A Bomber Crew Mystery: The Forgotten Heroes of 388th Bombardment Group

by David Price

Overview

After having discovered a discarded trophy in an Edinburgh antiques shop, author David Price endeavored to uncover the stories of the men whose names had been engraved upon it. Praised as 'Outstanding Crew of the Month', the members of 388th Bombardment Group set out on their very first mission on D-Day. This baptism of fire heralded the start of an illustrious career; in the period between August-September 1944, they took part in over 30 missions. And yet the details of their endeavors have largely been forgotten. Having become disconnected from its previous owners and therefore its history, David Price has made it his mission to retrieve this relic from obscurity and to provide it with a platform upon which it can be appreciated widely. The history of 388th Bombardment Group's service is told in great detail by Price, who has actively sought out each member of the Group, together with surviving family members, in an effort to glean more information about their war and to reunite them with the trophy that they won in the midst of it. The resulting book serves as a poignant and evocative tribute to the Group, as well as to the wider allied effort during the Second World War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473870468
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	08/18/2016
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	860,537
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

David Price has been researching and writing about aviation for many years and has contributed a number of articles to newspapers and magazines, including Flypast. He is currently the Director of Solway Aviation Museum and has served as Chairman and MD for Solway for eight years in total. He writes and lectures on military aviation and also the First World War in local history groups in Cumbria.

Table of Contents

Foreword vi

The Procession viii

Chapter 1 The Beginning 1

Chapter 2 Let Battle Commence 10

Chapter 3 Through the Keyhole 24

Chapter 4 The Swede 38

Chapter 5 Walking in Other Men's Shoes 50

Chapter 6 Fickle Fannie 59

Chapter 7 The Homecoming 67

Chapter 8 Dropping Bombs 78

Chapter 9 Going Frantic 93

Chapter 10 Betty Ann's Boys 106

Chapter 11 A Beach Holiday 115

Chapter 12 Nazi Heartlands 122

Chapter 13 Fear, Loathing and Duty 138

Chapter 14 Down on the Farm 158

Chapter 15 Follow my Leader 168

Chapter 16 Conversations and Recollections 173

Chapter 17 The Trophy Missions - August 1944 184

Chapter 18 The Trophy Months - September 1944 197

Chapter 19 The Later Story 208

Chapter 20 The Downwind Leg and Final Approach 223

Chapter 21 The End is Never the End 229

Acknowledgements 235