Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, April - June 1944 |
| April 2 |
31ST IS SUPPOSED TO MOVE IN ACROSS THE ROAD FROM US WITH NEW P-51's. HOPE SO. WILL SEE ROLLY. |
| April 3 |
LIST OF FIRST ROTATION PUT UP - WHEN'LL THEY GO? MAJOR MOOREHEAD GOOFED OUT OF FORMATION AFTER ONE JERRY. MUST THINK HE IS STILL AFTER S JAPS + GLORY HOUND. |
| April 4 |
BRAND NEW "J" OF the 27th BELLIED IN + COMPLETELY WASHED OUT. GOT HIT ON THE MISSION WENT OVER POLESTI OIL FIELDS AGAIN. PIGGY-BACK IS IN WE HAVE 26 COMBAT SHIPS |
| April 6 |
CADETS FOLDED UP. EVEN GUYS ON WAY HOME SENT BACK. |
| April 20 |
PUT CHEMICAL WARFARE TANKS ON THE SHIP TODAY PUT IN OIL MIXTURE I TRIED A FLIGHT OVER THE MARSHES WHERE THE MALARIA BABY SHACKS UP. WORKS OK. BUT ONLY TAKES ABOUT 10 SEC. TO EMPTY THE 30 GAL TANK DETONATOR BREAKS GLASS. GRP. SURGEON (HA) WILL PROBABLY DRAG DOWN A LEGION OF MERIT OR SUMPIN. |
| April 22 |
CAPT. McCANN. [Charles McCann?] MAJ. [Lee] WISEMAN ETC. HAVE GOT TO FLY MORE MISSIONS IF THEYRE TO STAY WITH US. NO MORE PILOTS GO HOME AFTER 50 MISSIONS UNDER NEW REGULATION. FLY 75 OR TILL DR. STOPS YOU + GO REST CAMP FOR 1 MONTH WHICH MAY BE IN STATES AND COME BACK TO FLY MORE |
| May 8 |
REC'D MY FIRST SHIP TODAY. SHIRLEY'S BIRTHDAY. THE PIGGYBACK IS MINE LEE S. ON THE C.O's NEW SHIP. |
| May 12 |
MORE OF THE GUYS LEFT FOR HOME. |
| May 13 |
Official ending of N.A. campaign. |
| May 14 |
I HAVE RENDISH WORKING WITH ME. |
| May 15 |
 NURSES RIDING IN THE SHIP. SHIP GOT SHOT UP. MUST HAVE GONE OVER BEACHEAD BUT WOULDN'T SAY SO. |
| May 16 |
ROUGH LEFT ENG WORKED TWO DAYS + FOUND THE CANNON PLUG WAS REVERSED FROM THE COCKPIT MAG. SWITCH. |
| May 17 |
HAD A SWELL RIDE WITH LT. SHEPPARD LAST NITE. |
| May 18 |
MORE RATINGS CAME OUT. NO LUCK THIS TIME BAD NOISE IN THE EXH. BRIANS SAID CHAGE SUPERCHARGER. LES. S. MADE T/SGT. |
| May 20 |
COLORED OUTFIT TAKING OVER GUARD DUTY ON LINE. 2 OF OUR MEN IN CAMP AREA. |
| May 21 |
FINISHED NEW SUPERCH. AND STILL NOISE. STICKING VALVE CHANGE ENG. |
| May 22 |
PLANNING BIG CELERATION FOR JUNE 4th. |
| May 24 |
ENG. CHANGED OK BUT VERY ROUGH. BUZZED LEADS + FOUND ONE WITHOUT INSULATOR. |
| May 26 |
ALL "Gs" + "H's" BEING FLOWN TO CASAB. AND SHIPPED TO STATES. SO CONVERTING "7" BACK INTO A SINGLESEATER + ALL PIGGYBACK EQUIPMENT PUT IN 46 AN "H" HAVE ALL "Js" SOON. DON'T KNOW WHERE I'LL WORK. |
| May 27 |
DIVE BOMBING + STRAFFING GERMAN TROOP CONVOYS JAMMED ON ROAD OUT OF ROME ETC. |
| May 28 |
SLOW TIMING NEW ENG. SHIP ALREADY TO LEAVE. THINK I'LL TAKE A PASS |
| May 29 |
CHANGED MASTER BRAKE CYL. AND RENDISH MAKING PRE FLITE AND LET IT GET AWAY FROM HIM AND TAXIED INTO PUCKETTS NEW PIGGYBACK "46". BOTH GONE TO SALVAGE PILE LM7 WAS TO LEAVE TOMORROW FOR THE STATES. |
| June 2 |
WORKING WITH COGHLIN ON "34" |
| June 3 |
HAD OUR BIG CELEBRATION STARTING THIS EVE. |
| June 4 |
(WHAT A LAUGH) FLEW MISSION UNTIL NOON (BALL GAMES) MOTORCYCLE RACES. U.S.O. SHOW + BEER ETC. |
| June 5 |
TOOK OFF TO BARI + 15TH A.F. CLUB |
| June 6 |
Invasion started last nite. |
| June 9 |
3 day pass in Bari. |
| June 10 |
[cont'd back from June 11 with arrow] Polesti oil fields we lost 9 men. {Hoeysen} Hisey [Lt. Ralph Hisey, POW, June 10, 1944] our best men. |
| June 11 |
82nd to dive bomb oil fields with 1000 lb. + 300 gal. tank. didn't show up at right time lost 6 pilots. [cont'd with an arrow back to June 10] Sheppard leading our Grp. found 3 bombers and shot them down and got jumped [cont'd on June 12] |
| June 12 |
[cont'd from June 11] 44 By 100 fighters. we had 50 ships. They were climbing out of a valley when jumped from above. 27th kept going but 71st was leading Grp. and fought for 30 minutes. Lt. Hatch [probably Lt. Herbert Hatch] got 5 victories. We shot down 14 and lost 9. It seems it was all a well planned trap. 82nd pilots went to town nite before, got drunk and talked too much. |
| June 15 |
81st fighter formerly with P-39's now is over in our wing with P-51's like wise 52nd for some time. |
| June 16 |
Mission to Vienna and Lt. Sheppard [Lt. John Shepard, MIA June 16, 1944] flying 3rd position got jumped from behind by one 190 blew up his wing tanks and he bailed out. I'm going to really miss him as we were pretty close. No 1 + 2 man each got one engine shot out by the same guy in same pass but Osgood [probably Lt. Gerald Osgood] got him when he pulled up. (blew up) |
| June 17 |
Capt. Advey [Capt James Advey] in No 1 and Lt. Hatch in No 2 each came back on one engine. We got 5 victories. Going to move before long. Don't know where. 52nd guys went to Russia for a time on shuttle bombing escorting. P- {07's} We are very low on pilots just now. Have some new guys without any fighter training or [cont'd on June 18] |
| June 18 |
[cont'd from June 17] or twin eng. time. Got hold of a C-{78} Cessna and checked them out. gave em single engine ride in piggyback and set them free in same old "Os" we got back for the purpose. No crackups as yet. |
| June 20 |
All our new jokers checked out OK with only one fatality a 94th guy crashed + killed. They are coming along fine now. |
| June 23 |
Big naval battle in Pacific hope we catch them. |
| June 24 |
Letters from Home saying Joe Kelner there. So many foolish inspections now they are nearly driving us silly. inspecting tents and everything. So many big shots fresh from the States with nothing to do. They didn't give a god damn when we were in pup tents in the mud did they. The new recruits joining us on an average are terrible, pittyful sights. old enough [cont'd on June 25] |
| June 25 |
[cont'd from June 24] to be my father some of them, probably go back home before I do. |
WWII Notebook Journal of Sgt. David S. Gray 
