Special Duties Pilot: The Man who Flew the Real 'Inglorious Bastards' Behind Enemy Lines

by John M Billings

Overview

If there was ever a man who was born to fly, it is John M. Billings. He took his first plane ride in 1926, began taking piloting lessons in 1938, and joined the US Army Air Force in July 1942. After training he was assigned to fly Consolidated B-24 Liberator long-range bombers. He joined the 825th Bombardment Squadron of the 484th Bombardment Group. After flying fifteen daylight strategic bombing missions, Billings was selected for assignment to the 885th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (Special).

As its designation suggests, the 885th was no regular bombing unit. The 885th specialized in flying top secret, low-altitude missions at night in support of the clandestine operations of the OSS and the Special Operations Executive. The unit’s covert missions included parachuting OSS and SOE agents and supplies deep inside German territory.

The most eventful and dangerous of Billings’ thirty-nine secret missions with the 885th was his assignment in February 1945 to clandestinely insert a three-man OSS team, code-named Greenup, into Austria. The drop zone selected for the Greenup insertion was located on a glacier in a valley surrounded by mountains in the middle of the snow-covered Alps. Billings and his crew finally found the weather in the Alps clear enough to spot the drop zone, slip their unwieldy B-24 between the mountain peaks and descend to an altitude just a few hundred feet above the moonlit snow. On Billings’ signal, the OSS agents parachuted right on target.

The insertion of this OSS team was the inspiration for the feature film Inglorious Bastards. However, Brad Pitt’s vengeful character was far removed from the leader of the Greenup team, Fred Mayer, who achieved success by infiltrating enemy ranks to gain vital intelligence.

After the war, John Billings flew with Trans World Airlines and Eastern Airlines. He also flew more than 300 ‘Angel Flight’ airlift missions which involve the specialized aerial transportation of critically ill medical patients. This is one man’s story of a remarkable lifetime of flying, both in peace and in war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526786265
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	08/26/2021
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	540,470
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

JOHN M. BILLINGS took his first plane ride in 1926, began taking piloting lessons in 1938, and carried on flying ever since. Having joined the US Army Air Forces in July 1942, he was assigned to fly the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber. He completed fifty-three missions during the war, thirty-nine of which were for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the wartime predecessor to the CIA, and the US Special Operations Command. After the war John was an airline pilot with TWA and Eastern Airlines. John is also rightfully proud of having flown 300-plus ‘Angel Flight’ airlift missions which involve the specialized aerial transportation of critically ill medical patients.

Table of Contents

Foreword Charles Pinck (President, The OSS Society) vii

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction Steve Craven (Angel Flight Pilot and Safety Chairman) ix

Author's Note xi

Chapter 1 Love at First Flight 1

Chapter 2 Scituate 7

Chapter 3 Flying on My Mind 12

Chapter 4 Earning My Wings 17

Chapter 5 Getting Personal with the Pig 24

Chapter 6 On the Way to War 33

Chapter 7 Bombs Away! 38

Chapter 8 Code Name "Arise" 47

Chapter 9 Operation Greenup 53

Chapter 10 Rosignano 61

Chapter 11 Post-War Transitions 65

Chapter 12 TWA 73

Chapter 13 Skies and Scrapes 75

Chapter 14 Fuel-saving Magic 83

Chapter 15 Private Wings 88

Chapter 16 Crosswinds 92

Chapter 17 Barbara 98

Chapter 18 Hugs and Smiles 107

Chapter 19 Wings Around America 114

Epilogue 118

Appendix A Career Summary 122

Appendix B Medals, Citations, and Awards 123

Appendix C Member Organizations 125

Index 126

Editorial Reviews

"An easy read, this book is recommended to anyone who enjoys sharing the joy of flying with another pilot. It provides an interesting glimpse of special-operation aerial activities in the Balkans and northern Italy during World War II."

Air & Space Power History

"An accomplished pilot with decades of experience in military, airline and medical aviation, Billings is also an excellent writer. This memoir presents his unusual story in a fast-paced and highly readable style."

Aviation History Magazine