B-17 Memphis Belle

Author: Graham M. Simons
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 178303825X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 347

Book Description
“A grand spread of images showing the aircraft, and more importantly the men who flew and maintained her . . . a must for 8th Air Force aficionados.”—War History Online Without doubt Boeing Flying Fortress B–17F 41-42285 Memphis Belle and her crew generate an image that is an all-American icon. Indeed, it has been claimed that the Memphis Belle is in the top five of the most famous American aircraft of all time. In September 1942, a new Flying Fortress was delivered at Bangor, Maine, to a crew of ten eager American lads headed by Robert K. Morgan, a lanky 24-year-old USAAF pilot from Asheville, N. C. The boys climbed aboard, flew their ship to Memphis, and christened her Memphis Belle in honor of Morgan’s fiancé, Miss Margaret Polk of Memphis, and then headed across the Atlantic to join the US Eighth Air Force in England. Between November 7, 1942 and May 17, 1943, they dropped more than 60 tons of bombs on targets in Germany, France and Belgium. The Memphis Belle flew through all the flak that Hitler could send up to them. She slugged it out with Goering’s Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. She was riddled by machine gun and cannon fire. Once she returned to base with most of her tail shot away. German guns destroyed a wing and five engines. Her fuselage was shot to pieces, but Memphis Belle kept going back. The Memphis Belle crew has been decorated 51 times. Each of the 10 has received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters. The 51st award was Sergeant Quinlan’s Purple Heart.

Memphis Belle

Author: Brent William Perkins
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
ISBN: 9780764314995
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
"The purpose of this book is to share real and authentic experiences that happened not only to the 'Memphis Belle', but to some of those important other B-17s that have been lost to memories through time. So significant are the contributions of these brave men, that I felt compelled to search for the true stories that surrounded this plane and the others of the 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy)"--Preface.

The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle

Author: Robert Morgan
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0451233522
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 417

Book Description
The riveting firsthand account of World War II pilot Robert Morgan, his crew, and the legendary Memphis Belle—written with Ron Powers, cowriter of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers. A powerful chronicle of loyalty, love, and heroism under fire, this is the unforgettable memoir of a member of the Greatest Generation who fought in America’s greatest battles—and of the war one man waged both in and out of the skies. High-spirited, young Robert Morgan was transformed from a fast-living, privileged playboy who grew up hobnobbing with the Vanderbilts into a steel-nerved pilot forged in the cauldron of World War II’s most dangerous and desperate aerial encounters. This is the triumphant tale of that transformation—and of the airplane and crew that never failed to bring him back home.

The B-17 Flying Fortress

Author: Steve Birdsall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : B-17 (Airplanes)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description

Allied Bombing Raids: Hittiing Back at the Heart of Germany

Author: Philip Kaplan
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783462892
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
The pilots and combined bombing forces of the Second World War are revered for a host of reasons. Their bravery when cast against the odds, their resilience and determination under fire, and the startling extent of their combined achievements towards the collective end of Allied victory have all been noted and celebrated in a variety of ways since the end of the conflict. Kaplan adds to this celebratory tradition by drawing together an intriguing collection of wartime archive photography in an attempt to illustrate the early stages of the conflict. ??Before America joined the war against Nazi Germany, the RAF aircrews (many of which were volunteers) were tasked with responding to a unique set of demands in an attempt to hit back at the destructive heart of the enemy. The welding influence of a war which saw teams of young pilots teamed aboard a range of imposing bomber aircraft (including the mighty Boeing B-17), fused a collective resolve and determination that would develop yet further throughout the course of the conflict. The images on display here offer a wealth of insight into this dramatic time.

Clark Gable, in Pictures

Author: Chrystopher J. Spicer
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487143
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Book Description
From the very beginning of Clark Gable's screen career, the life of the glamorous film star came under the scrutiny of the camera. While audiences are familiar with the public Gable as seen through the studio lens, the private Gable as seen in photos taken by members of the public, friends, and family is much less known. This collection of candid photographs, many of them published here for the first time, has been compiled by biographer Chrystopher J. Spicer from his archives and from sources around the world. As with Spicer's acclaimed centenary biography Clark Gable (McFarland, 2002), this volume provides rare insight into the life of the man behind the star.

The 12 O'clock High Logbook

Author: Allan T. Duffin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781593930332
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The definitive biography of the World War II events leading to the novel, plus a history of the novel, film, television series (including complete, detailed log of the show), and enough behind-the-scenes information and pictures to keep a whole squadron happy!

Film & Video Finder

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Motion pictures
Languages : en
Pages : 1436

Book Description

The quest Haywood Hansell and American strategic bombing in World War II

Author: Charles Griffith
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 142899131X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 472

Book Description
This book contains the following chapters concerning Haywood Hansell and American Strategic Bombing in World War II: the problems of air power, (2) the early years: education and acts, (3) planning, (4) the frictions of war, (5) the global bomber force, (6) triumph, and (7) tragedy.

D-Day

Author: Francis Crosby
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473813425
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 175

Book Description
Personal accounts of D-Day drawn from newly available WWII archives share the experiences of aerial, land, and naval troops—includes photos. On June 6, 1944, an Allied force of American, British, and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, and turned the tide against the occupying Nazi army. Harrowing and heroic, the events of D-Day were recorded in the personal writings of those who were there. Here, Francis Crosby has compiled a comprehensive collection of previously unpublished letters, diaries, photographs, and reminiscences that tell the story of D-Day as it has never been told before. With the use of new international archives, Crosby has culled vivid and detailed eye-witness accounts from each beach, as well as perspectives from land, sea, and air. This fascinating collection includes entries from American, British, and Canadian troops, the Merchant Navy and the Royal Air Force, and newly available German materials. Also included are contemporary and retrospective reactions of women “in the know” and those whom knew from “unofficial sources” of the immediate imminence of the assault.