Bob "Smokey" Vrilakas
From An Escort of P38s
Bob Vrilakas' diary describes what landing at a friendly field
can be like:"Came back through bad weather between overcasts. Hines got very low on gas in fact we all did. Got a homing to the closest airport which was 30 miles behind our lines at Tremili. Was lucky in finding a hole in the overcast near an airfield so landed there. Couldn't get gassed in time to go on and weather was bad, so they put us up for the night. The 79th Fighter Group (P-40s) was stationed on the airfield, so they took us in and fed us a Christmas dinner which really hit the spot.
"Got up at daybreak the next day hoping to ge the squadron back to our own base but it was raining and the Colonel there grounded us. We preflighted the planes in the AM and got them ready to go. Spent the afternoon talking with the fellows in the 79th. They had a small club in each squadron We heard some new songs on their phonograph (Pistol Packin Mama and Paper Doll). They live kind of rough life living so close to the front but get along pretty good considering the circumstances It was the muddiest place I've ever seen. They live in tents and it was cold as hell. Went to a show in the evening and spent the rest of the night swapping tales about flying with the 79th pilots. Three RAF pilots wandered in about 9:00 PM . They were from an adjoining field and had been celebrating Christmas considerably. One of them had mud all over his face and clothing and went to sleep in a chair. His buddies explained that he had become a bit "troublesome" so they had to "discipline the bloke." Went to bed at 11:30, still raining.
"Awake early, weather considerably better. Got the squadron rounded up and by the time we got all the planes preflighted it was 10:30. Took off, gave the 79th a buzz job and headed for home. Weather not too sharp. Landed at field at 11:30 and it started to hail. It has been sleeting and snowing all afternoon - very cold."