Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, February - March 1944 |
| Feb 1 |
STAYED OVERNITE AT JOE'S OUTFIT 321ST. HE HAS 39 MISSIONS DONE GO HOME NEXT MONTH |
| Feb 2 |
LES-HOSPITAL WITH IMPETIGO. MANY CASES IN OUTFIT MINE ALL GONE. PIGGY-BACK INBOARD FLAP RETR. CABLE BROKEN. BOYS {POT} IN NEW FLOOR. |
| Feb 3 |
FINISHED WING FLAP CABLE - WENT UP SEE LES + LASY LASSY |
| Feb 4 |
LETTER FROM ELMER IN AFRICA HOSPITAL |
| Feb 5 |
BET ELMER HAS CHANCE TO BE SENT HOME |
| Feb 6 |
PUT WALL ON TENT = MUCH WARMER JOE'S SHIPS OUT ON MISSION EVERY GOOD DAY. |
| Feb 7 |
RADIO OF RILEY'S - VERY GOOD |
| Feb 8 |
|
| Feb 9 |
PILOTS IN ENGLAND TO BRING DOWN NEW SHIPS |
| Feb 10 |
ENLISTED MAN + OFFICERS CLUB BEING BUILT. |
| Feb 11 |
WENT TO PUT RADIO IN PLACE OF CANNON AND OXYGEN FOR TWO IN SHIP. NEED COL'S OK. = IT'S HIS SHIP. |
| Feb 12 |
TROOPS AT BEACHEAD----CALLED FOR HELP. VERY BAD WEATHER |
| Feb 13 |
NEW MODEL P-38 H-{5LO} IN FROM ENGLAND. GUYS UP THERE REGARDED OUR PILOTS AS SCUM OF THE EARTH.[cont'd from February 13, 1944?] bombers back to England while P-51 cover target and the rear. and they are still bitching 12th A.F. dropped 25,000 tons more bombs in 43 than the 8th more wins less losses |
| Feb 14 |
THE GUYS UP THERE GET 21 CIGARS A WEEK. BEER. FRESH MEAT EVERY DAY. COKES. CANDY AND ARE BITCHING |
| Feb 15 |
SHIP GETTING RADIO IN "HI DIDDLE DIDDLE" = VERY GOOD
LM-UN-HV HAVE BEEN DONE AWAY WITH FOR NUMBERS FROM 1-77 [1944?] |
| Feb 16 |
LT. PAUL FOUST DROPPED IN FOR EVE SAW "CRAZY HOUSE" |
| Feb 17 |
FINISHED THE DUAL OXYGEN SYSTEM ON PIGGYBACK. AWAITING RADIO INSTALLATION |
| Feb 18-23 |
-no entries- |
| Feb 24 |
GUARD DUTY - 4 HRS. LT. COL McKENZIE BAILED OUT OVER TARGET FLACK SHOT OUT ONE ENGINE = GREEN'S SHIP. } |
| Feb 25 |
RADIO MOST IN SHIP. |
| Feb 26 |
GEN SPAATZ' SON IN LAW = GRESHAM SPUN IN AFTER 1 ENGINE DEAD GUARD DUTY 4 HRS |
| Feb 27 |
1 GUARD ON EVERY SHIP NOW = GODDAMN FOOLISH GROUND OFFICERS = JUST BECAUSE LOST 2 SHIPS. |
| Feb 28 |
TED J. HAD TEST HOP IN PIGGYBACK HAD TOOTH OUT DENTIST = TERRIBLE BROKE THE TOOTH + CUT MY LIP. [1944?] SAW MOVIE "AIR FORCE" LT. EASTMAN WITH THE PHOTO RECON OUTFIT JUMPED 12 JERRIES OVER THE BEACHHEAD SHOT DOWN 3 + 2 PROBABLES HIS OXYGEN SYSTEM GOT HIT + SET FIRE IN COCK PIT. HE BAILED OUT WHEN CHUTE STRAPS CAUGHT ON FIRE. ONLY HAD 2 50 CALS. IN {SHIP} |
| Feb 29 |
GUARD DUTY SO NO BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY COULD TREAT ME FOR THE NIGHT. |
| March 1 |
WENT FOR 11/2 hr hop - hit 14,500' without oxygen. 1 super {gate} froze. radio good. buzzed ALL OVER THE PLACE. |
| March 2 |
 LEE WENT UP TO 30,200' + THE OXYGEN WORKED VERY GOOD - ALSO RADIO INTERCOM BUT HE NEARLY FROOZE. JUST OVER THE OVERCAST AT 30,000 FEET. 44 A NEW FIGHTER WING GOING TO SET UP SOON THE 308 FIGHTER WING. THEN WE WILL BE SEPARATE FROM THE BOMBERS. NO MORE 5TH BOMB WING FOR US. ALSO THE BOMBER OUTFITS ARE PACKED + READY TO MOVE - WHERE? INDIA? THEY ARE NEEDED RIGHT HERE SHIP OUT FOR RT. ENG. |
| March 3 |
NEW MODEL "J" ALL SILVER. GAS TANKS IN WING ETC. INTER-COOLER IN ENGINE NACELLE MORE ROOM IN COCKPIT. FLAT BULLET PROOF WIND SCREEN AND OTHER CHANGES. LT. GOLDMAN HAD 3 GUYS BUSTED FOR BEING IN SHACKS ON GUARD DUTY. |
| March 4 |
5 trips on the plane today. LT. EASTMAN TRANSFERED TO 325TH FIGHTER + WENT DOWN ON HIS FIRST P-47 MISSION THERE ARE OLD PILOTS AND BOLD PILOTS BUT NO OLD BOLD PILOTS. |
| March 6 |
SAME OLD STORY |
| March 11 |
SAME OLD ROUTINE VISIT THE CLUB ONCE IN AWHILE FOR A FEW DRINKS. KEEP PLANE FLYING. RUMOR OF AN AIR ECHELON TO CORSICA SOON TO COVER INVASION. |
| March 13 |
DROPPED DOWN TO BARI WITH RILEY + {MERCENDENTS} THOSE GUYS DOWN THERE SURE LEAD A RUFF LIFE HAW |
| March 14 |
A LETTER FROM MOM SAYING BOB PARKER IS MISSING IN ACTION. |
| March 17 |
15TH A.F. TURNED ALL CADET ACTIVITIES OVER TO {F.}B.S IN NAPLES. DON'T KNOW WHERE 71ST OR HDQTS. PAPERS ARE. |
| March 20 |
PLANES UP NEAR VENICE TO BIG SEAPLANE BASE. SHOT HELL OUT OF IT. THE B-17'S ON THE SAME COURSE UP HI WITH P-47'S RADAR PICKED UP B-17'S BUT NOT 38'S SO WE COULD PICKOFF ANYTHING TAKING OFF TO INTERCEPT NOTHING BUT A JU-52 |
| March 21 |
Wiseman made Major Hanes. [probably Major Horace Hanes] and a man LT. COL. for Grp. {Opper}. 300 P-38-J's being assembled in Algiers. 100 for this Grp. men to go to Algiers to check em out. Showing us the gun camera shots of the raids our ships are making |
| March 22 |
Escorted B-17's to ({Volturna}?) {Bresna} Pass and leveled R.R. installation Lt. Simpson got rocket firing 109. two new P-38 J's came in. Coghlin got one and Al Globinstag got the other. Settergren will get one soon. 6 guys gone to Algiers. 6 more to go to check out the assembled "J's" for us. |
| March 23 |
GUYS IN 94TH + 27TH and 14th + 82nd WENT HOME TODAY FOR FLYING CADETS. |
| March 24 |
ENGINE VERY ROUGH. VERNIER PIN SHERED OFF IN DIST.(LEFT) DRIVE ASSEMBLY COGHLIN GOT A NEW "J" HAVE 3 OF EM NOW NEWSREEL MEN HEAR TO PHOTO PILOTS RECEIVING THERE MEDALS. MADE ENLS. MEN PUT ON FULL UNIFORM + WATCH + LISTEN TO GEN. TWINNING THROW THE BULL. I WORKED ON THE SHIP. HELL WITH EM. JERRY BROWN MADE M/SGT. + QUITE A FEW OTHER RATINGS CAME OUT. |
| March 28 |
TWO SHIPS GOT SHOT UP TODAY. BOTH THRU THE SEALING TANKS. ONE EXPLODED HOLE IN PROP BLADE CAME IN 1 ENGINE |
| March 29 |
NOW IN THE NEW 306 FIGHTER WING INSTEAD OF 5TH Bomb. SHOULD BE A BREAK FOR US. 14TH + 82ND + 325TH + {Us} and maybe a P-51 or P. 40 outfit. |
| March 30 |
THE CLUB STARTED WITH $500 DONATIONS + ENDED WITH $1300 NOT BAD. LAST NITE THE BAND PLAYED ALL EVENING. PORK CHOPS FOR SUPPER + FRESH VEGETABLES FOR DINNER. ABOUT 6 NEW "J" IN THE OUTFIT. |
WWII Notebook Journal of Sgt. David S. Gray 
