Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, October 1943 |
| October 1 |
syphony recordings. church Services + coffee + donuts at the Chaplains tent. 1000 lb {learnle} over Naples but solid rain so came back. Naples and Foggia taken. Bet we move to Foggia in Italy. |
| October 2 |
lost 3 ships LMV LMM LM-5 one by A.A. and the other two mid air crash after the bomb explosion. kid Myers came down from 5th wing + said flight training here soon |
| October 3 |
Sick all day - chills head ache and stomach cramps. |
| October 4 |
Air echelon went to Tobruk to cover a invasion of Crete and balkans etc. |
| October 5 |
Rainy. nothing doing. sleep + read. |
| October 6 |
E.M. club opened. everyone including our tent got {swalshed} up. |
| October 7 |
Got a ship to fix up. LMR. Maj. Miles [probably Maj. Joe Miles] old plane. been at Palermo. |
| October 8 |
Air echelon down in the desert without gas. and 50 miles from water. First mission strafing Crete |
| October 9 |
Still crewing LMA. Maj. Pate [Lt Franklin Pate?] flew to Cape Bone look field we supposed move to all under water. drew a cot. |
| October 10 |
18 P-47's nearly assembled at Bizerte' club going strong. |
| October 11 |
crewing LMR as usual. echelon coming back. saw terrible foolish flying movie. "Canal Zone" |
| October 12 |
Went Tunis movie eat come home. rained hard. planes came back. only pulled 2 missions as Jerry took over the islands the French were after so let him have them P-38's were protecting French convoy. strafing islands for them |
| October 13 |
crew my own LMN now. low oil pressure needed 40 qts oil. First P-47D in the air over field today |
| October 14 |
RAINED HARD ALL DAY, HAD MOVIE AT NIGHT. |
| October 15 |
CHANGED PLUGS IN AFTERNOON MISSION NEXT DAY SO HAD TO CHANGE PLUGS ON OTHER ENGINE AT NIGHT SAW LAST OF SHOW. |
| October 16 |
PLANES LEFT FOR HARD SURFACED BIZERTE. KEEPING "N" HERE FOR MORE WORK. SETTERGREN BACK. COGHLAN IN TOBRUK HOSPITAL UP HOSPITAL WITH NURSE |
| October 17 |
ONLY 2500 R.P.M. + 33" HG.= CHANGED SUPER. REGULATOR NO GOOD. I WANT TO CHECK IGNITION SYSTEM. |
| October 18 |
New fuel press. guage. had prop checked by {Vernier.} and governor checked. "Lady of Burlesque". |
| October 19 |
1. changed carburetors. 2. pulled plugs to check compression still no results. Saw Saddie + Hank this evening. |
| October 20 |
took back fire screen out of the intake manifold. Saw a movie. |
| October 21 |
PUT IN NEW INTAKE WIRE. FINISHED MANIFOLD ENGING. ROUGH ERRACTICALLY CUTOUT AT 2100 RP.M COMPLETELY Got the jeep and said good bye to Hank + Saddie they are going to the States also Fred Cooley is going. |
| October 22 |
NEW Prop. Gov. NEW DIST. FINGER. RETIMED ALL NEW sPLUGS. GOT 50" Hg MANIF. PRESS> at 2900 R.P.M. BEEN WORKING VERY LONG AND HARD LATELY. I always thought it was impossible for me to get tired out. It has always been. but right now I have never been so tired and worn out. in my life. had a booster shot this noon - nearly knocked me out. |
| October 23 |
Ship OK. SAME AS USUAL. GOING TO MOVE TO KAGLIARI SARDINIA. |
| October 24 |
PLANE COMPLETED MISSION TARGET MIXUP THE 27 LAGGED BEHIND + LOST 2 SHIPS. MOVIE AT THE BAKERY. |
| October 25 |
LT. EASTMAN [probably Lt. John Eastman] (DAMN FOOL) SNAPPED BOTH BELLY TANKS OFF + TWISTED THE SHACKELS ALL TO PIECES TORE HOLES IN THE PLANE. (LMN) GONE TO SERVICE. |
| October 26 |
GOING TO SARDINIA MAYBE NOT SURE. |
| October 27 |
Loading trucks. packing everything. Got a new ship. 175 hours good shape came from the 81st (F) at Bizerte'. |
| October 28 |
check valves this morning. tore up camp except 15 tents. some left for staging area. rained all the time. 14 slept in each tent. |
| October 29 |
Staging area. Threw up a tent 15 guys slept in it. rained hard all day + nite |
| October 30 |
on boat by 1:00 P.M. all 71st + Hqs on one L.C.T. nice bunks. fair chow = "C" rations officers eating fresh food. going to Sardinia. |
| October 31 |
LEFT BERTH AT 10:30 AM. ANCHORED OUTSIDE HARBOR - S{H}ILED A 2:00 P.M. ALL NIGHT ABOUT 50 to 60 trucks on board. |
WWII Notebook Journal of Sgt. David S. Gray 