private mw Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 16-17 may 1943 the dambusters raid took place documentry on 531 military now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 and the Memphis Belle crew completed their tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 yes 29 missions 25 of them in the memphis belle . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) yes 29 missions 25 of them in the memphis belle . Seriously? I didn't know that and the pilot Robert Morgan never mentioned it when I met with him and his wife Linda in 1993 for the 50th Anniversary of their Combat Tour at Bassingbourn? I wonder how they ended up doing an additional 4 missions? I know that Lt. Red Cliburn pilot of 'The Bad Penny' was closest on the heels of 'The Belle' and somewhat controversially, felt he was being held back a little so that The Belle could be the first. William Wyler's film crew had been closely following The Belle, and its attractive Tony Starcer nose art and name made it a far better story in the eyes of Hollywood! Edited May 18, 2011 by M5Clive spelling!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 only what ive seen on wikipedia google memphis belle and it names all the missions and the other 4 have a look and come back . :shocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 you met robert morgan :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 you met robert morgan :-) Just had a looky and as you say, it clearly says the crew flew 29 missions. I can only assume that some of these raids were not credited to the crew (aborts) because in early 1943, crews were still only required to do the magical 25. Somewhere I have all the daily load listings for the 91st for the duration of the war, but it takes an absolute age to cross reference all the material and then you find that different crew members flew different missions (and missed others), which makes things even more complicated ! Yes Robert Knight Morgan came back in 1993 (the entire surviving crew members came back when they were filming the documentary to accompany the 1989 film also) but I met up with him at a pub near Steeple Morden, near to Royston one Friday evening in May 1993. He was the guest of honour at a public showing of the original documentary in Hitchin town hall, and my brother and I met up with him and his wife prior to this engagement. It was a little bit (surreal) to sit in that packed out town hall watching the screen and all the famous shots showing him, co-pilot Jim Verenis and the rest of the crew in glorious 1943 colour film, and there he was in the same room sitting three seats away from me! I had just finished making a 1/48 scale model of the Belle and when we were in the pub, he signed the wing for me and also some of my 8th AF books. What a night! Sadly he died around 2002/2003 (from memory) in hospital in the US. He lived in Ashville, North Carolina and tripped up a kerb stone at the airport and when he fell, (again from memory) he paralyzed himself from the waste down and died in hospital as a result of his injuries. I do have some letters from him dating back to around 1992/93 and I had an open invitation from both him and Linda to visit them, but unfortunately on my epic US trip of 1993 (for a strapped 18 year old student) our schedules did not co-incide, and I didn't have sufficient funds to retrace my steps when they were back in residence. Another regret ! Whatever, thanks for rekindling some great memories on a dismal Wednesday night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 http://www.memphis-belle.com/belle_story.htm has a different set of missions listed, with missions supposed to be in other aircraft, listed as Belle missions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 http://www.memphis-belle.com/belle_story.htm has a different set of missions listed, with missions supposed to be in other aircraft, listed as Belle missions. What is very often not documented is that after returning The Belle to the States and doing the War Bond Tour, Robert Morgan was re-assigned/volunteered to fly B-29 Super Fortresses' in the Pacific Theatre. When I met him again in 1997, he was alongside The Queen and Charlton Heston in the rain and unveiling the new American Air Museum at Duxford. He had aged in four years quite noticeably, and interestingly, was wearing both an 8th AF patch and a 20th AF patch on the Class A uniform he was wearing - He was proud of his service with the Eighth AF in England but equally proud of his service in the Pacific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Frank E Valesh, pilot of B-17 'Hang The Expense' that I modelled in 1/6 scale, also went on to B-29 training after his B-17 tour. He started in the 100th BG and finished in a Pathfinder squadron. He and the crew completed their 25 missions, but flew another four until a replacement pathfinder crew was ready to take over. The war finished before he was assigned a posting in B-29's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 your very lucky clive to have met robert morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 and jessie sorry i missed you at elvington but did see your dodge :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I spent much of the weekend running around taking photos for the Wheels & Wings website! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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