Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, June 1943 |
| June 1 |
Maj + Jake left = A.P. photos + reporters {press}? {Landy} got snaps of em. buzz job. Dr. White left. 2850 hrs combat flying. 37 victories. no losses under CO. of Eiland. Willey new pilot.
|
| June 2 |
Mission came back. bad weather. nothing doing. guard duty |
| June 3 |
Went to {Athemenia} |
| June 4 |
Things looking good for us. We have lost our 1st priority. can't get parts or clothing. May break up + go home. I think we'll be home by Xmas Guard duty (Lt. Bennett [probably Lt. Stuart Bennett] in 27th who wrote to Glo. S. shot down) |
| June 5 |
Constantine with Kelly Kramer + Mouse. Frankie shot down |
| June 6 |
Constantine with Kelly r. |
| June 7 |
slept till noon nothing doing. mission this morning = pantaleria |
| June 8 |
slept till noon. Went to show. |
| June 9 |
Pantaleria. surrender or else. 27th shot 3 down. I got 20 letters. |
| June 10 |
Pantelaria + {Lamprolusa} fell after heavy bombing. |
| June 11 |
Lee + I and Patsy Limey nurse at {Athemenia} no flying.rs.
27th has 68 victories lost 23 ships ratio 3 to 1
94th has 47 victories ratio of 2 to 1
71st has 49 victories lost 7 ships. ratio 7 to 1
lost Frankie other day. |
| June 12 |
Went Constantine with Lee. everyone day off |
| June 13 |
Went Constantine with Lee. pilots day off so we took off. saw "knute Rockney" drank cold beer |
| June 14 |
Sicily airport at 6:30 this morn. Went show this afternoon. "Virginia City" 2nd time that two 14th ships midair crash over target. |
| June 15 |
Raid on Sicily this morning have to make a 200 hr inspection soon |
| June 16 |
Athmenia to see Patsy the British nurse. |
| June 17 |
(1943) cleaned up the plane for British General chaplin came out to plane + talked long time with us. King of England is near here Went to German prison camp for souvenirs. no can see. |
| June 18 |
Moved plane into valley 1st Lt. took our place beside operations | nut loose on nose wheel {damper} let fluid out + nose wheel shimmied so Willey took another ship. put on new Prestone radiator Paratroopers been dropped to sabotage B-17's + P-38's 5 have been captured. |
| June 19 |
New guard setup. everyone pulls three hours a nite every other nite. man on every plane. |
| June 20 |
test run for ship. bad radio didn't go on mission |
| June 21 |
moved in to a big tent bed made old hole filled in. 27th lost 2 pilots and 94th 1 yesterday. Lt. Kohn [ Lt Frederic Kohn] got one. |
| June 22 |
2 radio men + 4 pilots going to China very soon. We are resting + working on ships 2 days + all out pounding Sicily the next day. rumors of 5 {%} going home. and being replaced. Doolittle here and Col Garman flew his B-25 |
| June 23 |
Rumors to move in couple of days. |
| June 24 |
Up at 200 AM for guard duty. |
| June 25 |
Got back from Constantine at 10:30 P.M with Lee + found everyone packed to go. tents + everything. 1943| Got up at 2:00 AM for breakfast and ready to leave for Bizerte` |
| June 26 |
Rode from 5:00 AM. to 7:30 P.M on trucks thru Bone up to Mateur 1943) Long rough ride without food thru beautiful country Tanks and mines blown up all over the place. We are at the bottom of famous 609 hill. Got 1 hr sleep in 48 hrs. Mateur 20 mi from Bizerte. 55 from Tunis. |
| June 27 |
Set up tent made beds. 15 planes came in. K. Cleaver leading in LML flew down in his piggyback. Lt. Wiseman had engine catch fire. belly tanks dropped and bellied in. don't know if alive or not. Went swimming at Bizerte. Is a ghost city no one living there. Is a bombed mess docks etc. |
| June 28 |
Rest of Planes + fellows coming in. Gen. Eisenhower + Spaatz dropped in. Lt. Wiseman got out of crash OK. mad cause broke his goggles + lost his toilet kit. |
| June 29 |
First day ever been sick in Army threw up salmon had for dinner. Had terrible headache felt pretty weak. had to quit work. |
| June 30 |
still weak + sick. got paid today. a big ammo dump blew up near here. banged from noon time till mid nite. Went swimming Bizerte' evening |
WWII Notebook Journal of Sgt. David S. Gray