31ST FIGHTER VETERANS

31ST FIGHTER VETERANS "FLIGHT LINE" (Formerly the"Three-O-Eighter") A publication for and about former members of the 308th Fighter Squadron and other units of the 31st Fighter Group/Wing and successor organizations. The 307th, 308th, and 309th Fighter Squadrons of the 31st Fighter Group together achieved the highest number of aerial victories in the Mediterranean theater. Their combined total was 571 victories during their ETO tour from June, 1942 thru July, 1945. The "Fighting Black Cat" insignia of the 308th, designed by 308th pilot Lt. Richard F. Hurd wears a golden crown symbolizing the "King" of fighters., The 31st Fighter Groups pilots flew Spitfires in the 8th AF in England, the 12th Air Force in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy; and P-51 Mustangs in the 15th Air Force. Thirty-three (33) of the 31st's pilots became "Aces". The 31st Fighter was the first: American fighters in England; to operate in ETO; to destroy an enemy aircraft; AAF Fighter Group in action in Algeria, Malta, and Sicily; to land in Italy; had the only AAF unit at Anzio; and the first AAF Group operational with P-51 Mustangs in MTO.

THE GROUP INSIGNIA

The Group Coat of Arms consisting of a shield and motto was approved by the War Department on June 28, 1941.

The Shield:

Per bend nobule on and azure, in chief a wyvern, sans legs, wings endorsed on the second. The shield is divided per bend nobule in the colors of the Air Corps. The partition line is the heraldic symbol for clouds. In the upper portion of the shield is placed a wyvern without legs, the wings endorsed. The wyvern is a strong and fierce mythical animal which symbolizes the overthrow of a vicious enemy. It is shown without legs to indicate that all of its work is in the air and is made in blue to contrast against the gold background.

The Motto: Return with Honor.

We, the members of the Thirty First Pursuit Group, knowing full well that we are a team whose mission can be accomplished only when each and every one of us plays his position to the best of his ability, and in cooperation with one another; do hereby pledge ourselves to go forth unto our appointed tasks with fearless determination, to pursue them relentlessly to their conclusion and to RETURN WITH HONOR.

May 27, 1992

Mike Adams, 31st Treasurer

3929 Venetian Drive

Tampa, Florida 33634

Dear Thirty Firsters:

This is a pre-war plus a war story.

Eleven of us just graduated from the Army Air Corps Flying Training Center at Randolph and Kelly Fields, San Antonio, Texas on February 1, 1939 (Class of 39A) and were assigned to the 94th Pursuit Squadron of the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan.

The 94th Pursuit Squadron was Captain Eddie Rickenbacker's famous "Hat in the Ring" Squadron of World War I fame. To be assigned to that squadron was a great honor. Our Squadron Commander was Major Harold H. George.

Major George was like a father or big brother to us young, new Second Lieutenants. He taught us by example. He flew with us almost daily. He and Mrs. George (obviously still very much in love) regularly attended the "Saturday Night Dance" at the Officers Club. He kept himself in superb physical condition with strenuous physical activity. He taught us that loyalty went both ways in the organization - both up and down. A subordinate must be loyal to his commander, but the commander must in turn be loyal to his subordinates. He was a short man - nor more than 5'6" tall - hardly as tall as even I.

In January 1940, the 94th Squadron became the 31st Pursuit Group. Our first Commanding Officer was the same Harold H. George, now Lt. Colonel George. We were appropriately reinforced with additional personnel. So then Selfridge had two Pursuit Groups, the 1st and 31st. The war was underway in Europe and the American build-up was accelerated.

In January 1941, the 1st and 31st Groups became a total of eight "skeleton" groups. I was assigned to the 49th Pursuit Group to become the Squadron Commander.

In early 1942, I met the same Harold H. George, now Brigadier General George, in Melbourne, Australia. He had escaped from the Phillipines, was very thin, and had a bad limp. His character and loyalty hadn't changed a bit. He wanted to make sure that I had a place to stay. He inquired about my wife Ruth and son, Bobby, and wished me success. He was eager to fight the Japs.

Later that Spring, at Darwin, Australia, where I had been shot down, burned, and rescued by Aborigines, Brigadier General Harold H. George was killed when one of our pilots lost control of his P-40 on take-off.

What a terrible loss and a sad fate for the first Commander of the 31st!

Sincerely,

This letter copied from (S) Bob Van Auken

ISSUED BY AAA-RAF PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE Special Handout

Tuesday, 5 Sept, 1944

(for Immediate Release)

31ST FIGHTER GROUP CITED

The blue ribbon of a Distinguished Unit Citation was pinned to the

colors of the veteran 15th AAF 31st Fighter Group Sunday at its Italian base

by Major ceneral Nathan F. Twining, Commanding General of the Fifteen'th Air

Force. At the same time, General Twining presented the Distinguished Service

Cross for extraordinary heroism to Major Samuel J. 8rown, 1804 East 16th6 Place

Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the Mediterranean theaters leading fighter pilots.

Pioneer and top scoring P-51 Mustang fighter Group in the Mediterranean

theater, the 31st was cited for its outstanding perforn6ance of duty on April

21, 1941. On that date, the Mustangs, then commanded by Col. Gharles M.

McCorkle, of Newton, N. C., provided target cover for seven groups of heavy

bombers attacking otl installations and production centers at Ploesti, despite

almost insurmountable weather conditions. Despite being considerably out‑

numbered by enemy fighters the 31st Fighter Group successfully warded off

attacks against the bombers, shooting down sixteen enemy fighters and probably

destroying or damaging many others.

The 31st, which since Col. McCorkle's return to the United States has been

under the command of Lt. Col. Yancey S. Tarrant of Brownwood, Texas, has one

of the most colorful histories among fighter groups in the whole European

theater.

It was the first to land in England since the last war, and the first to go

on operational status in the European theater. That it was the first to suffer

a pilot combat casualty was offset by destroying the first enemy aircraft in

the European theater credited to an AAF Fighter Group, an FW 190 destroyed

on the occasion of the Dieppe raid of Aug. 19, 1942. Later the 31st left

England to become the first AAF Fighter Gxoup to go into action in Algeri6,

when the invasion forces landed in Oran. It was also the first AAF Fighter

outfit to operate from the Island of Malta.

When Sicily was invaded, the 31st was again the first to operate, flying

British Spitfires with which it had been equipped in England. An advanced

ground echelon with the invasion forces at Salerno added the honor of being

the first AAF Fighter Group to land in Italy. The Group was the first and

only of the AAF to have a fighter squadron, complete with planes and personnel

at the Anzio beach head.

Transferring from the 12th Air Force to the 15th AAF, the 31st parted

with its Spitfires to become the first AAF Fighter Group to go on operational

status with the American P-51 Mustangs in the Mediterranean thea6er. With

their new planes, the group soon rose to second place in the theater in

number of enemy fighters shot down.

Since its first victory at Dieppe, the 31st has shot down approximately

500 enemy planes of all type, 300 of which have been destroyed while with

the 15th Air Force.

SIDELIGHT: The Distinguished Service Cross, for extraordinary heroism, was awarded

to Major Samuel J. Brown, Tulsa, Okla., third ranking

fighter pilot in the Mediterranean theater with 15 1/2 enemy planes to his

credit. Major Brown received the high honor for his display of courage, skill,

and heroism on June 26, 1944 when he, with only the protection of a wing man,

attacked a formation of 50 enemy fighters fixing to attack 15th AAF heavy

bombers near Vienna. When the battle was over, Major Brown had destroyed four

of the the German planes and damaged two, caused the remainder to disperse.

ZILCH FROM 31ST FW: I have not heard anything new on the active 31st FW or the 308th FS which was at Moody AF Base, Valdosta, GA in October, 1992. I have written the CO of the 308th, and

sent copies of our October and January newsletters... no reply... nothing was returned. Has anybody out there got a clue to what's with them?

A "DUT" STORY: JACK FIDLER... NEW ORLEANS-1942: You've heard of famous lines by famous, or infamous people, like "don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes", and "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead", and "we've not yet begun to fight", and all that.

OK, now you listen to this! This is one by our own 31st people.

Dutton & I was having a beer in some honkey-tonk in New Orleans in the early evening, not many people in the place. In comes a sailor-person from His Majesty's Fleet, he looked like kind of a lost soul. We invited him over and he sat down at the table. I don't know what kind of a sailor he was but evidently some kind of sailor, 'cause he was in a "sailor suit".

This guy turned out to be the only loud-mouthed braggart type English person I ever met in my life. He just kept on and on, and on! All he could talk about was how great the 8th Army Desert Force was... over and over. We heard him... but we knew better, because the 8th Army had just been chased back from Bengazi all the way to El Alemein.

Finally ol' Dutton had enough and he says, "Now just a minute, just a goddam minute", and here starts his famous line. Dut' says, "Let me tell you, if MacArthur ever gets chased around the Phillipines like the 8th Army did across Africa, I'll hug you and kiss your ass till you bark and yelp like a little red Fox!"

A few days later... MacArthur flew the coop and Bataan surrenders. That line should'a been recorded in the national archives... that's just as good as "don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes"

1ST SELFRIDGE P-38: JACK FIDLER.... I saw the first P-38 that came into Selfridge. It was one Sunday evening. We'd just come from the Hdqtrs mess hall and the west end of our mess hall faced the line. It was just north far enough there was no hangar between us and the flight line. This P-38 came buzzing down through there and everyone commented on the speed, saying "What in hell was that!" So. we all ran out to the flight line right away... we had to look that dude over!

THAT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS ARE!: 'Buz' Howell... I remember one day when several of us were on KP at Selfridge and taking a short break in the dining room. There on the wall was the mural of a WW1 biplane with the "Hat-in-the-Ring" insignia of Eddie Rickenbachers 94th Pursuit Squadron. My buddy at the time, Seymour S. Sopkin,(later a Martin B-26 pilot in N., Africa) said,"I wonder if anyone can remember the name of even one of the mechanics who busted their butts to keep those airplanes ready to go?"

Someone said, "Hell no, they didn't do anything, just put in gas and oil, checked the tires, and waved him off!... they probably never fired a shot!" Sopkin replied "Oh, you know they did a lot more than that, and, if they hadn't done a pretty good job of it, Rickenbacher could never have gotten the kills he did... I'm goin' to be a pilot some day and I hope I never forget the mechanic on my airplane!

It's kind of like the quarterbacks and ball carriers in a football game as opposed to the linemen... yeah, they all won or lost the game, and all the members of the team know that, but the 'fans' only remember the 'big' plays by the 'ball handlers'! Also, they're the ones who are remembered long after the games... not the "grunts".

ANOTHER 'SLANT' ON THAT SUBJECT: Jack Fidler.... Bob Goebel, in his book Mustang Ace, tells of the line between Officers and Enlisted Men, and how his visit to one of his friends from Racine didn't turn out too well. Well, that's probably true in that case. I don't doubt but what it was. But, when we were at San Severo, and we were getting all those victories... I'll be a plugged nickel, if some of our pilots would've just come over to our mess hall some evenin's, and just tell us about their flights, and the aerial fights, what it felt like, how it went... I'll bet that goddam mess hall would've been full. I know I'da been there... I'd have enjoyed that!

'AIRBALL'... Flyin' is like poison... One drop'll kill you.

All of the non-308 Officer and enlisted veterans of the 31st that I have heard from are complimentary of our newsletter, and also, reading between the lines, a bit envious, and for good reason. Our newsletters are documentary material that can be passed on to our descendants to tell how it was with their Father, Grandfather, Uncle, etc. as a 'dog-face' soldier in a Fighter outfit in WW11 ! So now we have a few old letters, photos, memorabilia... and our memories of the time. What we tried so hard to forget quickly in 1945... we now have to rack our brains to recollect and sift out our experiences during three years or more of war fifty-some years ago. We have long since lost track of most of the men we fought the war alongside, and those we can contact are becoming less and less in numbers. Time is of the essence... to get our memoirs together!

The 100-plus pages of our newsletter published to date may be just a collection of stories about things YOU already knew... But, how about your immediate family and relatives? I'll bet there's a lot of Susan Swartz, Cass Taliaferro, Roger Gallagher, or Dennis Kucera types out there that want all they can get about you and your buddies war-time experiences. The newsletter is already a good start and I hope to be able to continue it for a few more years. In order to make our story more complete I want to expand the coverage to include all the Squadrons of the 31st Fighter Group during WW11.

SOUNDS LIKE A GUY I USED TO KNOW!: A drunk, asked why he was pulling a log chain, said, "Did'ja ever try to push one of 'em?"

307 FS STATUS & BS BOARD

307TH FS 1992 REUNION: Your Editor wrote to Ed McKinnon, the host of their Reunion in Manchester, NH requesting some input on the affair. So far... nothing. I'd be happy to include their inputs in our newsletter.

308 FS STATUS & BS BOARD

L/C (R) W. E. 'BILL' SHELTON: (Repeat) 21 July 1992, If anyone recalls my Crew Chief's name (HL-O) I'd like to contact him.

PARKE SHEE: (Ed: Sorry Parke, your note of Nov. 23rd, 1992 somehow got overlooked for the Jan.'93 Mini-report. Maybe this will get a rise out of Bill Smith... Border ?.) Parke wrote..."Been very slow with my correspondence the last 3-4 months but wanted you to know that I appreciated the last (Oct '92) issue of the "Three-O-Eighter" except for that perpetual moaning of Bill Smith's about how I took all of his money at poker in '44-'45. I thought sure he'd forgot about it by now... I was even kind of hoping to get a little game going during the Dayton reunion as Smith's WW11 contribution has just about run out! Just to show that it's not all gone I'm sending a contribution to the newsletter. Have a nice Thanksgiving... Border 64, Parke Shee.

CHESTER W. CHURCH: Nov. 1992... Chester sent a couple pictures, one of himself and Ed Hatch by B-24 'Glamour Gal' (topless!), and the other of Herb Beumer, 308th's Italian barber, Chester, Ed Hatch, and Joe Amato. Also, a listing of troop movements he made with the 31st taken from Squadron Supply records, and info on all the missions he flew. (Will try to put them in July or Oct. '93.

HERB & BERNICE DOWLING: (Ed: I overlooked your Dec 7th note in the Jan Mini-report so here 'tis.) "Guess the Hurricane cancelled our 308th Mini-reunion at Homestead. Hopefully, we will attend the next Reunion in Oklahoma City.

Our children gave us a beautiful 50th Wedding Anniversary Reception at the Niagra Falls Air Base in the NCO Club. Our son Peter is a Master Sergeant in the Reserves at the Base, and to complete the party arranged a room for us in the Officers Billet for us to stay on Base overnite. (Ed: Bet you got that one in just in time!... what with all the bases scheduled to close.)

We enjoy reading the "Three-o-Eighter". After we read it we loan it to a friend who lived in England during the war. She was familiar with many of the places the 31st was stationed. Only after reading the paper was she convinced that the 31st Fighter Group flew Spitfires and was an American outfit!"

T CASS TALIAFERRO: Jan 3, 1993... (Ed: This writers father was former 308'er Ted E. Taliaferro, deceased Nov. 1985.) I would like very much to receive back issues of the 308th Fighter Squadron newsletter and also to subscribe to future issues. I am very interested in the history of the 308th Fighter Squadron and the 31st Fighter Group. I treasure my memories of the stories my father told me.

RAY FIASCHI: Jan 6, 1993... I really enjoyed this past 308'er especially the history of the 31st from inception... very interesting as it refreshed my memory of the many events and places that have slipped away. In fact, all your newsletters have been interesting and enlightening. The Memorial Plaque at the AF Museum is great. I'll help.

MILTON D. NAST: Jan 14, 1993...Enjoyed your phone conversation and letter. I do have the Oct '92 newsletter. Thanks! Eugene R. McKinney of the old 94th and 40th is now at 2213 Oaklawn Dr., Decatur, Il 62526. Remember, he went with the 'Flying Tigers'.

T CASS TALIAFERRO: Jan 30, 1993... I really appreciate your furnishing me with the names of the men who knew Daddy. I am looking forward to talking with them. (Ed: Carroll Christenson and Jim Lokey) I will try to send you some stories that Daddy told me about his experiences during the war... I really appreciate your efforts to preserve the history of the 308th. You guys did a lot that is well worth remembering.

SIGN ON A PASTURE FENCE: "Don't cross this field unless you can do it in 9.9 seconds... that bull out there can do it in 10!"

HAROLD KLINGLER: Feb. 4, 1993. I enjoy the newsletter very much.. here's a check to help out. When time permits I will write more.

RALPH R. FRANCIS: FEB. 15, 1993... I am enclosing a little story that I recall very well. It is one of those events vividly remembered the rest of your life. (See WW11 N. Africa)--- Don & Iris Firoved have sold their home in Ocala and moved back to this area of Pinellas County. Both are doing well.

L/C (R) ROBERT M. TERRY: Feb. 15, 1993... I was pleased to get your letter of 28 Jan '93 and the tape of Emmett Gilbert's rotation flight. It was most interesting as one always wonders how old combat friends managed to survival their unusual experiences. (Will be in a future issue--no room this time!)

It was good to get another name of those fine men that served the 308th Ftr Sqdn. so well. I am looking forward to your newsletter to bring the details of the 308th action back to memory. Enclosed is my check for back issues and subscription through April 1944. Best Regards to all 308'ers... Bob Terry.

ED & EVELYN CZYZ: Feb 26, 1993... "We enjoyed the Jan. Mini-report. It makes one feel so involved. We anxiously await the re-union in Oklahoma City.

SOMEONE ACTUALLY SAID THIS: "I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous."

W. E. & PAULINE ANDERSON: MARCH 20, 1993... We expect to leave for Lansing, IL around the 10th of April. Will be able to complete the Job/Rank Listing review up there where most of my records are. (Got the records Andy, glad you're home) Hope to see you in OKC at the next reunion, or sooner.

ROGER H. ROBINSON: April 4, 1993...Here's some stories of antics I pulled while overseas which you can use in newsletters. (ED: See WW11 Flashbacks) We are going to Germany the end of May. We have two HS Graduations to attend; our Grandson May 28 at O'Fallon, IL; the our Grand-daughter June 4th at Rhein-Main AF Base in Frankfurt, Germany. We'll be in Germany most of June.

AL QUINT: March 16, 1993... Al was getting ready to head back to Milwaukee. Sent some corrections to the Job/Rank List and another donation to the newsletter operation. Thanks Al... for both.

ROGER GALLAGHER: March 25, 1993... Before dad's health problems, he had gone down to his basement (after the '92 reunion in Dayton) and dug out several boxes of pictures he had taken while with the 308th... all sorts of goodies. We found two pictures of the infamous P‑51 two‑seater showing "308" on the side of the plane; six negatives of the He‑111 that landed on your base; lots of negatives of Achtung; a series of pictures showing a P‑51 that had an 88 mm shell go through the wing inches short of the right wing's main spar. We also found group pictures of the armorers and the radio section, plus lots of P.R. close‑up pictures of some squadron personnel, both ground crew and pilots. There were a couple of negatives of pictures taken from the twin‑engine bomber that you guys "acquired" showing a flight of the 308th flying in formation. Now that dad is going to have a long period of time in which he can do very little, he is planning on organizing these pictures into albums to bring to the 1994 reunion.

(Ed: Roger sent two 'scanned' photo's, I think San Severo time, one 19 Armorers on and in front of a GI truck, the other 18 Radio Section people in front of their Section tent. Fidler and Davenport will be interested in these because they are in the pictures. If this is a sample of what you have more of... there's going to be a lot of 308'ers interested!)

ED OLBEY: April 5, 1993... (Ref the Ground Support Roster - Job/Rank I am working on and sent Ed for input)... "After 50 years things become a little hazy. I am sending you Xerox copies of some of souvenir Duty Roster and

documents I saved that may help... I started out in the 31st Hq Group as did the people whose names I have underlined in red on the March 18, 1942 Duty Roster enclosed. I was never assigned to the 1st Fighter Group. I was Tech Prop Chief under G. B. Allen all the time I was with the 308th. When Allen left, I became Chief of the reformed Engineering Maintenance Group with the personnel shown on the typical Duty Roster dated June 17, 1944. Allen took his Master Sergeant's stripes (permanent) with him, and as a result, according to Upczak), only 3 Master Sergeants were allowed so I remained a Technical Sergeant.

I stayed on this assignment until Aug. 2, 1944 when Major Dorris nailed me to be his Flight Engineer on a beat up old 'war weary' B-25 he was ferrying back to the States'. This trip turned out to be quite a scary experience. Our sister plane went down in shark infested waters and we were unable to do anything to help them. I used a pair of pliers to operate the wobble pump to transfer fuel from the bomb bay tanks to the wing tanks after our electric pump 'burned out' and the wobble pumps' wooden handle broke off!

I reviewed your Ground Support Roster and on my Aug 1944 Duty Roster have underlined in red some of the missing information you need... You probably should have included Defourneaux in your list of consultants. He had a remarkable memory for details that always amazed me. During the war years he knew more about what parts were or were not in Tech Supply than did the Supply Personnel in charge who were supposed to know!"

(Ed's note: I too remember that about Defourneaux's memory for detail and I'm sending him a copy of the listing. I'll be glad to send a copy to anyone who can help "fill in the blanks".)(I will reproduce the two Selfridge Field documents Olbey sent and try to get them in the July '93 newsletter.)

SPOTLIGHT ON ROY PHILLIPS

ROY PHILLIPS: October 26, 1992 (Ed: Roy, your letter came right after the Oct '92 newsletter went out so this is the first time I've had a chance to use it.) Roy wrote..."My first letter of comment on you much appreciated newsletter. (A quote from page 3, Oct '92, Art Bleiler) I enjoy reading the newsletter, reliving the events as you bring them anew to my attention, because, after fifty years much of what happened then has escaped my memory.

I especially appreciated the short diaries of Art (Bleiler) and Andy Vangalis. I joined the 31st at New Orleans in early 1942, went over on the QE, was assigned to the 309th most of the time but part of the time to the 308th. I went into N. Africa at Oran in Nov '42 and Sicily in July '43. From San Severo I transferred to B-24 Group 454, the 736th Squadron. Flew the allotted 50 missions as a Nose Gunner. Had to bail out once over Poland. When fighting ended in May, 1945 I was in a Repl Depot waiting return to the U.S..

FAYE KENYON GETS PURPLE HEART: ART BLEILER..." Going out to Cape Bon, Tunisia, when Faye Kenyon got his Purple Heart, (I understand the first in the 308) I was with him coming down the road leading to the air airfield (Advance Echelon), all mined and not cleared. We saw this wire going thru the grass. Kenyon found a stone to throw at it. I ran the other way. His stone tripped the hand grenade and the rest was history. I was unscathed"

FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH: JACK FIDLER... (Ed: I reported this story in a previous newsletter but apparently didn't satisfy Jack's insistence on accuracy) sooo.... "Another thing I guess I didn't make myself very clear on was Gale Rogers accident and injury to his hand while gauging the head space on the 20mm in the Spitfires at Korba. On that cartridge that blew up in his hand, it was not the projectile, but the primer and the propellant powder. If it had been the projectile that blew up, his hand would have been gone, he would have had it right there as far as his hand was concerned, would have blown his hand off, I'm sure. I think that particular shell must have had a protruding primer on it and wasn't made just right. When he hit it with that gauge, it wasn't slammed in, it was just shoved up there, something touched off the primer... and it went."

PIKE'S PASS!: ART BLEILER... We'd only been at Korba a couple days Chas' Pike went up to a little village up the Cape. Got into some vino and didn't return for a couple days. The Officer in Charge, can't remember his name, got worried. We told the Officer he'd be back. Next afternoon (late toward evening) here came a local with a 3 wheel bike, Charley standing in the back pretty high on vino. All were relieved to see him."

OLD-TIME RECRUITS!: JACK FIDLER... This might have been at Korba... don't remember... Jim Sreiner and Bill Steed were both old-timers, been around a long time. Standing in line for some damn thing one day and those two guys got to arguing with each other as to which of them was the "recruit" with least service! They both had 19 or 20 years in and I thought... both those goddam fools with all that time are still recruits. I wasn't far wrong!

ED OLBEY...GETS HIS PHOTO'S!: ART BLEILER..."Air raid at Korba. Was sleeping in pup tent near RR track. Just started to put on my coveralls. Couldn't run so I lay flat on ground. As the planes came back strafing, there was Ed Olbey taking pictures! The planes tracers were pretty much in line with where Ed was standing. A few yards from Ed, the firing stopped and the plane went on overhead."

WE COULD'A BEEN KILLED! - BY Ralph Francis. (June 30.1943.)

The U. S. Army Engineers constructed two runways on Gozo. The runways were built on two different levels, so the approach area to one of them was painted white. The pilots were advised not to land on the white painted area because it was at a lower level than the rest of the runway.

A Spitfire from the 309th, WZ-Z, attempted to land in the white painted area, but bounced up and then nosed over. It was only slightly damaged and was pulled off to the side of the runway.

Bob Fletcher, a 308th Radio Man, and me (Francis) were on the plane WZ-Z removing the guns, ammunition, and radio. Three RAF men came out to the plane where we were working and said, "We're responsible for servicing this plane". and told us we should leave.

We left, and were on the other side of the runway, when here comes HL-W attempting to land. He hit the white painted area, bounced forward and plowed into WZ-Z. There was a tremendous ball of fire. HL-W split in half and the pilot (Lt. Fardella) still strapped to his seat was catapulted out of the plane. Still in the seat he bounced and rolled over 100 yards from the crash.

The three RAF men were killed instantly. The explosion practically extinguished the fire. Nobody had gone to look at the pilot because, by all appearances he would be dead. When we went there to remove his body, still strapped in the seat, he was still alive. His face was so full of dirt and pock marks from the gravel and stones stuck in his skin, he looked dead. He survived to fly again!

When Fletcher, the Radio man, and I looked at those three dead RAF men, we thought... If they had not taken over our jobs - we would have been there instead of them!

SHADE TREE FIX!: ART BLEILER... "I was left at the field in Oran when the squadron was at Thelepte. They gave me the two‑wheeled accumulator with a bad motor and told me to put in a main bearing & fly it to the outfit when it was repaired. I had a pocket knife and a few wrenches to do the job. I went to the welding shop and made a ladle big enough to pour the bearing. Got some bearing babbit from an old auto engine. Tried to find something to pour the babbit around and finally came up with an old Vaseline bottle.

Q. How to pour around the glass without breaking it before the babbitt set up. I heated sand extremely hot, then placed it in the bottle while dry, and then poured the bearing. It was good on the first try. Scraped the bearing smooth with my pocket knife. When we quit using the machine in Italy, the motor was still doing well.

MORE ON THOSE "DUNG" BEETLES: Buz Howell... Updating my April '91 story a Discovery Channel Special identified them as 'Giant' beetles which can grow to 4" length! They reproduce by using the dung droppings of animals as 'incubation' chambers. The adults dig a tunnel and excavate a chamber a couple feet underground near a dung pile. They make balls of the dung and roll them to the tunnel and down to the nest chamber. When full, (4-12 dung balls) the female lays eggs in each, the male fertilizes them. They seal the balls with a mucous-like coating and then plug the tunnel with dung and dirt as they exit.

The eggs, laid and fertilized at the same time, hatch about the same time. The larva eats the dung, becomes a pupae, then a beetle, one for each ball. It then eats a hole in the ball and digs and eats its way up the tunnel and out to eventually mate and repeat the process.

These beetles are a prime food to several predator animal species which locate the nests by 'hearing' larva and beetle movement. Instinct urges the beetles to escape the nest quickly in darkness, usually all of them in the same night. So... now you know why they rolled those dung balls!

JIM THORSENS' ROUTE TO CASTEL VOLTURNO: (Ed: Perhaps some of you have wondered how it happened that Thorsen showed up at Castel Volturno just in time to become CO of the 308th which was then getting it's new P-51's, transferring to the 15TH Air Force, and moving across Italy to San Severo.)

DENNIS KUCERA, Author, in researching material for his "soon to be published" book about the 31st Fighter Group in WW11, supplied the following: "To fill you in on what I know of the man; in September or October of '42 he was transferred out of the 309th in England along with forty or fifty others to the 350th Fighter group, equipped with P-39's. He was made C.0. of the 347th Fighter Squadron based at Snailwell and in March or April of '43, after having buzzed back and forth in southern England, they strapped long range tanks to their P39's and ferried them to Port Lyeauty, Morocco. Some of the pilots panicked on the trip and landed in neutral Portugal where their fighters were impounded and they were detained for six weeks before taking a ship to Africa to rejoin their unit.

If you read "Catch 22"you know what happened next; the government gave them medals to cover up the embarrassing truth of their inexcusable waste of war workers' efforts and government property for no gain.

The 350th served an undistinguished tour in North Africa patrolling convoys and doing some ground support work in which they lost a few and managed to shoot down some Luftwaffe bombers and fighters. In January, 1944 they were sent forward to Ghisonaccia, Corsica, and it was from there that he rejoined the 31st as new C.0. of the 308th. You probably know better than me the story of what happened to Thorsen as he finished his first tour in ETO with you in the 308th. By the time he rotated, the 350th had converted to P-47's and Thorsen joined them in the States for a good time and training in the P-47, probably to take over as C.O. of the 350th.

On his return to Italy the 308th had just lost it's C.O., Major Wagner, on an ill fated strafing mission, and Thorsen was thrown into the breach rather than move on and up."

"Do stay well, healthy, and wise. Best wishes and keep that great newsletter flowing. It is a monument to some truly great people."

(Ed's comment... And so it was that when the war with Germany ended, Thorsen was in place at Mondolpho to 'make a showing' in 'bucking' for Group C.O.. Toward this goal he bulldozed his 308th Squadron,(the 307th and 309th did not do this 'max effort' training) which now consisted of 98% new pilots and at least 90% replacement enlisted personnel and Ground Officers, through over two months of daily 'combat mission' type transition flying, readying his outfit for transfer to the Pacific Theater, possibly as the first american jet fighter outfit.)

Old South American saying...

"In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is King!"

BOMB 'EXPERT' STILL LIVES!: Roger H. Robinson... While at Cape Bone, Korba North I believe the place was called, Gale 'Tombstone' Rogers and I started a 'hobby' of collecting 20 mm projectiles. We would drill a hole in the shell and drain out the powder. then hit the cap with a nail. I don't remember how we got the powder out of the projectile, may be didn't. However, I remember we were sitting in front of a pup tent figuring out how to take this German projectile apart.

As I recall it, Jack Fidler cam along and stopped to see what we were doing. We could see that there was a small detonating device on the end of the projectile which apparently screwed off. I found a small set screw which held it in place, unscrewed that, and off it came, a small spring went sailing off, and there was the firing pin all exposed! One push on that pin and it would have exploded! We had unscrewed the wrong part. Jack just got up and walked away and didn't come back... (I never did understand why not!) I screwed the cap back on and found the other set screw and got the device off correctly... no accident.

BAREFOOT IN THE STUBBLE!: Roger Robinson... Going back to Korba North I can remember the morning that the germans came flying over our area and did a bit of shooting. We all took off running, me included, run barefooted across a fresh cut grain field. We got out there quickly, however, it took a lot longer time to walk back through those stubbles!

Belief is a wise wager...

If you win - you gain all... If you lose - you lose nothing.

Ancient Philosopher

KUCERA BOOK REPORT: The "History of the 31st Fight Group" is not yet published. Author Dennis Kucera has given up on Aviation USK after 3 years of their dilly-dallying with it and had USK return all his material. Dennis is now negotiating with Turner Publishing Co. of Paducah, KY. Turner Co. claims to be the largest publisher of veterans association histories, more than 100 titles including all branches of the service. Kucera will ask them to review his 31st History manuscript of several hundred pages and the 1,000 plus photographs he has collected for the work. Dennis said, "I think they'll snap it up for very commercial reasons... I will most certainly keep you posted."

EGG-EATER DAVENPORT: Art... check your diary and memory and give me an estimate of how many dozens of eggs you ate while in N. Africa!

SPECIAL STORY MATERIAL NEEDED: I want put together a 'Special' on Herb Beumer about the things he did for us in the 308th. I know every one of you guys can remember something to tell me about Herb... he touched the lives of every one of us in his own special way. If he were still with us today I'd still have to get the info from someone else because Herb didn't see the things he did as anything exceptional... but we know different. He was one of the 'real' men among us. Most outfits didn't have the benefit of the ability and skill with which Herb was able to produce the buildings and other things we needed, seemingly out of "thin air"! Now let's hear from all you guys on this, ... we need to let Herb's family and friends know what he did and how much we appreciated him and his work.

VETERAN BOMBERS IN OKC: (Ed: I saw 'em!) Two restored WW11 bombers will be on display in OKC April 17-19. B-17 "Nine-O-Nine" and B-24 "All American" were restored by The Collings Foundation of Stow, Mass.. The Champion was the "Nine-O-Nine" operated by the 91st Bomb Grp, 323rd Sqdn. which completed 140 missions without an abort or crewman loss. It was scrapped after WW11 with over 600 holes from flak damage. It had made 16 trips to Berlin, dropped 562,000 lbs. of bombs and had 21 engine changes. The B-17 on display, dubbed the "Nine-O-Nine" in honor of the Champion plane, was built in 1945, too late for war service. It was subjected to three nuclear explosions, restored, and flown 20 years as a "fire-bomber" dropping water and repellant on forest fires.

The restored Liberator, built in 1944, is the only flying and restored B-24 in the world although 18,000 were built. It was named "All American" in honor of a B-24 that shot down 14 enemy fighters on July 25, 1944 and was lost over Yugoslavia a few months later.

LADIES SECTION: I have been thinking, and others have suggested that the newsletter should allocate some space to our ladies. OK... I'll do it! But, I need the input from the ladies... not what the men said the ladies told them to write. If you gals have a message for the newsletter... send it in.

308'ERS WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM IN A WHILE: Bender, Bowman, Cade, Chatters, L/G Fred Dean, Lamensdorf, Masteller, Paulk, Pennsinger, Reavis, Redwine, Roche, Share, Sheehan, Simmons, Toti, Trafton.

USAF SQUEEZE: Sen Sam Nunn, CNN's Newsmaker Saturday... "Budget cuts in 1993-94 will see USAF lose 4 of it's 28 Fighter Wings and the closure of many Air Bases. (ED: Anyone heard anything on the 31st?)

NEWSLETTER GOES QUARTERLY: Beginning with the next issue in July, 1993 I will publish the newsletter every three months. It's just too long between issues! There will be a slight increase in postage, but not much, as I plan to limit each issue to ten pages. (5 sheets of paper mails for .29 cents.)

FUTURE ITEMS: Then & Now Photo project; After '45 Spotlight on ?; More on Robert Mandeville; Gozo/Sicily Flashbacks; The All-Black 99th; Elliot Roosevelt, P38 Air-Recon; Emmett Gilbert's Rotation Flight to the U.S.- 1944; Bill Shelton Sets Gunnery Record; WW11's Flying Women; Navaho Indian "Code" talkers; and more! Deadline for next issue items is July 10th.