American Bomber Crewman 1941–45

Osprey Warrior #119

by Gregory Fremont-Barnes, Seán Ó’Brógáin (Illustrations)

Gregory Fremont-Barnes examines the lives of the American Bomber Crewmen of the Eighth Air Force, "The Mighty Eighth", who crewed, maintained and repaired the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and the B-24 Liberators that flew from the airfields of Norfolk and Suffolk and other counties of England during World War II (1939-1945). He highlights the physical and psychological strain placed on these brave men. Long bombing missions called for brute strength to control the aircraft and extraordinary endurance to fly for hours at 20,000 feet at temperatures below freezing in unheated, unpressurized cabins. Then there were Luftwaffe fighters and anti-aircraft fire to contend with and it required incredible skill and some luck to return from a mission unscathed. This book is a fitting tribute to these often uncelebrated heroes who took the war deep into the Third Reich, as well as a fascinating historical account of the experiences they went through.

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars if that option was available. It was a short read, but pretty insightful regarding the lives of crew members who flew bombers in WWII. Especially enjoyed the parts about B-24s, since Dad flew and taught on those planes.

[Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

My interest in this book is Dad and his WWII experiences. Learned about the courage of those who flew of the ETO facing enemy fighters and flack. Proud of Dad and others, including Fred Lieber who served during those years.

Gift from Tom Christmas '08