Jan. 1943

January 1 [1943]   Log 3:45
     Friday. We are moved again after a bombing raid on Tunis today. What a job it is flying formation at 265 MPH.
     Received a load of mail today. How nice to was to hear from everyone.
     The place where we are living is a "dorm" as this was a farming school --- model farm and all that I like it because it looks like a farm from the air rather than a bomber base.
     A P-40 crashed on the field today. It really burst up. A B-26 was shot down over our mutal target today.
     Received a very nice letter from Herb Felker today.

January 2
     Saturday. A dry run today as the protecting 38's did not meet our boys who were on the way to bomb Tunis. I didn't go because my plane was out of commission. It has a large hole in the manifold.
     Ten planes came in from Oran. Only two were for our squadron. The rest were for other squadrons in our group.
     Received some more mail today. Now I am more than busy answering mail. It is some job.
     Katz finally caught up with us today. It sure was swell to see him again.

January 3
     Sunday. Raid for today was called off because of rain, and general lousy weather.
     I wrote five letters during the afternoon.
     The amazing part about this field is that it was built in five days. Not bad.
     Most of the latest boys to arrive had to really work in order to get their planes ready for the raid tomorrow on one of the hottest targets in Africa. Our old "B" flight (now "A" flight of 381st) will go into action again tomorrow. Eddy is now flight commandeer. Not bad.
     The food was really wonderful today.

January 4 Log 3:45
     Monday. Well, we [BLANK] had a wonderful trip today. One ship got 15 Flake holes in it. Another ship was shot at when we passed at a U.S.A. field - the pilot was hit on the head, and the co-pilot had to land the plane upon the return to the field.
     The B-26's flying from our previous field were going to meet their P-40's but met JU-88's instead. What a mess. The B-26's turned back and failed to coordinate at the target with us.
     The formation was of 18 B-25-C's today. We lead the last 6.
     I miss the peace of the U.S.A.
[NOTE: SUSPECT BOMBED THE MARSHALLING YARD AT KAIROUAN. ALSO SUSPECT FORMATION WAS SHOT AT AS PASSED OVER AMERICAN AIRFIELD AT TELEPTE. SOURCE: SAGA OF '54]

January 5
     Tuesday. No mission today as Gen. Doolittle was here. When Gen. Cannon got back to Hdq. From here a couple days ago, he must have had plenty to say 'cause things really sung around here today.
     Tasted some of the ripe olives on the trees here today. Rotten fruit.
     It is fun to watch the camels run when we go hedge hopping (20' above the ground). They use camels to pull plows down here.
     It is still plenty cold here at nights and only 70 [degrees] during the day.

January 6   Log 3:30
     Wednesday. A "bombing" we did go today. We threw 8 - 300 lbs. At the railroad yards today. We bombed at 8800 feet. And when we came down, we were doing better than 360 mph. Not very slow. (uses 125 -150 gal./hour)
     A couple of German pursuit jobs followed us back to the field (2 - 109's and 1 - 190 was seen).
     The weather was beautiful today. The only disappointment today was "No Mail."
     If everything goes okay, I will get a medal in two more bombing raids. But better yet, I will go home in three months.
     Sure miss my honey.
[NOTE: SUSPECT BOMBED RAILROAD YARDS AT KAIROUEN ON JAN. 6TH ESCORTED BY THE 82ND FIGHTER GROUP.]

January 7
     Thursday. Only one B-26 and one P-38 was lost on the raid today.
     [BLANK] Katz, and I went to Constantine for our day off. Got the works at the hair shop for only 35 francs. Things are very cheap in town if you aren't taken for a sucker.
     Nothing much happened during the day except had to take a physical for the insurance policy of $10,000.
     They had an air alert during the afternoon here. We had two during the night of Jan. 6th. It isn't any fun getting up in the middle of the night.
     No mail today.

January 8      Log 3:00
     Friday. A bombing of bridges we went. And three R.R. bridges we hit with a total force of 18 tons. (We blew them sky high).
     Our P-38 (escort) was lost on the way and another had one motor go out, and crashed on landing. No B-25's were lost but minor damage was done by the low attitude of the bombing.
     This made my 4th mission. We didn't get any mail today. It looks as thought it will be sometime before we get any.
     I hope we don't fly tomorrow as I like a day of rest between raids.
     (Bombed at 2600!)
[Suspect bombed Grabia Railroad Bridges. Source: Saga of '54]

January 9
     Saturday. We were on "alert" for a couple of hours which meant that we had to be ready to take to the air (or be air borne) and go on a raiding mission; which is plenty rough. We were waiting to bomb a convoy but our scouting bombers never reported such to us.
     In the middle of the afternoon, we had an "air alert" which meant that enemy planes were headed this way. They never got as far as our field!
     Some of the gang got their Xmas packages. I got a carton of cigarettes from home. I still didn't get any film.
     We are setting up a photo lab. Here to print films.

January 10
     Sunday. A nice peaceful day without any raids. We got a report that one of our B-25's was a direct hit in the bomb bay. The ship was damaged by a direct flack hit. It shows how good these B-25's are.
     I guess we are going to pull the patrol duty from now on. I don't like the ideas as it is extra, extra dangerous.
    I went out to Telergma [DIFFICULT TO READ] for the walk (6 1/2 miles each way). Looked at the "scrap" which was a P-38 a couple days ago.

     Wrote to mother today. Most of the gang went to Constantine [Spelling?] today.

January 11
     Monday. We didn't have to go on patrol duty today even though we had to "stay by" for most of the day.
     The boys that did go on the patrol shot down 2 "JU.52" and a "222 which is a six-motor plane, and only three in the world, Not bad!
     I guess we will be on patrol tomorrow. Have to get us at 5 AM. That will be rough an [DIFFICULT TO READ] until 8 AM.
     A bunch of packages came in today. But not any for me. (Woe is me)
     Played football during the afternoon. What a game. Really rough.

January 12       Log : 4:20
      Monday. Had a nice patrol job today over the Med. Sea. We were attached by some 109's and some 52's. No losers on either side.
     It wasn't very much fun getting up at 5 AM. Sounds to much like the old enlisted days.
     Received a Toledo Blade from home. (Oct. 26) Not bas as it was nice to read all about "Toledo Day" and etc.
     Saw snow on the mountains en route to the sea. It seems so odd when I always considered Africa a hot spot.
     I get a kick out of what things happen when we buzz (5-25' off the ground) camels run wild; people hit the grd.

January 13
     Wednesday. Well, someone else took our plane today as [BLANKED OUT] I have been on enough raids for the present. We need a rest - so they say.
     The weather was lousy here today. Some of us played football in the afternoon.
     Received a Toledo Sunday Tenies [DIFFICULT TO READ] from home plus a nice photo set from Elsie.
     We would have gone to town but the meat wagon was wrecked last evening when it hit a tree returning from Constantine. Some of the riders were hurt.
     The U.S. troops are really moving through here for the front.

January 14
     The squadron C.O. went on the patrol with Eddy (flight leader) today. There wasn't any loses on either side today.
     Gen. Doolittle, Gen. Hunter, and Gen. Cannon were here today.
     Got a bunch of mail today. 15 letters.
     Had a good steak at Telergma [Spelling?] today. On the way home we found a truck turned over on the road. We couldn't fund the officer that drove it. I place a guard on the turned over vehicle. And brought all the important papers back with myself to our field.
     We still haven't been bombed. An enemy was over a nite.

January 15
     Friday. What a bunch of planes they shot down today (15). They really had fun.
     They caught a spy here the other day. They shot him the same day.
     None of our squadron went on the rails today. I had to spend most of the day writing letters and opening packages.
     I spent some time running an anti-aircraft gun today. I am glad I am in the air rather than on the grd. They don't stand a chance.
     If everything goes okay, I'll be on my way home in three more months. (I hope).

January 16   Log 1:00
     Saturday. We got up real early and were air borne on time. One of the P-38's that was going to escort us, ran into a B-26 on take off. And both blew up. So, we had to call our mission off.
     The poor B-26's - they lose a plane, or two, every day. And yesterday, a friend of Pichett's [DIFFICULT TO READ] was killed over Gabes. Plenty rough.
     The show "Gold Diggers of 1933" is now showing in U. Africa. We haven't seen it yet.
     Someone set a haystack on fire and we had to put it out as it gave the position of our field.

January 17   Log: 4:15
     Sunday. Went on the "Dawn patrol" this morning at 5. We had a wonderful field of Jerry hunting. Our escorts shot 2 - 52"s and 1 - 88. It was really something to see them get shot down. I felt sorry for those poor pilots getting shot down by those 38's. I went over the pursuit field and saw the officers that shot them down. Really nice chaps.
     One P-38 flew so low that he bent his wing when he hit the water. He got back okay though.
     The poor B-26's, they keep losing planes every day. Telergma [DIFFICULT TO READ] has wrecked planes all over it.

January 18
     Monday. Had a day off so I went for a ride on a G.I. truck, 60 miles each way to Botua (south of here)!
     Had a wonderful time down there. Met some very nice gals - three of them, all sisters. They could talk English so we had a grand time.
     Jackson left Lewis and I stranded so we caught a truck back and I rode all the way back on Lewis' lap.
     Missed meeting because I was late getting back. Never was so glad to get back to an Army camp in all my life.

January 19    Log: 4:00
      Tuesday. Drew the old "dawn patrol" again. We didn't get off until 9 as the frost was too thick, and heavy.
     Our mission was a German camp. We had 18 planes (+16 P-38's) with full loads of #300 bombs. We had a good run and "bellowed" the whole place.
     [BLANKED] I rode "tail-end charlie'. We bombed at 7800' so we were safe from the high bombing flack. All the flak they had was very light and couldn't reach us.
     "Life" war correspondence was here today and took some photos while we were on our raid.
[Suspect bombed Airdrome at Medenine. Source: Saga of '54"]

January 20
     Wednesday. No raid today. I wish I could have gone to town to see Kay Francis and her show.
     It is "hear say" that F.D.R. is in Africa. Some of the gang went to the West Coast on a three-day vacation.
    We had to be on the alert most the day. It is more work than going on a raid.
     Got a few letters today. All of them were very old.
     From now on the mail between here and the U.S. will be very slow.
     Painted my bombs on the ship today. Really looks neat.
     Drank a lot of beer and wine.