Think Memphis Belle was the first plane with 25 missions in ww2?

Some years ago while I was with the Commissionaires, I was working parking enforcement at a small mall, and I wound up talking with 3 WWII veterans in one memorable afternoon. Two were Canadian, one was with the Navy on a corvette, the other was with Army in the infantry through NW Europe. The third veteran was with the Luftwaffe, navigator in a Ju88 of a photo/recon squadron. He said that he'd been shot down 8 times, including into the Mediterranean and behind Russian lines; he said he was never injured too badly in any of them to patch up and eventually send back out. I can't recall if he finished up the war still serving or as a POW. I realize that any or all of this could have been BS, but we were talking casually, veteran to veteran, as I had been with the other two, and my impression was not any different from the others.

As I say, an interesting afternoon.
Joel
 
steamy teabag said:
Grandfather flew with the RCAF in WW2. Navigator/Bombardier. Swordfish was the squadron emblem. He still has his flight log book and survival kit (whistle, matches etc, and a highly detailed cloth map of France, Belgium and the Low Countries). The log details include several attacks on e-boats, a Uboat and a mine laying mission around a French Port, Le Harve I think. On the mission over Le Harve he has a short note in quotes in the margin and its in capital letters.

"Flak effective a few VERY CLOSE".
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"Swordfish" was 415 Squadron. My father was on the squadron when they were with Bomber Command late in the war. He was an engine mechanic servicing the Halifax. They shared the base at East Moor with 432 Squadron. 415 flew quite an assortment of aircraft during the war even the biplane Albacore. I, for one, am very happy that there is a Halifax at the museum in Trenton. I wish he could have seen it
 
Magnum PI said:
"Swordfish" was 415 Squadron. My father was on the squadron when they were with Bomber Command late in the war. He was an engine mechanic servicing the Halifax. They shared the base at East Moor with 432 Squadron. 415 flew quite an assortment of aircraft during the war even the biplane Albacore. I, for one, am very happy that there is a Halifax at the museum in Trenton. I wish he could have seen it
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Interesting. My Grandfather did fly in the Albacore. He has a picture of himself standing in front of one. Flew in Wellingtons later on. Good bet they ate, drank and slept on the same base at one time or another.
 
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