“Uncle Jack" - Great Story of a B-17 Navigator

[Brian Dick]

My Grandfather's boss for a time, (nicknamed "Brownie"), who worked for the C&O railroad in Canada was a Lancaster pilot and looped one over Chatham, Ontario during a bonds drive. He had some brutal stories. One of losing his copilot to a cannon shell on a night raid and flying back to England, "seat of the pants with the windshield blown out in sub zero temps. Amazing stuff those guys were made of. Another co-worker of my Gramps taught me to shoot using a Crosman air rifle at the C&O car shanty in Sarnia, Ontario when I was kid. He was still carrying shrapnel from the Italian Campaign. Glenn Gowdy was his name. Another Great Canadian. I'll never forget him. He had me shooting pennys at 25 feet in no time! Brian

Peter, Do tell!

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[Bill Hughes]

Thanks for the memories. I was in the generation just after "uncle Jack". Born in 1934, entered Aviation Cadets in 1953 and received my wing and commission in Dec 1954., I was 20 years old. My first assignment was flying B-29s in recconnance from Guam. Many of my crew members were uncle Jacks that had been recalled for Korea. I heard many a tale of the big war during those recce flights! I stayed on and retiired in 1973. Was in Nam in 1970 but with a ground job darn it! I can remember many a flight when the oldest crew member was under thirty. Those days were different. Bill Hughes