First Days of March, 1945: A Red Letter Day!

 No excuses. Apologies for the long delay! 

We're into March, 1945 now.

March 1

Dear Ma

I recived a Vmail from you today and don't get what you were writing about.

You said Wayne would be getting a 10 day delay enroute and would be seeing me. I recived a letter a couple of days ago saying he was going on an inspection tour so all in all it has me wondering. If he is comming over on this side of the pond he had better hurry because I won't be here too much longer. I doubt if I'll be here in 2 or 3 weeks. If I had known about it sooner I could have stood down but it's too late now. I do wish you would have stated more certain just what he is going to do.

If he comes over and I have already started for home I'll be very put off. I would like to see him but as it looks now I won't be able to.

I recived a letter from Floyd B today. I almost dropped over when I got it I really didn't ever expect to hear from him. He didn't say much as usual. He was just like evey one else, you are doing a great job etc – you get your ass shot off & we will stay home and cheer. Well it wasn't that bad. I guess he meant right and such.

Will close and hope I get some mail clearing up what you have written. 

Jack. 

To remind you, Wayne is Jack's uncle on his Mother's side and Floyd B is his uncle on his father's side. 

March 3 1945

Dear Ma

I'll try to drop you a line tonight to let you know I am still around. 

Well I looks like I am tail end chas [?]. Eaton, Kale, Webster, McGarry, and Jimmy have all finished. Jimmy (has rocks in his head) signed up for 15 more. I guess they all will be starting home soon, I sure wish I could leave with them but I'll probably be going soon Ihope.

I haven't gotten any mail to speak of but keep hoping it will come threw soon. I told you I got a letter from Floyd didn't I.

The weather sure has been nice of late - warm and sunny. If I didn't have spring fever? so bad I would get out and do some thing. It really has been too nice to stay indoors but theres nothing to do out side so I just stay in.

I got a bunch of pictures I took here there and evey where. I'll enclose a few taken in Scotland. When I get home I'll have enlargements made of them. 

I am all run down so will close

Jack. 

The V-mail below was postmarked March 6, as was the letter above. So I include it here.

Feb 23 1945

Dear Ma

Here goes on a short note tonight I can't think of much to write about so will just write V Mail

I haven't been doing much of any thing of late, just the same old routine. I certainly haven't been doing any thing to write about. I haven't recived any mail from you of late so I don't have any questions to answer. I haven't recived any mail from any one for that matter, I sure wish I would get some mail. I keep hoping that it will be in tomorrow but It just never seems to get here. 

I am so tired tonight I just can't seem to think of a darn thing to write about.

Having run out of space I'll close. 

Jack. 

I'm sure there is something to be said for a piece of mail just to let mom know he's alive. 

...And a letter to Margaret!

March 3 1945

Dear Margaret

I guess I owe you a letter so better get busy and write, or should I say, try and write one.

I haven't been doing much of any thing so I don't know what I'll write about but will try. I did break down last night and went to town. I didn't do much, just sat around a drank a little beer and Scoth. I didn't even drink enough to get to felling good. This suff over here just isn't the type you can drink very much of. 

The weather sure has been nice of late infact too nice for England. I almost got up energy to go out side the last few days. Of course I never did get around to it just too lazy

I haven't been getting much mail of late I am beginning to wonder if evey one has lost my address. May be it's just the postal service is slow or something. 

We have been getting a lot of new boys in of late and they sure are telling us all about combat. It seems they know all about it, especially after they have flown there first mission. Oh well they will learn – the hard way.

I can't think of any more to write so will close

Love 

Bill 

I wonder if Jack was the one telling the old timers "all about combat" when he arrived a few months ago!

March 5 1945

Dear Ma

Well that day has arrived when I can say I am ex-combat. I finished up today and am very much relived about the whole thing. I'll tell you the truth for a while things didn't look too good – infact I wouldn't have wanted to carry my own insurance, It's all over now so I can say that Jerry couldn't shoot worth a damm. I can also say not a person was hit on the ship I was flying. I really feel good and plenty relieved about the whole thing.

I should be starting home with in the next week or so, so if you don't hear from me you will know why. I am going to try to send you a wire tomarrow and if I do it will probably scare you to death but if I don't you will have to wait for this letter. 

I recived a real long letter from you yesterday but was too tired to even attempt to answer it. I also got one from Bo. I also recived a letter from Bo to day. She has the same old line – I bet that burns her when she reads it. 

I sure hate the idea of not being able to see Wayne but it's like you say I'll be going as he is comming over. 

Well will close so I can get this censored and mailed 

Jack. 

And that's it! Jack had two last missions, number 37 and 38, on March 4 and 5. Because the rest of the crew had finished their tours, Jack was ball turret gunner for a whole different crew.

Mission 286 targeted an aircraft factory at Schwabmunchun, Germany. There were some delays and deviations due to difficulty maintaining formations, etc, but the mission was successful. They encountered no flak nor enemy aircraft, and all aircraft returned safely.

Mission 287 hit railroad marshalling yard at Chemnitz, Germany. This was the secondary target, as the primary target (Ruhland, Germany [Synthetic oil]) was unable to be visualized due to cloud cover. There was a note on this mission's briefing that I hadn't seen before: "You are reminded not to discuss the target. EXERCISE ALL SECURITY MEASURES." 

There were no aircraft lost. Two aircraft returned early; one couldn't locate the formation and one returned due to an engine fire.

One thing I remember about Jack's stories was that his crew had zero casualties. This was a rarity. He said other airmen wanted to be on their crew because they came back whole every time. I wonder if he had even more anxiety being on a different crew for these last two missions. 

I can't imagine the relief he must have felt as he no longer had to face death in the eye every single day.

 

In the greater war, March saw the Allies crossing the Rhine River into Germany. From How Stuff Works, History:

More than 8,000 American troops cross the Rhine River in Nazi Germany: On March 7, 1945, American Lieutenant Karl Timmerman led his company of the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion to the west end of the Ludendorff Bridge near Remagen, Germany. Since this was the last bridge still spanning the Rhine, Timmerman halted and looked closely for explosives. An explosion did occur as Timmerman and his men advanced across, but, as the smoke settled, he saw that the bridge still stood. More than 8,000 Americans crossed within 24 hours, establishing the first bridgehead across the Rhine. When Adolf Hitler learned that the bridge had not been destroyed, he had four of the officers in charge of destroying it executed.

In the Pacific Theater, the U.S. bombed Tokyo with great ferocity, using tons of incendiary bombs and killing 80,000 - 100,000 civilians.

The war only has a few more months to go. 

There are still quite a few letters in the box, so we'll keep following his journey at least until he gets home!