Time Travel

Imagine you are a young crew member on an Allied B-17 bomber safely--no small task--airborne on your way to enemy territory with thousands of pounds of munitions. You can barely see your own plane much less what may be lurking in the clouds near you; wondering what the next emerging shadow will be and if you will be ready to defend your air ship. Wondering if you will make it to the target, wondering if you will avoid the flak--on the way there and on the way back, wondering if the fighters will miss you, wondering if you will be able to see the target when you get there--if you get there, and wondering if you will make it back home. Oh my.

 

   I show you this photo since it was in that missing section in the nose where I filmed the video above. It also shows the hatch where the pilots accessed the plane, and from where Mr. H--from yesterday's post--was the first to bail out of their failing aircraft. If you are interested in seeing for yourself how sturdily these were built, search for B-17 damage photos on the internet. You will be amazed. Here's another doozy:

Please go read the story of the All American. I was sitting just aft of the waist gunner window--right underneath where this spot of damage would have been. I can only imagine....