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401BG Radiomen: dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit, please:
Posted:
By: Win Bryson
On: 05/19/2005
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1. I'm looking for Radiomen who can fill me in on Radiomen's duties at Deenethorpe. I'm thinking of things like pre-mission preparations like ground-tuning; in-flight duties; and post-mission duties (plus on-base training).
2. I have a 'Class Book' (like a mini-Bluebook) of the "Technical School, AAFTC, Sioux Falls, S.D." that shows photos of all the graduating Radiomen (in class "3K725PT6") besides photos and captions of the Radio School and other Sioux Falls Base functions and places.
- Does anyone know 'what' class that is - It's undated. [I'd be glad to check your name with those photographed]; and
- Does anyone have one of these 'Class Books' for the Nov.20,1943 Graduating Class [that would include J.T. Dorris (later in the 613SQ A.J. Nelson Crew).
3. Does anyone have, or know of a book with, a photo or diagram of the B-17 Radioroom's layout and identification of equipment.
4. I'd particularly like to know the 'routine' for 613SQ Radiomen (assuming there are some differences between how each squadron operated).
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Re: 401BG Radiomen: dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit, please:
Posted:
By: Clyde Larry Mings CMSGT USAF (ret)
On: 06/18/2005
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I flew as radio gunner on Madame Queen in the 613th
from just before D-Day till Oct. when I completed my tour. Was sent back overseas and flew radio op on transports to the Africa-India run till 6 more months after the war ended. Flew on B-29's in 307th Bomb group from 1946-1950. Went into avionics supervision and retired in 1962 and taught avionics at local college.Was the first electronics person to win the FAA Aviation Mechanics Safety award for State, Regional , and National level for inventions and improvements to aircraft safety while i was Avionics Supervisor for a couple of small airlines. Am Extra class ham-AC4EY. Have a CD of the B-17 "909" with good color shots of radio room and all interiors-will try to make a copy since it has interiors of both the B-17 and B-24 . Regards, Larry
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Re: 401BG Radiomen: dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit, please:
Posted:
By: Cklyde Larry Mings CMSGT USAF RET
On: 06/22/2005
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First, I strongly recommend getting the DVD or VHS tape "The way it was" advertised on this forum- it show about everything on the base. I remember Sgt. Dorris, but was never close-our heavy schedule didnt leave us much time to mingle with the other crews. I remember Nelsons crew and plane from the briefings and I think we overlapped on some missions with them. I finished my tour about the time Dorris was getting started on theirs . I went to radio school at Scott in April 1941 and finished up about October so we were never in the same school. My aerial gunnery was at Buckigham Field in Ft. Myers FL. I will send you a copy of the CD showing B-17 interiors- I have given it to a friend to view. Odd thing, he is a German engineer who invented the "black Box" flight recorder for aircraft and very wealthy, but the nicest person in the world.WE belong to the same ham club and he bails me out of my many computer goofs-a real genius. When we bombed Schweinfurt, he was a lad looking up and counting the B-17's falling. We were 25,000 feet apart, and who would ever think we would best friends many years later? Will get with you later on radio op details . Regards, Larry, Radio op on Kuta's crew on Madame Queen 613 B.Sq.
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Re: 401BG Radiomen: dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit, please:
Posted:
By: Clyde Larry Mings
On: 06/30/2005
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to Vin Bryson: I have made a duplicate of the 60 or so color shots of the interiors and exteriors of the still flying B-17' and B-24.I will send it to you and you can see what the RO position looked like. It shows the BC-348 Liaison receiver, the BC-375 xmtr and antenna tuning unit above it, the MD-83 modulator for the Scr-274N Command sets. The Scr-522 VHF is not visible. The stack of units are the plug- in tuning units for the Liaison xmtr.Photos will have a description list attached. The control Transmitter Morse code call sign for our missions was 7MT. ( and I cant remember mt wife's SSN!)We wont bore the readers with more trivia, contact me via email with the shipping adress to send the CD . Regards , Larry
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Re: 401BG Radiomen: dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit, please:
Posted:
By: Clyde Larry Mings
On: 07/09/2005
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Vin Bryson- Received your packet with the Deenthorpe
maps and your questionaire. Hope my CD with the 60+ color shots of the exterior and interiors of the B-17 and B-24 are useful in finding out more about the lives of radio-gunners in the 613th and Sgt. Dorris. He was killed after I completed my tour but we did have a few overlapping missions. I will get a copy made of the 30 minute tape I made for my ball turret gunners son since his father doesnt want to go back to those memories. It covers wake up to bedtime of a typical mission day. This may be boring to some readers and if so, let me know. However,some may be interested and if I make any goofs-and I will- the radio operators can correct me . We vine ripened old far-oops-coots are over 80, and Deenthorpe fades along with my 22 years service all over the world.Things like the mess halls and food may be better off forgotten!I DO remember that the flight surgeon made the mess hall stop making Brussel sprouts the most common vegtable. The stomach gas expands about 5 times at high altitude and minor discomfort an the ground can double you up with pain at 25,000 feet! On radio subjects- I went thru Scott from April to Oct.1941 and we did get a sleeve patch upon graduation. There were patches for engineers ( s rotary engine) and armorers (a bomb)etc. The radio patch is a trianguler Blue background with orange symbol of a radio tower with jagged lightning emanating from the top. I just put mine in the scanner, along with a couple of other radio school pins ( an ACTS INSTRUCTOR that Has wings and a prop) so I will send you a photo.BTW, it is amazing the number of people who do not know that THERE WAS NO AIR CORPS IN WW2! It ceased to exist on 20 June 1941 when it became the ARMY AIR FORCES. More on next post.
Duties of the radio/gunner
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