EDITOR’S NOTE: Below are the final notes Winfred wrote in his journal two weeks after all of his missions were completed.
Winfred's Bomber Journal - FINAL NOTES
EDITOR’S NOTE: July 10, 1944 (two weeks after their last mission) the crew of the 'Hoo Jive' was broken up having completed their final bombing mission on June 25, 1944.
A year ago, in July 1943, this group of strangers, from across the country, came together for the first time at Gowen Field in Idaho. There they were carefully formed into a team and began Phase I of their training to become a bomber crew. Once Phase 1 was completed, it was determined that their Bomber Group, the 453rd, would go to March Field in California at the end of October for Phase 2 and 3 of their training. There they learned the skills they would need to fly into combat, bomb the desired target, and return home safely.
After completing their training in December, they picked up their new B-24H at Hamilton Field, flew across the country to Florida, and then on to England via the Southern Route. Arriving in England at the end of 1943, they quickly joined up with the rest of the 453rd Bomb Group at Old Buckenham Air Base. They quickly settled in and spent the next six weeks preparing for their first combat mission.
Beginning in February 1944, they would complete their first nine missions with the 453rd Bomb Group. Then, selected to become a Pathfinder crew, they transferred to the 389th Bomb Group at Hethel Air Base. They finished their last twenty missions, often as a lead plane for the 8th Army Air Force. They flew two missions on D-Day and flew two more after the invasion.
Having spent an entire year living, training, and working together, they had become quite close. They had succeeded, overcame almost impossible odds, and survived. Together their mission was completed. The crew's war was over. But, the real war waged on. The big question now - - - What's next?