A most outstanding find

[Deans BMW]

As there is a lot of aviation and WW11 aviation buffs in the "Cafe" I have just found at the direction of my sister in Lufkin, Tx a box containing dads log books including his first one from 1940 detailing his first flight training and various log books up until he sold his last airplane a '58 Cessna Skylane.

Also included are his after battle flight reports from his tour at the beginning of WW11. he was stationed in Benghazi, North Africa. these reports are 65 years old and fragile.

[Deans BMW]

I am now looking at two different reports that he wrote, aparently for some book documentation about two of his raids.

The first is entitled,

"Lady Be Good mission to Naples 4/4/43

In it he talks about the B 24 that he was the Captin of, the "Blue Streak" a very weary and war tired "Hal-Pro" ???.

The intercom was out of order so dad had the engineer crawl around with his portable Oxygen bottle to communicate with the rest of the crew.

My comment,, in those days true aviation oxygen was hard to come by and or to create. Av Oxygen has a dew point way below 0 F so as not to freez up in the Oxygen masks in use. The outside air temp at 25,000 ft is typically 35 to 30 below 0 F. There is no heat nor pressurization in a B 24 so as they typically flew over enemy territority at 25 to 30,000 ft. Cold Cold Cold.
It was very common for aircraft crew members in the early days of WW2 to completely pass out, get severe frost bite or worse.

Back to his report,

This was dads 3rd mission,

About 10 miles from the target at 25,000 ft the lead ship opened their Bombay doors. Dad looked back to see if the bombardier had opened the doors yet. Dad saw that one of the waist gunners had passed out on the cat walk and the still closed bombay doors.. No way to communicate with the bombardier, no intercom, so dad did a "Split S' at 25,000 ft over enemy territory with a fully loaded B 24, 9 500# bombs and all. Pulled out in a cloud at 14,000 ft.

His B 24 was then riddled with Ack Ack, all the electrical went out , navagated and flew across the Meditranian at nite in clouds with a flash lite held by a crew man using only the Needle Ball, Airspeed and compass to get home.

He found the airfield in Bengazi landed when he heard and saw the Lady Be Good fly over. The pilot and crew of the Lady were good drinking buddies and friends of his.

Upon inspection, his B 24 had severely corrogated wrinkled wings on top from the split s manuver, a hi gee manuver that no non acrobatic aircraft should ever attempt. I seem to remember dad telling me that the "Blue Streak" was decomissioned due to severe structual falure. His engineer made it thru the war and went home after the required number of missions.

I will be spending a lot of time studying all of this.


Last nite I found his report of him leading his group on the first bombing of Ploesti.

[1MPH]

Great find Dean.
Nice link to the past and your Dad.

[DarthRider]

Super stuff Dean-O!

If you ever want to go deeper in the war records, I can hook you up with son Bill and he can tell you where to find all kinds of things...flight plans, mission reports, service histories, commendations, most if not all of anything the US AAF kept.
It has been microfilmed and put on-line some way. Brought to you by the Freedom of Information Act...damn lefties!

He recently found a vid of some old official AAF film that shows my Dad and his unit getting some type of commendation. Right now, we are 95% sure it's him, still checking on some things. Bill never met his grandad "C.M." and he is just beside himself. Part of his mission with the 444th Bomb Group website has always (secretly) been to "find" C.M.
Now it looks like he has.

Post more stuff about your Dad & his war exploits...include some personal stuff. What was his name? And don't tell me "Col. Lear"!

[Rchop]

Cool stuff Dean, thanks for sharing it with us.

[Griffon]

This really is an amazing find! I hope you'll be posting more as you look through the records!

Paper conservation is tricky. I'll compile some information for you that may help prevent any more damage to these precious records. If you can, try to keep them at 50% humidity. Too dry an atmosphere, things get more brittle due to the lack of moisture. Too damp, mold becomes a problem.

Thanks so much for sharing these stories!

[Donson]

:plane:Post up Ploesti recap when You can-very cool stuff!

[JCsman]

Very, very cool indeed, Dean. Of great personal value to you, of course. Ploesti, WOW.... remarkable men in extraordinary times.

But also a historic treasure.

Uncle Sam spends a great deal of time and effort recording such documents on archival quality media. Jeremy's right, work to preserve these things. And, if possible, it would be fantastic if you could find a way to "share" them with the world though some group like the Air Force, National Archives or Library of Congress, even in digital form.

Dave's son may have contacts that could help. I've traded a few pms with Dave concerning such links/resources because of the effort he's making on the B-29 history.

[mnnden]

Dean, You have a wonderful history!!! and what a great find, I am not sure if you are aware of the history of the "Lady Be Good" but if not here is a quick read, The only plane that didn't return from Naples, Sitting here in my comfortable chair, it is hard to imagine the courage of those flight crew, Den

http://www.qmfound.com/lady_be_good_b-24_bomber_recovery.htm

[Deans BMW]

Dean, You have a wonderful history!!! and what a great find, I am not sure if you are aware of the history of the "Lady Be Good" but if not here is a quick read, The only plane that didn't return from Naples, Sitting here in my comfortable chair, it is hard to imagine the courage of those flight crew, Den

http://www.qmfound.com/lady_be_good_b-24_bomber_recovery.htm

I am quiet familiar with the story of the Lady Be Good as way back I saw a documentary or something similar on the Television, I went on to talk to Dad about it, he as so many of the WW2 guys were reluctant to talk about it. He new the crew well and as he heard them fly over upon their return to Benghazi and their subsequent disappearance. As this was Dads 3rd mission this early loss of friends had an impact on him.

One of the uncanny things about my Dad, Dean E Lear, as I am a Jr. was his almost magical ability with an internal compass, almost like a built in GPS. This held him in good stead during the war and afterwards. It seemed impossible for him to get lost and I have been fortunate to inherit some of that ability.

[Biff's R]

Dean,
I will pass this along to a hockey friend of mine. He wrote "The Day of the Panzer". It was about his dad in southern France during WWII.

He may have some insight into helping preserve those documents.

[jamming]

A treasure indeed!

I'm a huge fan of WWII aviation. There were many advances and the Men who went to war in the machines were heroes in the truest sense.

What you have in your hands is a priceless artifact IMHO Dean.

[Deans BMW]

I just found this receipt.

Dated Sept 6, 1941 for 20 minutes solo in prolly a Piper Cub with a 65 HP Lycoming at the Houston Main Street Airport.

$2.00 paid in cash.

http://deansbmw.smugmug.com/photos/525249301_UMLZP-L.jpg

[Ed K]

Please continue to share Dean...

I wish I knew more from my Dad who served in the Army during WWII, fought and survived the Battle of the Bulge among others fronts.

And although I am aware that he was awarded a Bronze Star, to the day he died, he did not discuss it. I learned about it from my Mom. And to this day, I still know almost nothing about his years of brave service... and am very sad that I will never know or fully understand.

On the other hand, during civilian life, his fierce dedication and loyalty to the USA, was very apparent to us, and anyone who knew him.

Although I do remember one quick comment he once said when I was a boy, about being fortunate to survive the replacement of several Divisions being essentially wiped-out. (I dont recall how this came up, all I remember was that he said it in that magical place that Dad and I often shared... The Workshop.)

And as a young boy, I remember seeing his uniform hanging downstairs, right next to the Workshop... until at some point I dont recall when, it was no longer there.

Ah, Dad's Workshop. To me it was a fantasy land. I learned more about "practical" engineering, tools, innovation, and logical thinking, and just plain common sense, then I ever did in years of "higher" education.

So Dean, for some of us who know little of our father's service during WWII, please continue to share... and perhaps we'll learn more together.

Thanks.

[Deans BMW]

Going thru this musty old stuff has been very emotional event for this old fart. I'll keep it up however.

[Donson]

Dean,I found that going thru My Dads old South Pacific battle stuff often makes My eyes water....must be mold,or something.

[Deans BMW]

Dean,I found that going thru My Dads old South Pacific battle stuff often makes My eyes water....must be mold,or something.

No doubt. :linzi:

[mnnden]

Dean,I found that going thru My Dads old South Pacific battle stuff often makes My eyes water....must be mold,or something.


We should never forget, and I am afraid future generations just might do that, Den

http://www.376hbgva.com/inmemoriam/index.html

[Arby]

That's a real gold mine you got there Dean. What a find!! Thank you for sharing it.

When my dad died, Mom had my brother & I clean out Dad's stuff in one of the rooms in the basement. His own personal room for his stuff.

Among all the other stuff, was all the letters my Uncle Jack sent home from WW2. All stacked in chronalogical order.
Ft Benning Ga, somewhere in Penns awaiting shipment overseas, from the troop ship, No Africa, the south of France, from a Mash hospital in No Africa, Italy, a second stay in a hospital in England, etc.

Uncle Jack didn't know the letters existed, he was quite surprised and emotional when my brother & I (with my mothers permission)gave him the cigar box containing the letters.

The doctor at the VA hospital in Maryland said he had not interveiwed anyone with a more extensive combat record than Jack. He came home after VE day on a hospital ship.

Sorry for rambling, but the true accounts of these men is fascinating to me. I can't get enough of it.

Look forward to reading more.

RB

[Deans BMW]

This is for all you guys with such stories, It is becoming quiet clear, that we seem to be loosing the concept of what it took to keep the USA free in light of our enemys out there.

I just found a write up Dad did for some other book about the first raid on Ploesti in the end of July or early August of 1943. dad and a few officers were called in for a meeting with Col Compton and Maj Appold. Dad was to lead the 513th on a low level mission to the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania.

I'll tell more later but part of the briefing was that over 50% casulties were expected and Dads job was to get the crew members personal affairs in order, but to keep the expected casulties secret.

Think of that in respect to this countrys preoccupation of Political correctness, and all the namby pamby pussification of our interaction with the Radical Militant Islamist. Dare we not put a creepy crawly bug in some Towel Heads room, Water boarding give me a break. Now if we slowly cut off someones head with a rusty dull knife, or pulled their fingernails out one by one or cut off one of their hands or poking out their eyes or cutting out their tongue with out the least of any humanity at all, that I would consider torture, certainly not simulating drowning with a Dr present so as no one gets hurt. Good grief, what is our country comming to.

With each new missive from our current Government those Towel Heads and their cronies are prolly laughing their a**s off. What a joke.

Sorry about the rant but good grief after reading some of this old stuff, I wonder if we have the Balls to even deserve this fantastic country.

Read what Washington went thru, read what went on at the Alamo, damn it is getting harder and harder to hold my head high with whats going on.

Time for a dash of Makers MarK....er....ah... a dash of something with a lot of Makers Mark.

[Donson]

Pardon My language....Damned Fucking Straight!!!!!!!!!

[mnnden]

.

Think of that in respect to this countrys preoccupation of Political correctness, and all the namby pamby pussification of our interaction with the Radical Militant Islamist. With each new missive from our current Government those Towel Heads and their cronies are prolly laughing their a**s off. What a joke.

Sorry about the rant but good grief after reading some of this old stuff, I wonder if we have the Balls to even deserve this fantastic country.

Read what Washington went thru, read what went on at the Alamo, damn it is getting harder and harder to hold my head high with whats going on.

Time for a dash of Makers MarK....er....ah... a dash of something with a lot of Makers Mark.


Dean, Well put!! I cannot believe where "Political Correctness" has taken this country, and if we don't get it under control we are on the slipperyist of slopes. Pass the Mark Makers...er...ah Makers...ah..whatever, is slipperiyst a word??? Den

[jamming]

Dean, Well put!! I cannot believe where "Political Correctness" has taken this country, and if we don't get it under control we are on the slipperyist of slopes. Pass the Mark Makers...er...ah Makers...ah..whatever, is slipperiyst a word??? Den

Yup..sip...uh oh...it's 0500...you all don't mind if I have a bit of Bourbon in my coffee do you.

Dean, talking about WWII and airplanes, my favorite pair of safety wire pliers was given to me by a retiring Aircraft Mechanic. He got them while serving in the Army Air corp. I grab them first and won't allow anybody else to use them. I'll pass them on to my Sons.

[Deans BMW]

I am starting to get there are three levels to what went on,

Level 1. Writings for books and such

Level 2. The official After combat mission flight reports

Level 3. The actual truth as put into diaries for no one eyes.

Level 1, cleaned up as these fellows had no concept of the bravery of what they did and were in no way braggarts.

Level 2, flight reports, from reading many reports it was clear that the concept of whining was not in their being, ie its too cold, we need better heaters or Waaaa we need armor. You do the best with what you got, no bitching.

Level 3, Diaries not for publication, the real horror of what went on. On one mission, Dads B 24 cut two different barrage balloon cables with the props on two diff engines resulting in major out of balance on the two engines, threatening to literally tare the aircraft apart. Feather both engines and go two full military power on the two remaining engines to get back to North Africa, flew in ground effect all across the channel. Dad leaned down to get his cigarettes that had fallen on the cock pit floor during that flight, when he got back up he fell back as the back of his seat was gone due to flack blasting the back of his seat away. Cigs saved his life then. When he landed back at Benghazi (SP) the two remaining engines came to a stop like a turbine as there was no compression left at all from running them so hard.

The official after battle report simply said, dropped all bombs on target, encountered heavy anti aircraft and enemy fighter fire, lost two crew members, two engines ran very rough. Aircraft no longer serviceable.

No whining, no bitching, they had a job to do.....and they did it.

[Ed K]

"Level 3, Diaries not for publication, the real horror of what went on."

As brave and modest as they all had to be... perhaps much of not discussing these things was/is also related to the horror of it all... and not wanting to remember. Feeling proud from service well done defeating evil, but wanting to close the chapter and not remember.

Dean? Others? Your thoughts?

[Sir Limpsalot]

Just catching up with this, thanks Dean. Oddly, my Dad was at Benghazi too with the RAF. I recall him telling me their air base was shared with some Americans, he was fascinated by the Harley Davidsons and Indians they had along.
No way of knowing now whether it was the same air field, but nice thought though..

Cheers,
Si.

[Deans BMW]

Si, I remember that my Dad told me once a very long time ago that the English tents were far and away the best. Dad said that he somehow........wonder what that ment.......aquired a most coveted English tent.

I would like to think that your Dad and my Dad knew each other. He told me on more than one occasion that the "English Blokes" were great drinking buddies.

Ed, to your point, Dad rarely in fact would talk about what it was like while stationed in North Africa due to, as I slowly figured out, just how traumatic it really was. As a kid, we never had fire works at home nor went to fire work displays at 4th of July due to the way that that effected Dad.

[Donson]

Dean,I know exactly what You mean. As a kid,I never had fireworks ,and We never wnet to a fireworks display.Dad never said much,except "I have seen enough Damned fireworks".

[Ed K]

Ed, to your point, Dad rarely in fact would talk about what it was like while stationed in North Africa due to, as I slowly figured out, just how traumatic it really was...

Dean,

I think I am only beginning to figure it out, and will never be able to understand.

But at least, I can start to appreciate that I'll never really be able to understand, and try to let it rest at that.

[SV Andy]

Dean thankyou, my grandfather was at Arnhem with The Parracute Regiment, all i know is that he taken prisoner and tortured by the Germans, as a young lad i was advised not to talk to him about it, he may not have wanted to but i regret not asking, sadly to late now.

We must never forget. Andy.

[Blackdog]

I have a of a lot of respect for the WWII air crews. I was an AF flight engineer for 24 years (I was put in for the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1980 but did not get it). What I did can't compare to the hero's of the big war. My uncle was a B24 enigineer.

[Tassie Devil]

What a great find Dean..
I can just imagine the pleasure you will take in the years ahead, reading through those logs...

I rejoyce for you...:eusa_clap:

Cheers,

JQ.