Recorded memoir of H.C. Henry (known as Pete Henry) (MC 371/882/20)
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Recorded memoir of H.C. Henry (known as Pete Henry)

1


MC 371/882/20


1 audio cassette (Supertape gold 45)

nd [c 1985]


44th Bomb Group


H.C. Henry (known as Pete Henry)

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[00:00-05:00] Describes training: enlistment, New York, January 1942; made 2nd Lieutenant, 10 November 1942; instructional training and B-24 pilot training, Nashville, Tenessee and Blythe, California, November 1943-April 1944. Describes crew formation, Salt Lake City, Utah, and names crew: Al[bert] Winter (co-pilot); Ira Lee (navigator); Al[lbert] Jones (bombardier); Winfeld Ward (engineer); Robert McGahan (radio operator); Norm[an] Tillner, Billy Moore; Mercuris Mercuriadis and Ed[win] Schonfeld (gunners). Describes journey to England on ship 'Billy Mitchell' from New York. Reads extract from Al Jones's diary about Belfast area mentioning shipbuilding yards and expense of linen. Describes missions, including practice mission, 11 June 1944, fifth mission, near Hamburg, Germany and mission to oil refinery, Politz [Poland]. [05:00-10:00] Continues about missions: 29 June [1944], Magdeburg, Germany; mentions B-24, 'Myrtle the Fertile Turtle'; mission to Junkers factory, Bernburg, Germany; transfer from 67th Squadron to 66th Squadron and made lead crew, Hardwick, Norfolk. Describes missions: 4 Augist [? 24 August 1944], Langenhagen airfield, Hanover, Germany and V-1 site, ?Haute-Mesnil, France; new B-24, ' Henry'; supply drop, Best, Netherlands, 18 September [1944]; Ahrweiler, Germany, 23 December [1944]; Dresden, Germany, 16 January [1945]; Magdeburg, Germany, 14 February [1945]; Wiemar, Germany, 23 February [1945] and Aschaffenburg, Germany, 25 February [1945]. Mentions journey back to US on SS 'Athos II', April 1945. [10:00-15:00] Describes personal experiences: friendships with Geoffrey Smith, King's Lynn, Norfolk, Bart family, Baconsthorpe farm, Attleborough, Norfolk, and English girl, Betty; Red Cross outing, Wroxham, Norfolk, and comments that there was some resentment of American presence in England. Recorded on side A only. For transcript, see MC 376/97.