Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, July 1943 |
| July 1 |
Still feel lousy. nothing the States wouldn't cure. or a good meal. 200 hr completed. Willy flew to Chateau dun. burned all grass as fire almost burned a ship up yesterday. |
| July 2 |
Hyd regulat. valves sticking worked from 8 AM until 11:00 P.M. also had to put old type hyd. pump on. meant complete change of connections. |
| July 3 |
Standby inspection of tents didn't show up by Col. Garman. (boot camp again) 2 1/2 ton amphibious equipment going by. Worked until 9:00 P.M. putting in new plug leads + checking plugs engine still rough. half the pilots sick with dysentary. many EM also sick |
| July 4 |
found lead on one spark plug formed over points of plug and retimed the magneto. swell holiday. very hot 100 + degrees. Very exciting 4th. Ed + I bummed to Bizerte' + swimming wrote letters at nite. |
| July 5 |
very hot day. mission to northern Italy. 4 hrs. with B-26's Understand we're under the 7th Bomb Wing now. Bill Goodale + Bob Finly came in to see me. stationed at Tunis Lot of ill feeling in the sqd. Line chief getting very chicken. |
| July 6 |
Big air raid on Bizerte last nite saw 2 planes shot down. layed in bed + watched it. One big ship came rite over us. Pretty rough here. have to go after our own gas in 50 gal drums in Trucks. then pump it into plane by hand. 400 gals. Go after belly tanks also. mission Today came off very bad. Every one got lost + separated with B-17's at alt. 28,000' Got jumped with few P-38's There so Spitfires helped and 4 Spits got shot down. |
| July 7 |
yesterday 4 of our ships went down at Malta. one with one engine out. Went swimming in the P.M. Terribly hot. Capt. Moore gone hospital hope he dies. pulled guard 3 AM-6AM. Going to turn our guns in and 80% of T. supply plus personnel equipment. I still don't think we'll go home till invasion under control + all pilots with required time in 200 hrs or 50 missions. |
| July 8 |
Mission with B-26's same place in Italy. the planes 57th mission 2 Spitz after a JU-88 over here 1 spit + the 88 shot down. all bailed out + captured. roll of necco waffers in rations. 332 Fighter in our wing now. colored outfit P-51's. |
| July 9 |
Mission over Italy. Pilots warned of U.S. navy planes. Invasion supposed to have started with heavy naval shelling. No mail to Aug. 1st. |
| July 10 |
Invasion of Sicily started at 2 AM this morn. we sent out a mission at 5:00 and have kept 15 out of the group over there ever since. loaded 50 gal drums all morning. only 2 gas trucks on the field. |
| July 11 |
2 missions today = Willy B-26 came in shot up split in half at landing after blowing a tire. lost 2 ships. LM 6 + 7 ran into each other very low. Diamond + Chapman Chapman an older pilot Diamond a new one invasion still on 94th had 2 missions 27th had 3 [ Lt David Diamond is listed as KIA and Lt Ernest Chapman is listed as MIA, both on July 10 in "An Escort of P-38's". Perhaps Sgt David S. Gray is off one day based upon when he heard the information?] |
| July 12 |
Pulled 3 missions on plane unloaded 10 trucks of gas drums. 9 hrs flying for the plane. Taken Syracuse in Sicily. Tire blew just after landing at last mission about 8:30 worked till 11:00 |
| July 13 |
tire replaced. flew mission Only 2 days this months ship didn't fly. Sqd has 8000 combat hrs. 94th has only 17 ships in commission Ship gassed at 10:30 came in had coffee with gang |
| July 14 |
Odd jobs on ship this forenoon 94th ship hit out one engine by flak. Kramer busted from Sgt. because he refused to work after 9:00 P.M. after all day. "Commandos Strike at Dawn" |
| July 15 |
Willy flew 1st and Maglio [Lt Frank Maglio] flew last. Maglio made his first mission in our ship and got shot up. this was his last and he did OK. A real buzz job when he got back. Sullivan . [probably Lt James Sullivan] Hansen [probably Lt Robin Hansen] {Ruiers}. [Lt Walter Rivers?] Britain. [Lt George Britton?] Ariano. [probably Lt Richard Ariano] {Staiger} [Lt John Staiger?] have 50 missions and about 180 hrs. and will go home soon. |
| July 16 |
Settergren back from hospital this evening - wish I could go and rest up Don't know when I've been so tired. Guard tonite 1200 - 300 AM. changed a tire - very ruff job. Put in new Superch regul = no manifold pressure 3 letters came in + one from London Put new brake rims in rt. wheel. big keg of ice cold beer tonite boy was that great. |
| July 17 |
Saw a terrible show "Aerial Gunner" Had the plane checked again for manifold press. Took superch. {recap} off carb. to get eng manifold alone. 33" at 2600 R.P.M. got 47" @2700 with Super. Whole Grp. went to Northern Italy . |
| July 18 |
Willey got 35" so we are pulling the left eng. 94th belly landed. Lt. Chapman back He luckily bailed out at 500' behind Jerry lines in Sicily. slept days walked nites eat berries Capt. Moore eat his box of candy from his folks. |
| July 19 |
Got engine out and putting {conn. +} access. etc on new eng Saw movie "Casablanca" darn good show. |
| July 20 |
Seem to have lost one of our new pilots. he left formation OK. but hasn't shown up. got 3 pens + pencils from Dad. Put engine in plane. Can't work in midday its so hot. |
| July 21 |
Guard tonite 9 - 12 P.M. also a show which I won't be able to see. finished up engine. ran it up - OK. Got old one ready for shipping. lot of late mail in. Seems good to hear again. 3/4 of Sicily almost taken. |
| July 22 |
Left engine OK but no slow {time} for it cause lef right engine dropping 200 R.P.M. on rt. {mag} Willey gave us a mush mellon |
| July 23 |
cleaned out plug holes on R. eng. Got some more mail. awfully hot, can't work in mid-day. have been able to shake the G.I.'s since been on this field. show tonite. "Stranger in Town" Frank Morgan = good |
| July 24 |
New dist. roto helped a lot but still losing 150 R.P.M.'s Willey took a test flight with it. = OK three day rest with plenty of work. So pilots benefit. |
| July 25 |
Lee, Bob + I - Tunis saw "Wake Island" Willey went chateau dun for day with ship. Willey brought back 75 eggs for us. + a cigar apiece. Rt. engine missing in air. |
| July 26 |
Pulled out rt. engine - Only got 30" on it at 2600 RP.M. |
| July 27 |
Building up new engine HV-4 "Beantown boys" mushed into camp area on one engine rookie pilot on test flight. It was Danny Kennedys ship. Took down one big tent with it. |
| July 28 |
Up till 1:00 P.M. When Lt. Kohn came in and had coffee + talked with us. He is going home - finis 50 missions. pulled guard from 3 - 6 and stayed up. Got the new engine in checked very good. idles at 800 Roast beef for supper. |
| July 29 |
Baseball tournament within the Sqd. going hot and heavy but can't get interested. Plane almost done on slow time. left engine all done. They start smooth as a whistle |
| July 30 |
Finished up slow time. washed plane down. hard job. Never have been so tired in my life physically + mentally If could only get away from boys + planes for just a week. Never get enuff sleep. I used to have unlimited endurance but not any more. Get tired very easy. I think its the poor food we get. No nourishment in it. |
| July 31 |
Ship out for radio. Willey lead mission with Stud's ship. Got paid Lee + I went Tunis eat mellons and tomatoes + buy souverignors but too expensive. Willey had coffee and eggs at nite with us. |
WWII Notebook Journal of Sgt. David S. Gray 