A lady's father


Posted:
By: Gene Carson
On: 06/18/2002

What follows is all I know about this officer.  He is not longer with us.  But his daughter is trying to put together some memories of a father who was divorced from her mother. I find four Lady Jane's; 95th BG, two in the 401st BG and one in 447th BG.
Note that the daughter has him flying out of England in 1943...a little sleuthing here.  Thanks,

Gene Carson



1st Lt. W. T. Mack flew B-17's. He trained at Moody Field, Valdosta, Georgia, before shipping out for England in early 1943. He  flew sorties to France and Germany. Don't know the unit, Bomb Group or base.  I remember his short-snorter (I was five years old at the time), his silver wings; the nylon parachute he sent home for my mom to make blouses out of; the one-man bright yellow life raft with a red sail, blue hand paddles, yellow dye marker, and Sea Rations that tasted awful. We inflated the raft in our living room, and it was so large it almost didn't go through the front door.  
At one time, I had an 8x10 b&w photo of the plane with my mom's name on the nose "Lady Jane" with the crew (including my father) standing in front of the plane





Re: A lady's father


Posted:
By: Scott McElvain
On: 06/20/2002
I've already replied to Gene personally telling him what I found (or didn't find) and just want to post a reply.  There is no record of a pilot named Lt Mack in any squadron of the 401st.  Since the 401st didn't get to England until later in '43, I would check with the other groups that had Lady Janes.  Can't rule the 401st out totally, but doubtful.