Recorded memoir of Henry Kingsbery (MC 371/882/48)
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Recorded memoir of Henry Kingsbery

1


MC 371/882/48


1 audio cassette (Memores MRXI 60)

28 Feb 1986


446th Bomb Group


Henry Kingsbery


Address and other personal information redacted from near start of recording (01mn 18s to 01mn 50s).

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Description
[00:00-05:00] Summarizes his service in 706th Squadron, November 1943-August 1944. Comments on his early life, education, joining the Air Force, June 1942, and previous service in the Oklahoma National Guard. Describes training and types of aeroplanes flown: basic; classification as pilot; advanced; gunnery and his graduation, 31 October [1943]. [05:00-10:00] Describes journey to England: southern route flown by aeroplanes [usually via Trinidad; Brazil, South America; Dakar, Marrakech and Morocco, Africa] arriving in Bungay, 17 November, and ground crew's journey on ship, 'Queen Mary.' Remarks on damage and loss of aeroplanes during training and combat. Comments on his service as co-pilot to Lt Clark Jensen and names the crew: Hanna (navigator); Holt (bombardier); Watkins (engineer); Keegan (radio operator) and ?Back/Bakke, Howard, Nye and Wagner (gunners). Comments on their aeroplane, 'Old Faithful' and first mission, Osnabruck, Germany, 22 December 1943. Describes twenty-fifth mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany, 25 April 1944, and length of their combat tour. [10:00-15:00] Comments on damage to 'Old Faithful' during twenty-fifth mission and flying another aeroplane, 'Satan's Sister,' for the next mission. Describes the mission and crash-landing, killing Clark Jensen and Julian Watkins. Comments on injuries to Keegan, Hanna and himself [loud radio music for several seconds]. [15:00-20:00] Mentions low turnover of crews in their squadron. Describes memorable missions: two to Gotha, Germany, during the 'Big Week,' 20-25 February [1944]; Berlin, Germany, 6, 9 and 22 March [1944]; Friedrichshafen, [Germany] 18 March [1944] and Brunswick, Germany, including heavy fighter attack, 8 April [1944]. Describes mission to jet factory, Gotha, February [1944]. [20:00-25:00] Gotha continued: story about a new crew who stayed in formation with aeroplane on fire and comments on the sight of large US bomber formations. [25:00-30:00] Remarks on his crew's visits to Norwich, Bungay and Edinburgh, and British people welcoming aeroplanes back from missions at their base on Sundays. Describes worst mission: his first mission, Osnabruck, Germany. Comments on post-war service in the Air Force as a flying instructor, service in the reserves and retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel. Recorded on side A only. For tape insert, see MC 376/431/7.