Posted:
By: Clyde Larry Mings
On: 07/09/2005
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Vin Bryson- Received your packet with the Deenthorpe
maps and your questionaire. Hope my CD with the 60+ color shots of the exterior and interiors of the B-17 and B-24 are useful in finding out more about the lives of radio-gunners in the 613th and Sgt. Dorris. He was killed after I completed my tour but we did have a few overlapping missions. I will get a copy made of the 30 minute tape I made for my ball turret gunners son since his father doesnt want to go back to those memories. It covers wake up to bedtime of a typical mission day. This may be boring to some readers and if so, let me know. However,some may be interested and if I make any goofs-and I will- the radio operators can correct me . We vine ripened old far-oops-coots are over 80, and Deenthorpe fades along with my 22 years service all over the world.Things like the mess halls and food may be better off forgotten!I DO remember that the flight surgeon made the mess hall stop making Brussel sprouts the most common vegtable. The stomach gas expands about 5 times at high altitude and minor discomfort an the ground can double you up with pain at 25,000 feet! On radio subjects- I went thru Scott from April to Oct.1941 and we did get a sleeve patch upon graduation. There were patches for engineers ( s rotary engine) and armorers (a bomb)etc. The radio patch is a trianguler Blue background with orange symbol of a radio tower with jagged lightning emanating from the top. I just put mine in the scanner, along with a couple of other radio school pins ( an ACTS INSTRUCTOR that Has wings and a prop) so I will send you a photo.BTW, it is amazing the number of people who do not know that THERE WAS NO AIR CORPS IN WW2! It ceased to exist on 20 June 1941 when it became the ARMY AIR FORCES. More on next post.
Duties of the radio/gunner
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