Heroic Tale of a Tail Gunner

[Seaspriter]

Here's Dave Osborne's B-17 master log. http://www.91stbombardmentgroup.com/...ID/FORTLOG.pdf

Thanks Vincent.

This Log makes fascinating reading. I did a word search for my buddy, the tail gunner, Dick Abbott, but the log is sparse on actual names of crew.

However, there are many interesting stories. One that surprised me was plane #38-270 flying out of Argentia (Newfoundland) 21/8/41, "a week after attacked a U-boat. This was not damaged but the first US incident in which US bombs were dropped in anger, however the press never knew!;"

This was fully 2 months before the U-Boat 552 sinking of the U.S.S. Destroyer Reuben James* doing convoy duty between Argentia and Iceland in the same area at the end of October. In other words, we were at war with Germany weeks before Hitler declared war on Dec 8th, 1941, and Congress declared war on Dec 9th.

Keep the stories coming. Many thanks to the MilSurps Team for your contributions. The free world is grateful for the heroism of those many B-17 and Lancaster crews who gave their lives to stop the Hitlerian Monster.

Robert

* Remember the song with the lyrics: "Tell me 'What were their names?' Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?" by the Weavers, Pete Seeger, and Johnny Horton. This was written just before the declaration of war to rally support against Germany.