Incidents in the Life of a B-25 Pilot

By Roy Lee Grover

The stories of war are generally aboutvalor,excitementand/or achievements.

However, wartime military service is mostly composed of training, waiting with boredom and a little action for a few people. This collection is composed of stories of incidents that reflect my attitudes, beliefs and feelings that occurred to me during World War II. My combat experience was as a pilot of a B-25C, a medium altitude bomber, and B-25C-l, a modified B-25C for low level bombing and strafing, during parts of 1942 and 1943. I remember these incidents veryclearly.

Historians, who research records of events of the past, often interpret the events with a value system that was developed years after the events occurred. This gives a distorted picture of what happened and why it happened. I hope to help the readers of this collection to see the events through my eyes rather than through the filters of their experiences. The events or incidents did happen and made an impression on me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 19, 2006
• ISBN: 9781463454159

Roy Lee Grover

. The Author was employed in the Aerospace Industry after his Military Service. He has a Master's Degree in Business and has been a Real Estate Broker. In September 1940, he received a license as a private pilot and in November 1941 enlisted as an Army Aviation Cadet. In May 1942, he received his pilot wings and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. His combat time was Aug.1942-Oct.1943.Over a period of several years, after retirement, he wrote a collection of stories of his reaction and beliefs about incidents he encountered during his military service in WW11.             

Book preview

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE

OF A B-25 PILOT

By

Roy Lee Grover

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Phone: [phone]                 Phone: [phone]

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

© 2006 Roy Lee Grover. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 10/16/2006

ISBN: 1-4259-4813-8 (sc)

ISBN: 9781463454159 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006906163

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

INTRODUCTION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PRIMARY FLYING SCHOOL

BASIC FLYING SCHOOL

ADVANCED FLYING SCHOOL

X MISSION

BOMBSIGHT AWAY

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

MY FIRST MISSION

INCARCERATION OF THE 405TH SQUADRON

BAIL OUT

THANKSGIVING DAY 1942

ONE HORRIBLE NIGHT

BULLY BEEF AND PEACHES

SELF-INFLICTED

SLIT TRENCH

ORDER OF THE TIN FISH

LANDING WITHOUT WHEELS

SLOGANS

DISORIENTATION

EMPTY TENT

WHISKEY RUN

COPILOT

BOMB SIGHTS GET BOMBED

AN AIRCRAFT EXPLODES

INTERESTING FACTS

CHECK YOUR AIRPLANE

A TREASURED POSSESSION

AN UNEXPLAINED LOSS

SPIDER

A GROUND SUPPORT MISSION

COME ON A COMBAT MISSION WITH ME

COMBAT FAILURES

WEWAK

FEELINGS

PAPPY GUNN AND

THE B-25

RETURN TO THE U.S.A.

TEACHING COMBAT FLYING

DELIVERING P-38 AIRCRAFT

FLYING FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

A GREAT LEARNING ASSIGNMENT

DISAPPOINTMENT

FLASHBACK

CONCLUSION

DEATH AT AMRON

POSTSCRIPT:

INTRODUCTION

The stories of war are generally about valor, excitement and/or achievements.However, wartime military service is mostly composed of training, waiting with boredom and a little action for a few people. This collection is composed of stories of incidents that reflect my attitudes, beliefs and feelings that occurred to me during World War II. My combat experience was as a pilot of a B-25C, a medium altitude bomber, and B-25C-l, a modified B-25C for low level bombing and strafing, during parts of 1942 and 1943. I remember these incidents very clearly, but I have no notes to help me. We were ordered to make no record of our experiences in the combat zone and unfortunately I heeded the order. Now, I know that the worst that would have happened if had written a record of my experiences was that my papers and pictures would have been taken from me and returned after the war was over. Some of my pictures were taken from me and to my surprise they were returned years later.

Historians, who research records of events of the past, often interpret the events with a value system that was developed years after the events occurred. This gives a distorted picture of what happened and why it happened. I hope to help the readers of this collection to see the events through my eyes rather than through the filters of their experiences. The events or incidents did happen and made an impression on me. Some impressions have faded, fortunately, and many have remained a part of me and influenced my life.

Here are some questions that people in the military service have had to answer. See how you would answer them.

Who is a legitimate target in war? Certainly the members of the military establishment involved in combat are and so are the support bases. How about the makers of the weapons and supplies needed to continue combat? What about the taxpayers who are paying the members of the military to fight the war and are buying the equipment and supplies for them? Who is an innocent in the deadly and inhumane events of people killing people?

When does a member of the enemy force become ineligible for killing? If an enemy pilot parachutes from his airplane over his own territory, I certainly did not want him to come back up in another airplane and again try to kill me. How about the sick and injured, are they exempt? What does a patrol do with prisoners they have captured and can not take back to friendly forces? It is easier to answer these questions from the comfort of peacetime living than people in the deadly game of war. Their lives are at stake and the decisions are not academic.

Are there principles or situations that are worth risking your life to defend? This is an easy question to answer before there is a real risk of loss of life. For me, yes there are both principles and situations that are to be defended and I have risked my life in defending my country with its modified Capitalistic economic system and its political democracy. I have no regrets for doing so and would do so again.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There was more emotion recalled by the telling of these stories than I would have imagined. I had believed that my war time experiences had all become history devoid of any feelings of mine. Such is not the case. I hope that the reader, through these accounts, can understand the emotions that I felt under the stress of war.

I am grateful for the patience displayed by my wife, Dottie, during the time that I was absorbed in compiling this collection. I am also indebted to her for proof reading for me.

I am pleased that my then copilot, Phil Kelsall, pointed out discrepancies in my first writing of the Wewak Mission. His comments brought back a clear picture of that traumatic event.

Michael Claringbould has generously allowed me to include in this collection, a story of mine with his comments as they are shown on his web site AEROTHENTIC. Pictures of some of the fighter aircraft and one of the Tokyo Sleeper are from Michael’s book THE FORGOTTEN FIFTH. It is kind of him to let me use them.

Andy Nelson spent his time, used his computer knowledge, and expended energy in my behalf in arranging and recording my stories on a CD which made the publication of this book possible. I am grateful to him.

I appreciate Charles McClean’s gift of a copy of the photograph he took of the watery landing of the airplane carrying Capt. Robert L. Herry and crew. The airplane was fatally damaged by anti-aircraft fire when approaching Madang, New Guinea on 5 August 1943. The crew members were captured, beaten and starved for about 3 weeks before they were executed except for Major Williston Cox. He was our Squadron commander and was flown to Japan. His health was broken in a work camp in Japan.

I learned of the crew’s fate from copies of the War Crimes Records given to me by Walter Deas of Australia. His generous gift was welcome. Walter was also responsible for some of the pictures used and for moral support. His DVD entitled The Bomber Reef is a true to life story of World War II in the Pacific theater and the contribution of the B-25 to the war effort. I am impressed with Walter’s research and achievement. I recommend the DVD to anyone interested in World War II history. A copy can be obtained from Walter Deas at 11 Platypus Ave in Sorrento, Qld Australia 4217 or for information go to:

[e-mail].

I am grateful for the opportunity to associate with the people I encountered during the war. They were, in the main, kind to me.

I am also grateful that the Lord has given me more time beyond 2 September 1943 to learn to live with my fellow man. I know that my capabilities, such as they are, were greatly enhanced by the help of the Lord. I have paused on 2 September of each year to ask myself, What have I done with the additional time the Lord has given me to live on this earth?

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Dan Hakes drew this picture of the Tokyo Sleeper in the strafer configuration. Roy Lee Grover is shown as he appeared on the flight to Australia. This gift from Dan Hakes is greatly appreciated.

The 38th Bomb Group, a B-26 medium bomb group, was ordered to proceed to Australia early in 1942. The ground element arrived by ship in April. However, the two squadrons of flight crews with their B-26 airplanes were diverted to the Guadalcanal area. Two squadrons of flight personnel were then organized, furnished with B-25 aircraft and sent to Australia as the crews and aircraft of the 38th Bomb Group. I was part of the newly formed crews

My airplane and crew of four took off from Hamilton Field on August 9,1942 and landed on Oahu, Hawaii as our first stop. We then proceeded to stop at Christmas Island, Canton Island, Fiji, New Caledonia, and finally in Australia.

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MAP OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN CROSSING

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Christmas Island (Kiritimati)

Courtesy of Walter Deas

Christmas Island is now called Kiritimati, one of the group of islands now composed of the Republic of Karibati. Christmas Island was later used for nuclear testing.

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Canton Island

Courtesy of Walter Deas

The island’s role as a fueling stop has ceased. With now economic growth and insufficient soil to support crops, the island is not a permanent habitation. It was named after an American whaling ship wrecked in 1854.

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PRIMARY FLYING SCHOOL

In June 1941, Warren Young, a very good friend of mine, and I went to the Salt Lake City, Utah Navy Recruiting Station and offered our services for Navy flight training. We met the requirements of two years of College, twenty years of age, not married and were in good health. We each had a pilot’s license, which was not required, but we believed it to be an advantage. Together we had taken CPT (civilian pilot training), a college program, in the summer of 1940.

The Navy would accept Warren into their program but refused to accept me. We both left the office and went to the Army Recruiting Station and applied for the Army Aviation Cadet Program. The Army would accept me but would not accept Warren. My mouth would not fit the Navy oxygen mask as all of my teeth, including the front ones, did not meet at one time (I have a slight overbite). Warren needed 2 more credit hours of college work to meet the Army requirements. So Warren went into the Navy Program and I awaited a call for the Army Program (we were both pilots in the military service for about the same length of time).

The call came on 1 November 1941 and I enlisted in the Army as an Aviation Cadet. Those that were enlisted that day were sent home with orders to report at the Union Pacific train station Monday morning; I believe that was the 3rd of November. Our destination was the Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics in California, which was located between the cities of Visalia and Dinuba.

When we arrived in Visalia, a bus met us at the train station and took us out into the country to what looked like a building site for a motel. The buildings were mostly completed but the road in front and the landscaping were not. There was a curved unfinished driveway with what looked like motel rooms boarding it and beyond these buildings; an aircraft hanger could be seen. It was not an inspiring sight.

Six or eight cadets were assigned to a room with ample space between beds. The room contained a wall locker for