Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, March 1943 |
| March 1 |
 Test flight on plane after working all morning on linkage bringing manifold pressure from 30" to 55" on the ground that's good. 3200 R.P.M.'s she nearly took off. Have had these swell days now real warm while sun is up. buzzards above us supposed to mean warm weather. Bombed Palermo docks today. good job done no opposition. |
| March 2 |
Plane went to Tunis few fighters but no fight. rifle and gas mask inspec. Put on guard again starting tomorrow nite. Ed + Tom switched with guys + took K.P. I don't want to, too dirty. |
| March 3 |
On Pre flight the flaps failed to come up after halfway extended. Worm gear from flap motor was ground teeth were chewed up worked all day taking it out. Pulled guard from 6:30 to 1:30 A.M. |
| March 4 |
Slept this morn. read. got box cookies from Ruth. this after went in town on bike with Kelly for Turkish bath + took in Laundry to a French woman with cake of G.{I.}soap. guard from 12:30 P.M. to 7:00 AM tonite. Lt. MacAllister went to Grp. HDQ to see what story on cadets for Charlie + me He told us wait another 6 weeks + we'd be headed for the States + get it then. |
| March 5 |
The Pilots were given their DFC Purple Hearts etc. this P.M. one enlisted man got P.Heart Sgt. Eck with us only one when we landed a sniper bullet sent a rock that scraped his shoulder. Gen. said we'd done a beautiful job. maybe we didn't want escort duty but Also too many highly trained men in the "wonderful maintenance crew" that we are needed badly in the States. |
| March 6 |
SAT. slept till 10 A.M. wrote letters. Got stationary and box of sweets from Ruth. No flying. Hail and rain - bed wet again. more guys in hospital with colds etc. Go on foolish guard at 12:30 to 7:00 |
| March 7 |
SUN. Convoy of 7 ships attacked off Bizerte 4 completely damaged 2 109's shot down. Our ship came back said he couldn't get gas from belly tank checked it and found he had wrong valve on. 15 more men to be transfered. not me I hope. much as I hate this outfit I think something better may break soon - in the line of going home. |
| March 8 |
Slept till noon. took a physical for insurance exam Heart beat doesn't return to normal after exertion as quickly as a year ago - this damn life we lead + smoking All normal thou. OK Our group got 15 fighters to their credit today on escort over Tunis. 3 or 4 for us. To be confirmed. |
| March 9 |
yesterdays confirmed Group got 13 two collided in mid-air - B-17's got 1 Maj. Rudell gave Capt. Harris acting C.O. till Capt. Eiland and Motor get back from rest at Casablanca. last nite of guard + is it cold + windy. Got my laundry from French woman in town 75 francs. |
| March 10 |
75 B-17's and 34 P-38's from these 2 fields and 34 P-38's and 50 B-25's + B-26's went on big raid over Tunis. 2 airdromes + docks + ships all got back. Ours didn't go. 1st Sgt may go on new transfer list. |
| March 11 |
No raid. battery down Radio shack not on the ball no battery to put in. |
| March 12 |
changed exhaust plugs RT ENG and new battery. 3400 hrs. test flight by Lt. Sauer OK and ship 55" of Hg. Visited Lt. Motor this evening. Had a great time in Casablanca. flew in C 54. ice cream liquor. swimming. woman (blond Fr. gal) gives rub down in Turk bath 400 francs. Girls change clothes to bathing suit on beach. entertained on a U.S. destroyer American nurses for dates. Big raid on Tunis today - no losses. sleeping without coveralls first time since England. reason - stove in tent. |
| March 13 |
God what a country rain damp hot + dry. Tooth brush won't even dry. after 4 hrs of steady rain I get a shower thru the top. but at least no brook thru the floor like some of the tents. Pilots found by experience that - 300 M.P.H. - hatch off - one window down. belt unbuckled. suction will take em out 15' above the tail. |
| March 14 |
Went to church - it nearly fell down then stayed for movie "The Westerner". 3 helpings of pancakes for chow. They made a ruling mechanics and other ground men are non combatant. why - so we never get a vacation. pay for our rations. hell. |
| March 15 |
Lt. Shine [Lt. Wilbur Shine] took plane on mission over water off Tunis. with 20 B-17 looking for shipping. very bad weather. Jake sweating out being transferred to 14th Grp. as C.O. which is starting out again. will make Major anyway. he is right now the only 1st LT. leading a group in operations that's about 30-50 planes on a mission he is 22 yrs. Capt. Eiland is working on Cadets for Charlie and I. |
| March 16 |
On plane - tightened up on engines. washed down plane. Got letter from Dolly Moutier. Jake isn't going to 14th Joe Kelner dropped in had supper with me went into the village for few drinks. no movie slept in tent with us. took off next morning. hashed over everything. Glad to see him. |
| March 17 |
Fooled around on the plane. nothing doing. bad weather. Joe left this morn. |
| March 18 |
Rained all nite and most of today Guys beds were floating in their tents. Ours just leaked thru the top. We're on a little hill. Good break. They are taking the radio out of LML and changing the seat. removing armor plate nose over post protection and putting another guy in. Plane to check out new pilots and gives us a ride. whoopee |
| March 19 |
rained all morning. mud to your ankles. cleared up and 8 planes practiced dive bombing. Lt. MacAllister said if I never believe anything else he said to believe that we'd be in the States in three months. He wants Cadets as well as Charlie and I They are commissioning some of the guys that want it. The only job I qualify for is Engineering and I don't think I have enuff experience except on P-38's |
| March 20 |
good clear day - mission called off. Jake flew plane little while {wring} himself out again. Frank Elliot came over few minutes wants me to meet Joe Kelner in Constantine Apr. 3rd. He is assistant crew chief. I'm still 2nd assist. Mac told Charlie + I to hang on till June He'll see we'll stay in outfit and go back to States. |
| March 21 |
SUN A 94th ship came in with main wheels not locked. nose wheel + tail took all the load. nearly blew nose tire. plane is spare pts. went in town with Lee took in church services and the "Pride of the Yankees" 3 big raids on Gabes today |
| March 22 |
Pulled out Super. air scoop and fixed Prestone flap select valve. also oil leak under pump. big raid on Palermo. Some very pretty gals with Red Cross came in with coffee + donuts. very good. Peggy from R.I. said to bunch of us How do I look? - As if it made any diff. |
| March 23 |
Put in new selector valve for Prestone {flaps} meant taking out the Super air filter. No raids One new pilot - 19 yrs old. belly landed L-M-3 a new ship. didn't turn on Generator switch. forgot landing gear and belly in. 27 + 94th pulled mission 27th got 3 and lost one. the 2 seater has taken up Cleaver (crew chief) Andy, Smokey + {Corndell}. Saw Abbott + Costello in "Rio Rita". good |
| March 24 |
Go on guard again tonite. worked on ship. new pilot took her on mission. everything OK. no mail for over a week now. |
| March 25 |
Got up for lunch. went in town Chateau du Rommell. took in laundry and had douche. Plane went on Mission to {Souse} but returned with Lt. Booster not working above 18000' tough luck. Motor flying + they hit trouble. Capt. Eiland got one FW-190 and another probable bomber blew up docks + for first time part of the town. Then Eiland's left engine gas leaked out of cracked intake manifold + exploded he feathered prop and dove out of fight. one new pilot got small shrapnel holes. all OK. first mail again 5 V letters. |
| March 26 |
Tried to sleep in morning no go. made a revision on one end of tent with boxes. wrote letter to Folks in afternoon went on guard at 6:00 P.M. Went to Motors tent and played records. chewed the rag with him, censored my letter. Got off at 10:00 P.M. |
| March 27 |
Got up ate early chow dressed and took Constantine truck from HDQ'S went into Red Cross. covered whole town. Found a studio had some pictures taken for 390 Francs. Found some Stamps to send home. some little trinkets. Had 3 big cakes and four shots of ice cream. found some white wine + cold beer. Had some funny snaps taken of ED. KELLY + I in the street. went to a French speaking cinema "You Can't Take It With You" It was sure different. Came home at 10.00 PM in time for guard. |
| March 28 |
SLEPT ALL MORNING. Feb 15th issue of Life has Biskra pictures of 1st Fighter. stayed in tent all day. reading + writing letters. Lt. Wilson was found by soldiers. chute didn't open. shot in leg. plane crashed + burned. |
| March 29 |
Stayed in tent read wrote letters + slept. rained most of day. Almost all Tech Sgts. have Peramble tents now may get some for lower grades soon. |
| March 30 |
slept till dinner put magnetic compass from old 588 into the ship (003). These ships have only directional compass run by {invertor} If {invertor} burns out no compass. So we made a bracket + put {ones} in. |
| March 31 |
Capt Eiland the C.O. flew our ship on mission over Kalargi Sardinia or Sicily didn't like slow hyd. system so we pulled out Hyd. pumps and lengthened springs giving faster results. got paid. went in town for supper spagetti , eggs, bread + wine. saw Army show band etc. then Red Skelton in "Whistling In The Dark." |
WWII Notebook Journal of Sgt. David S. Gray 