The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle: Memoir of a WWII Bomber Pilot

Book Description

Many who saw the 1990 Hollywood movie Memphis Belle think they know the story. But the real story had nothing to do with the movie-and it is told for the first time here, by the pilot who lived it. An emotionally moving tale, and a heartbreaking love story, this is an unforgettable memoir of a man who was born into a life of ease-and tested in the hardship of war.

"Bring[s] a new perspective to World War II literature. Written in a chatty style that is easy and exciting to read, this book is recommended." (Library Journal)

"A book that needed to be written while the best man to write it still could." (Booklist)

Customer Reviews:

A Complex Friend, Terrific Read.......2007-02-22

Bob Morgan was a friend of mine. His lovely wife urged him for years to write a book, yet he always seemed to sluff it off. At speaking engagements, he always pointed out that he was no hero, giving full credit to the other members of his crew, and the many other crews that flew the skies of Europe. Very typical of his generation, and traits that later ones seem to have lost. The crew of the Memphis Belle was thrust into fame by accident, circumstance, chance, or whatever fate chose, much like the flag raisers of Iwo Jima. It forever changed their lives to some extent. Bob almost waited too long to write this, and he couldn't have found a better co-author than award winning Ron Powers. Bob wasn't your average pilot in the air, there was this unruly side of him that was able to express itself somewhat before the bond tours, but certainly was turned loose afterwards. I remember once when he came by to see me and handed me a picture of him flying a B-17 at Oshkosh when he was well into his 70's. He'd run the plane down the runway in front of the crowd, then turned it on it's side, leaving the wing tip only slightly off the ground. Some things never changed. The book would be a great read just for his WWII and war bond experiences, but Bob was a unique individual, no actually a complex individual, and much to my surprise, he held nothing back in his book. Perhaps this is why he waited so late in life to do it, but I'm glad he did. This is probably the most honest and personal WWII memoir that you will ever read, and nothing was held back. The complexity and struggles of Bob as a man would have made this a fascinating book had he never sat at the controls of the Memphis Belle. But he did, and as a result, you get the unique insight into a very unique, and complex man, and this is the treat that you will come away with in this book, long after the story of the Memphis Belle.

The Man who.......2006-04-23

All 8th Air Force veterans are heroes and special, few are self absorbed in their own life. This is a story that deserves to be told but the me, me, me gets in the way. Morgan loses his mother and spends the rest of his life trying to find her in a marriage. As far as the story, he still dodges the fact that Irl Baldwin and the 303rd Bomb Group B-17 `Hell's Angels' was the first to fly 25 missions in the European Theatre of Operations. Good book but would have been better without such a self centered perspective. Not everyone came back from the ETO, we will remember them.

The life and times of the first American pilot in WWII to survive 25 missions over Europe.......2005-10-18

For those who may not know: In the early days of World War II the United States had no long range fighters capable of protecting our bombers all the way to their European targets. Even so, and unlike the British who flew only night bombing raids which were much safer but largely ineffective, the American fliers were tasked to continue flying higher precision yet much more dangerous daylight missions. As a consequence, the attrition rate for American bombers and their crews was grimly and almost unacceptably high. To bolster morale, a policy was initiated such that any bomber crewman completing twenty-five missions without being shot down and captured or killed would be relieved of duty and returned to the United States. The "Memphis Belle" was the first bomber to successfully achieve that milestone.

Having heard about the Memphis Belle for most of my life, I was curious to read the real story of that famed B-17 and its equally famous 25th mission, particularly from the standpoint of the bomber's pilot. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, the story went far beyond that bomber and its mission and was much more interesting. For through the eyes of the book's author you could almost sense what it was like to experience his life and times and know what it was REALLY like to actually pilot a B-17 into combat. . . Ignore the German fighters. Don't drift. Ignore the flack. Don't let your mind wander. Keep your eyes fixed straight ahead. Keep your plane in formation. Try to relax. Don't let your wings touch. Bomber pilots apparently had a very narrow view of the war.

The remarkable thing to me about the book, however, was that Robert Morgan wrote it quite late in his life. To me, that broadened his perspective, lending much more insight to the story. In fact, I don't think a young Captain Morgan could have written a book with such clarity, honesty, perspective and sensitivity. Bottom line: This is a very good book and not just from a historical point of view.

What a Life!.......2005-06-20

This is a grand story of a B-17 Flying Fortress in the 8th Air Corps early days bombing France and Germany in WW II. More than that, it is the autobiography of one of the most interesting men I have ever encountered. The MEMPHIS BELLE was one of the first planes and crews to complete 25 missions and come home to thank Americans for their home front efforts.

Amazingly frank and personal autobiography.......2003-12-25

Leaving aside the question of historical accuracy (this has been touched on ably by another reviewer) except for one comment - I was a little unconvinced by Morgan's soliloquy's on WW II grand strategy, such as his explanations of how the war in Russia was fought, and other things that he as a 23-25 year old bomber pilot would have known little about and perhaps cared even less. These parts of the book come across as forced.

Having said that, however, I have no doubt Morgan felt them necessary to put the overall story into context, and they do that well. This makes the book perfect for youngsters or those with no understanding of the larger picture of WW II history, and thus provide this with a broader appeal.

But the meat of the story is Morgan himself. This is not "just" a story of a WW II bomber pilot, this is a wonderfully told story of Bob Morgan, the man, and a blushingly honest discussion of his many demons - his relationship with his departed mother, his father and siblings, his girlfriends, fiancees and wives, his crew (many of whom were fast friends), his superiors, and a terrific look at how he grew up, trained for war, matured as a commander, lived as a returning veteran, and overcame the evils of a pampered upbringing, and learned the value of hard work.

The details about his tour with the 8th Bomber Command were especially interesting, and his revelations about the WW II documentary about his aircraft will answer many questions for ardent Memphis Belle fans who always wondered how much of the 1943 documentary was real (apparently, not much), and also records what Morgan thought of the 1990 film with Matthew Modine (apparently, not much).

His tour in B-29s is also well discussed. This is very much a terrific human interest story which just happens to take place in flak-filled skies. It's certainly more Twelve O'Clock High, with its introspection, than it is Monte Merrick's Memphis Belle, with its cartoon heroics.

Book Description

James "Jim" Davis lived what he considered "an impossible dream" as he piloted a B-24 as part of the 8th Air Force on more than thirty missions in the European Theatre during World War II. He flew support missions for Operations Cobra and Market Garden and numerous bombing missions over occupied Europe in the summer and fall of 1944, attacking enemy airfields, airplane factories, railroad marshalling yards, ship yards, oil refineries, and chemical plants. While he and his crew survived without serious injuries, they witnessed the destruction of many of their friends' planes and experienced serious damage to their own plane on several occasions.

Customer Reviews:

Another Bomber Pilot Story, but Excellently Told........2006-06-20

When you first see this book you can't help but think, 'What, another bomber pilot story.' Yes, it's another bomber pilot story. B-24's in the Eighth Air Force. In some ways it's a familiar story. But in spite of that, each story is different.

About half of this book is about the eighteen months spent in training to fly the B-24. Then they went to England and began their tour. They got to England on D-Day. They basically flew in the last year of the war. This was the time of the really big raids, a thousand, fifteen hundred planes. This was also the time of the ME-262. ==He was in London on pass when the largest number of V-1s in a single day attacked. (Many, many years later I stayed in the same hotel he used, the Great NorthEastern.)

He was in on Operation Cobra. He reports that his plane did not drop bombs because of an inability to positively identify the target. This was the day that the Air Force walked their bombs backwards over a road and killed a lot of Americans including Lt. General MacNair, the highest ranking American killed in Europe.

Once he cut his head open on a bomb fin as they were preparing for a mission. He went to the hospital. They put a bandage on it and told him that when he got back from the mission, if he got back, they would sew it up.

He participated in Operation Market Garden. This was the disaster described in the book/movie 'A Bridge Too Far.' There is an absolutely frightening picture of a B-24 nose down headed for a crash that was taken during this operation.

One point that makes this book more effective is the research done by Mr. Snead. He has checked the official history of each mission that Mr. Davis flew and gives the details as to what happened.

All in all, I found this to be one of those you can't put it down books. Highly recommended.

The next best thing to personally experiencing the wonders of flight and the terrors of war.......2006-05-04

In Hostile Skies: An American B-24 Pilot In World War II is the military memoir of James Davis, who piloted a B-24 as part of the Eighth Air Force on almost thirty missions in the European Theater during World War II. Chapters recount the story of his service from his dreams of flying, to training, his first mission, terrible close calls, the end of the tour, and coming home after the war. A handful of black-and-white historical photographs nicely illustrate this gripping firsthand testimony, so visceral as to be the next best thing to personally experiencing the wonders of flight and the terrors of war.

Wreaking Havoc: A Year in an A-20 (Texas a & M University Military History Series, 91.)

Average customer rating:

Wreaking Havoc: Outstanding book !
Not much action...
Substantial Story About the A20.
An in-depth recounting of the horrors of war
Flying with the pilot

Wreaking Havoc: A Year in an A-20 (Texas a & M University Military History Series, 91.)
Joseph W. Rutter
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1585442895

Customer Reviews:

Wreaking Havoc: Outstanding book !.......2007-01-26

Wreaking Havoc is an outstanding book well worth the money. The author was in the 312th Bomb Group from Hollandia, New Guinea and later he flew with the 389th Squadron, until the end of the Philippines Campaign and the Formosa Campaign. This year of battle left the author with many interesting comments and views of the war. He has included a number of excellent black and white photographs. As a pilot he does explain some technical things about the Douglas A-20 Havoc. He explains these things in a very easy to understand fashion for the non-pilots among us. He correlates his story with several clear and easy to read maps. After I turned fifty years old, maps became harder to read and these maps are clear and easy to read! He also speaks of his neighbor Bomb Group the 3rd Attack Group as they call it. He has excellent insight in military matters. The author says he has attended many reunions since 1948 and has drawn not only on his own recollections but also on the recollections of his fellow pilots and offical records. He does such an excellent job that I would like to see another volume come out in the future. This book is for the most part a people book. These are real people and he explains how they deal with war from day to day. While this does have some explanations of battles he was in, this is not the focus of the book. If you want to learn the history of the Army Air Corps battles in the Pacific War you should look to another book. This book is about men, their flying machines, and war. In this context it is a very well written book that was not only fun to read but also very informative. If I was given the opportunity to turn back time and buy this book again I would buy it without question!

Not much action..........2006-01-05

This book only helped me understand a little more about the A-20 from a purely technical viewpoint. There was very little combat to speak of until one big mission over the Phillipines in 1944. I was expecting some more barge hunting, attacks on sea convoys and such.

I've already read enough books on the Pacific war from a variety of campaigns to know about life during the island hopping campaigns and such. So, this book came as quite a disappointment.

Not badly written, but not really a lot to sink one's teeth into.

Substantial Story About the A20........2004-05-24

"Wreaking Havoc" by Joseph W. Rutter, Sub-titled, "a Year In An A-20". Texas A& M University Press, 2004.

For many of us who were young boys during World War II, or directly after, the most famous aircraft were the big bombers: the B17 "Flying Fortress", the B24 "Liberator" and the B29 "Superfortress". The relatively small A20 "Havoc" was hardly mentioned.

This book corrects that ommission. Joseph Rutter flew the A20 "Havoc" in some 64 combat missions in the A20 in the Pacific Theatre. The author lists all 64 missions on pages xv through xxi in the preface to the his book , which is quite a personal memoir of his war. The book actually starts with his father getting the author out of bed "...at 6 A.M. on Sunday, September 3, 1939 to listen to Great Britain's declaration of war on Germany..." Page 8. The author then tells of growing up, graduating high school, going to work for the FBI, and then leaving for flight school. He learned to fly both the B25 "Mitchell" and the A20 "Havoc", but it is apparent, in my humble opinion, that Mr. Rutter really loved the A20 the best.

The book presents many details about the A20, with pictures scattered appropriately throughout the book. On page 105, the photo shows a pilot, Maury Owen, seated in an A20 cockpit. It is a tight fit. A big person, (say, the actor John Wayne, for easy identification), could never fit in the standard A20 cockpit. Rutter gives many somewhat technical details about flying the A20, including setting the manifold pressure to prevent backfiring of the engines, how to lean the gas mixture to fly the maximum distance and the proper method of firing the guns to prevent jams, and all of this material makes you understand in small fashion what it was like to live and fly in the Pacific War. Since the author was able to develop many of the pictures he snapped , he was able to bring the photos home with him. Therefore, the book is nicely illustrated with contemporary photos , including, for example, the village church at Dagupan, Luzon, the Philippines. (Page 184).

If you want a complete story of what it was like, flying and fighting in the Pacific Theater in World War II, this book is an excellent choice.

An in-depth recounting of the horrors of war.......2004-03-04

Wreaking Havoc: A Year In An A-20 by Joseph W. Rutter (who served with the 312th Bomb Group in the Southwest Pacific and completed 63 missions over New Guinea and the Phillippines) is the personal story of an A-208 airplane, nicknamed "the Havoc" for the damage it inflicted, during 1944 in the Pacific theater. An in-depth recounting of the horrors of war and the singular experience of piloting airborne destruction for the sake of one's country, Wreaking Havoc is a riveting testimony and a highly recommended addition to World War II and Military Aviation studies reading lists and reference collections.

Flying with the pilot.......2004-03-04

Mr. Rutter has done an outstanding job of describing his experience in WWII. He takes you from his beginings in western Penn. thru training in Colorado and North Carolina, to combat missions in New Guinea and the PI. His writing technique lets you feel that he's with you and telling you about his experience flying A-20's. It's similar to (but not quite as good as) Guy Sajer's The Forgotten Soldier.

Customer Reviews:

Incomplete.......2007-04-05

I had read a hard copy of this book, borrowed from the library, several years ago. The pictorial section was not as complete as the original and I suspect other portions may have been left out also. The reason I purchased this book was to get one of the pictures I saw in the hard copy and it wasn't there.

An Outstanding Read.......2007-01-08

Mr. Ardery lays out an excellent recounting of his WWII experience is a frank, open style. I enjoyed this book very much.

You Can Almost Hear The Sound of Engines..........2005-12-21

Mr. Ardery has written a superb account of an Army Air Corps pilot's experience starting from his days as a "cadet" training at Randolph and Kelly Fields in Texas through his combat experience flying B-24s from North Africa and England. His narrative illustrates that the threat of injury or death was constant for every member of the crew and that either was just as likely to happen whether one was in training, flying through flak, trying to avoid German fighters or avoiding mid-air collisons while flying in tight formation with your squadron mates. Readers will have an excellent idea of what our airmen endured during World War II.

An exciting read!.......2005-03-22

The cover of Bomber Pilot displays a photograph of a Liberator skimming the ground on a low level attack on the Ploesti raid. This photograph alone makes you want to reach out to grab Bomber Pilot assured that you will have an exciting read. And you won't be disappointed. Pilot Phil Ardery won a Silver Star, two DFCs, four Air Medals and the French Croix de Guerre with palm. He didn't get those sitting around some Officers' Club.

He flew 24s on missions ranging from icy Norway to baking North Africa. Some Eighth Air Force crews were detached to Libya to join in the fight to drive the Axis from Bengasi, Tripoli and all of the Mediterranean. You'll be able to compare bombing in hot and dusty Libya and lurching through the Norwegian sky trying to find any identifiable landmark.

Ardery flew missions to eastern Mediterranean islands. He says when he was stationed in Bengasi with Ninth Bomber Command there was no Protestant Chaplain and no Jewish one but there was a remarkable Catholic chaplain who was capable of conducting services for Jewish personnel. Ardery, a Protestant, notes that Fr. Beck could conduct a Jewish funeral with perfect form and dignity. He never missed an opportunity to give all possible aid and comfort to the Protestant boys. He never pushed his religion on any of them.

Fr. Beck actually flew on combat missions from time to time . Crews thought it was lucky to have him aboard. One day the Group Commander found out and grounded him. He apparently feared having to explain what the chaplain was doing up in the air if he got wounded, taken prisoner or shot out of the sky.

Read this book. My library got it for me which means most Massachusetts's libraries should be able to get it for you. Ardery, who later became a successful attorney, will take you on raids as far north as Oslo as well as deep into Naziland. He describes the buzz bombing of London, flying over the D-Day beaches, the courage of the British civilians. He dedicates this book to the officers and men of the 564th Bomb Squadron, the 389th Bomb Group and the Second Combat Wing. Do these outfits sound familiar to any of you? Bet they do!

This is good stuff........2003-02-19

Ardery's account of his life as a B-24 pilot is excellent. From all the training it took to simply get into the planes, to combat in the skies over the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, Ardery's account is an even-handed account of what a bomber pilot's life was like.

The chapter about Ploesti is especially fascinating. James Dugan and Carrol Stewart used Ardery as a source for their book on the subject, and the details of Ardery's part in the raid offer some really interesting stuff. Especially intruiging is the background and fate of Medal of Honor winner Lloyd Hughes, who was flying on Ardery's wing when when he perished.

Customer Reviews:

An Interesting Account of a POW in Romania.......2004-05-23

First Lieutenant William R. Cubbins was a B-24 pilot in World War II. Serving with the 420th Bombardment Group--called the Cottontails because of the distinctive white tails on the unit's aircraft--under the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy, Cubbins was involved in the bombing raids throughout the Balkans in 1944. This recollection adds significantly to our understanding of the details and especially the horrors of aerial bombardment. The author's descriptions of his missions, particularly the operations aga1nst the fiercely defended Ploesti oil installations, are especially graphic. They capture the peril and apprehension, as well as the excitement and heroism, of bombing missions over central Europe.

While the bombing activities are well chronicled in "The War of the Cottontails," I found the latter half of the book the most interesting. There Cubbins describes with great' emotive power his experiences as an Axis prisoner of war in Bucharest, Romania. On July 3, 1944, Cubbins flew his B-24 nicknamed "Swashbuckler" on a raid to Giurgia, Romania. His aircraft was shot down and a Romanian peasant captured him almost as his parachute touched the ground. Sent to a POW camp in Bucharest, established at a hastily reconfigured school in the city, Cubbins spent a little less than two months in the camp. During that time Cubbins and his fellow POWs endured repeated bombing raids on the city and plotted unsuccessfully for an escape. When Romania capitulated in late August 1944 changing to the Allied side in the face of onrushing Soviet armies, Cubbins and his fellow POWs were released. They were turned loose in Bucharest to enjoy the hospitality of the city, and the result was a predictable bedlam.

Because of this senior Allied officers rounded up the ex-prisoners and arranged for their removal to Italy. They moved their troops to the Popesti Airdrome, a few miles from the city. By the evening of August 29, 1944, Cubbins writes, over 1,000 ex-POWs were at the airfield. The American senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel James A. Gunn III, and Prince Constantin Cantacuzene of the Romanian Air Force flew in his ME-109, which had been repainted with American flags, to Italy. Gunn arranged for B-17s to travel to Popesti to pick up Cubbins and the other ex-prisoners. By the first part of September 1944 these prisoners had been returned to American bases in Italy. Cubbins, and presumably most of the rest of his fellow POWs, were then sent back to the United States.

This book is one of the better memoirs in the chronicle of POW life in World War II. Well-written and insightful "The War of the Cottontails" is an unusually detailed and vivid account of one officer' s experiences in World War II. Cubbins has produced a fine book that will be permanently useful to academics and, more important, interesting to non-specialists.

GREAT BOOK.......2003-02-05

THIS IS A GREAT READ-MY DAD WAS A COTTONTAIL-I COULDNT PUT THIS DOWN-HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

Marauder: Memoir of a B-26 Pilot in Europe in World War II

Average customer rating:

Excellent War Memoir
Great Read!

Marauder: Memoir of a B-26 Pilot in Europe in World War II
Louis S. Rehr , and Carleton R. Rehr
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786416645
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Product Description

Under the leadership of a dedicated pilot, the B-26 Marauder was a formidable weapon in the campaign to defeat Hitler's armies, and, in the words of his first copilot, "Lou was the best there was. He created a spirit among the crew that made us really want to fly the mission and be disappointed if we had to abort." This memoir begins with Captain Rehr's arrival in pre-invasion England in May 1944 and ends with the completion of Major Rehr's aircraft disarmament duties in postwar Germany in July 1945. Rehr, a squadron commander with the 323rd Bombardment Group, earned 12 air medals, five battle stars, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. He describes his experiences, including five night-bombing missions he volunteered to fly in 1944 and accounts of attacks by Me-262 jets in late April of 1945. The narrative also recollects two summers in 1936 and 1938, when, as a teenager touring Germany, he observed the influence of Nazism. This memoir is the result of forty years of research on the combat history of the B-26, contributions from comrades, an extensive collection of rare photographs, artifacts including newspaper articles and letters, and all military records and documents relating to Rehr's part in World War II. One appendix describes where readers can find images and restorations of the B-26. A second gives brief follow-ups on the men described in the narrative, often with their remembrances of the events outlined.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent War Memoir.......2006-12-08

"Marauder" By Lois S. Rehr, with Carleton R. Rehr. Subtitled: "Memoir Of A B-26 Pilot In Europe In World War II." McFarland & Company, Jefferson, N. C. 2004.

The mains portion of this book deals with the author's adventures as a pilot flying the Martin B-26 Marauder, a twin engine bomber, in World War II. The book jumps right into the action, beginning with the D-Day, June 6 1994 invasion of Festung Europa. The author then traces the action from newly liberated France to the attacks on the heart of Germany. Chapter 11, "The Last Of The Jet Boys", is one of the more extensive accounts of the USAAF struggles with the German ME-262 jet fighter that I have read. Almost all, if not all, of the American aircraft were outclassed by the ME-262 jet. I found the author's stories about flying sorties to be gripping, but there are better flying accounts, as in "Wreaking Havoc: A Year In An A-20" by Joseph W. Rutter. The A-20 was also a twin engine bomber.

The last chapter, "Disarmament Duty" is interesting in its own right. The author describes the low-key but ever present hostility of the conquered Germans. When the Americans requisitioned their house for living quarters, some German ladies stuffed up the toilets with towels. Louis S. Rehr, the author, had visited Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. He had photographed various monuments, such as the "Feldherrnhalle" in Munich (1938). On page 181, the photo shows the author in the same spot in 1945. He also took a picture of the famous (infamous) Munich Hofbrauhaus being occupied by the American 157th Infantry Regiment. This chapter, alone, is worth reading the book for.

Great Read!.......2004-02-03

"Marauder: Memoir of a B-26 Pilot in Europe in World War II" by Lou Rehr (with Carleton Rehr) is a terrific read for anyone who enjoys aviation, or military history. It chronicle's Rehr's war experience from a Midwestern military academy, to pre-war pilot training, joining a B-26 squadron in the European theater during days after D-Day to the close of the war as that squadron's commander. If you enjoyed Stephen Ambrose's "Band of Brothers", "Marauder" is a great companion piece, taking the reader through the final year of World War II from the perspective of a bomber crew. There is no bravado, no embellishment, just the true-adventure of another quiet hero of our "greatest generation". Mr. Rehr is able the frame the war with the unique insight of a young man who had visited pre-war Europe in 1938. Immediately after VE day, he witnessed some of the horrors of the Third Reich as well as the historic aircraft of the Luftwaffe. At 218 pages, this fast-paced book, and would make a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon.

All's Fair: A Personal History of War and Love

Average customer rating:

"All's Fair" is all good
On target
Great Read

All's Fair: A Personal History of War and Love
Allen R. Ferguson
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1418493783

Book Description

ALL'S FAIR may be the last book ever written about air combat in World War II by a man who fought it. The author was a B-l 7 pilot in Europe; his wife, a technical sergeant in the Marine Corps. Here is the defeat of tyranny:- near death and bomb strikes from five miles in the sky. Here, too, is a woman's struggle to "free a [male] Marine to fight." In ALL'S FAIR lonely love marches through war arm-in-arm with the shadow of death, as it always has. After the shadow was blown away, the highest echelons of the military had to be challenged before the Air Force pilot and the Marine Corps sergeant could live together as man and wife -even after his combat was done.

Customer Reviews:

"All's Fair" is all good .......2007-10-17

This is an excellent memoir by a WWII B-17 pilot. I would recommend it to anyone initerested in the war and the lives of people caught up in the conflict.

On target.......2005-04-23

Events of 60 years ago recollected in impressive detail and meticulously researched. Skilfully interwoven themes of war and love in this true life account of the World War II experiences of B17 pilot Allen R. Ferguson. Compelling and realistic!

Great Read.......2005-03-25

A great read. Gritty and down to earth story of a WWII bomber pilot and his Marine wife.

Bonus Time: One Pilot's Story of World War II

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Bonus Time: One Pilot's Story of World War II
William F. Roberts
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Bundu Boy in Bomber Command: Memoirs of a Royal Air Force Lancaster Pilot from Rhodesia

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A Bundu Boy in Bomber Command: Memoirs of a Royal Air Force Lancaster Pilot from Rhodesia
William Dives D.F.C.
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

In these memoirs of his early life and wartime RAF service William (Bill) Dives takes us back in time into two different worlds, both now so far away. Pre-war colonial life in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and the perilous existance of a Lancaster pilot during the second world war.
Bill's father held a post as Native Commissioner in the north west of the country. It was in the remote bush, or "bundu", country that Bill was born and from where he and his elder sister were taken by their parents on working safaris hence the "Bundu Boy" in the title. Sadly their father died from cancer while the children were young. Their mother moved to Salisbury to find work.
The carefree, pre-war colonial life of a schoolboy in Southern Rhodesia was brought to an abrupt end as the sirens of war in the Northern Hemisphere summoned the scattered youth around the world to come to the aid of the mother country.
In the spring of 1942 at the age of 18 he was accepted into the RAF in Rhodesia for pilot training. In June 1943, having qualified as a fighter pilot and given the rank of Sgt./Pilot, along with many other Rhodesians that had enlisted with him, he was posted to England. On arrival he was put on a conversion course for multi-engined aircraft. During training he selected his six-man crew and on completion, now a Pilot Officer, was posted to No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron partially manned by fellow Rhodesians. From August 1944 to March 1945 Bill and his crew complete thirty-six missions. Following the regular thirty they volunteered for the extra six! Drawing on details from his wartime log books he takes us through these missions that range from the French coast to the Baltic sea and deep into the industrial heartland of Germany. The targets were many and varied including airfields; factories; communication centres; marshalling yards; canals; troop concentration areas and among others included the hazardous exercise of mine laying off the German and Norwegian coasts. After the euphoria of a successful raid would come the fear for the next operation where once again they would be called upon to face a terrifying mixture of flak; night fighters and the inevitable collisions that occurred when hundreds of aircraft were being directed on to the same target area by night. For those with a mathematical turn of mind the odds of survival were frighteningly small. Bill's final mission (the 36th) was a 1000 bomber raid on Essen on the 12th of March 1945 this was a few weeks before his 21st birthday. He had brought home his crew safely home for the last time. Returning to Rhodesia thoughts of those close friends who would never return cast a heavy cloud over what should have been such an exhilarating occasion. There would inevitably be a period of readjustment- but first of all he must learn to drive a motor car!

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Fascinating look at WWII from one manýs perspective.
A lesson on life
A very personal account of flying the Marauder
A very personal account of flying the Marauder
WWII Flying History

Memoirs of a Marauder Pilot
F. William, Jr. Bauers
Manufacturer: Edgewood Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Fascinating look at WWII from one manýs perspective........2002-07-29

This is the inside true story of a B-26 bomber pilot, including his early military training, the initial
excitement of war, and the eventual pain of losing friends and fellow pilots in Europe. Some of
the vignettes were amusing; many were poignant.
Bauers also tells of his military career and his years as a military attache in Pakistan. All in
all, the book was both enlightening and entertaining. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in
WWII history.

A lesson on life.......2002-07-27

Memoirs of a Marauder Pilot is a wonderfull book for a younger generation to learn from. Mr. Bauers talks about his life before, during, and after the war. It shows the reader that any goal you set, is obtainable. I found Memoirs of a Marauder Pilot to be very enjoyable to read. I would recomend to anyone with a passion for hisory to read it.

A very personal account of flying the Marauder.......2002-07-24

Memoirs of a Marauder Pilot is real life rather than contrived. It's a very personal account of young man coming of age in some of the most challenging times of the last century. At the heart of the book is a detailed description of his piloting a difficult if not dangerous aircraft known at the Marauder in battle in WWII. But the book has much more. It goes on to describe how that experience affected him through his life. His life ends up being as interesting as his recollections of battle as he describes finding the woman of his dreams, his foreign service career and his work after leaving the service. This book is different from other war autobiographies in that it lets the reader into the life of the author before and after the military action.

A very personal account of flying the Marauder.......2002-07-22

Memoirs of a Marauder Pilot is not a Tom Clancy novel or the like with a lot of contrived drama aimed at arriving at the perfect ending. Instead it is the real life story of a man who lived through some of the most challenging times of the last century. The book is about flying the Marauder, an unruly and challenging craft, in wartime. But it is also about the challenges Mr. Bauers had to overcome to become and pilot and the effect the experience had on the rest of his life. And the story doesn't end with the war. This is a personal book and how the description of the author's life is integrated with his experience with his Marauder is its real beauty.

WWII Flying History.......2002-05-16

Excellent and well written. A must for WWII buffs.

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