was 28,000 ft, temperature – 40 centigrade. The group was led by Capt Marvin D. Lord, 532nd BS. The total distance was 660 miles and take off time 11.00 hrs. The formation got to within a couple of miles of the Dutch coast where clouds were up to 29,000 ft and rather that take the top element of the formation to 32,000 ft, the air division commander decided to bring the ships back. There were two cases of anoxia, and one of them suffered frostbite in addition.

13 November – The crews were briefed quite early for a target in Germany, bombing to be done by pathfinder. The assembly point was to be over the field at 9,000 ft, so Col Conway Hall, Major Gaillard, Captains Wymer and Delano, along with an equipment Sgt took the tow-target ship up to watch the assembly at 9,000 ft. Poor Guess! Cloud cover was up to 20,000 ft, so we went up without oxygen. There were three masks for five of us, and at 17,500 ft the Sgt decided to pass out. Major Gaillard grabbed him by the backside and attempted to push him into the nose of the ship with Capt Wymer so that he could take care of him, but his parachute harness was hung up. About that time Capt Wymer was pushing him back up the to flight deck, the captain himself was getting cyanotic, and certainly not in the pink (No pun intended).

Major Gaillard took a couple of whiffs off Col hall’s oxygen mask, picked the Sgt up behind the back of the neck and brought him and mask together. When the Sgt revived, he was sent down to the nose. The remainder of the stay at altitude was eventful in that Major Gaillard would watch Col Hall’s ears, and when they got good and blue the mask would be given back to him. When they got pink, Major Gaillard would take it back again.

All in all, the whole trip was a monument to our own stupidity, but can well be blamed on the airplane. Our masks, with two exceptions, were demand masks and the ship was fitted with constant flow. It was rather cool too. We were dressed for 9,000 ft, or zero weather, and it was – 22 centigrade at 20,000 ft.

Lt Deering, Lt Reese and crew got lost in trying to assemble and when the other ships were ordered back to the field, they continued on their merry way, and took an unescorted tour of Europe. I imagine the continental populace were just as surprised as our own wayward boys when they broke out of the clouds at 20,000 ft. After flying into some very bad weather and being used as a clay pigeon by all the flak installations en route, our wayward boys arrived home; no wounded or dead, but impressed by their experience. Said crew has now reverted to training status.

16 November – Twenty one aircraft from this command took off at 07.05 hrs to bomb a molybdunem plant at Knaben, Norway. Total distance 1,060 miles, bombing altitude around 14,000 ft, temperature – 32 at that altitude. The weather was slightly stinko most of the way and thay had to climb to 20,000 ft over the North Sea in order to avoid the clouds. Results of the bombing were unknown at present.

There were no wounded, but there were three cases of frostbite. The most severe being Sgt Clarence T. Williams, 535th  BS waist gunner, who became inquisitive and stuck his head out the left waist window so he could see the bombs burst. He did – and he has a frozen face top prove it. The left zygomatic area and the left neck are involved. It does not appear to be too serious.

A rather unimportant event, but nevertheless interesting feature at the landing of the ships has been the hockey game between Major Gaillard and Capt Cohler. The crew at the interrogation were all in good spirits, all ships landed safely back at base, but Lt Schultz and crew took a bit round-about way home.

26 November – Twenty one aircraft from this group took off today with their target Bremen, Germany. Altitude flown was 25,000 ft, temperature – 40. There were no aircraft lost, however there were 17 cases of frostbite, two cases of burns and three cases of anoxia. One plane landed at RAF Waterbeach and evacuated Sgt Homer, 534th BS, to the base hospital, suffering from severe facial frostbite.