Holy crap. The ball turret gunner was stuffed in the ball for all but about 30 minutes of each mission. We don't pay these guys enough respect. God bless all the brave men who fought to keep us free.
@kevin Simala As soon as I saw the title of this video I thought the same thing. I'll have to go through my book collection to find the account of this exact thing happening. I always wondered who it was worse for, the pilot or the ball turret gunner. Of course the pilot survived, but the anguish he must have endured.
@@jerrytee2688 I absolutely don't mean to be crass or insulting to this fine man, but I've heard a couple of different endings regarding this sequence of photographs. These pictures aren't exactly "rare," because I've seen em used a bunch over the years. One ending is the one related here. The other is that due to the ruggedness of the B-17, it managed to be flown back, landed without mishap, repaired, then returned to service. Personally, I believe the one related in this video to be the correct one.
That hero was my 4th grade teacher. I remember him telling me this story in class. I believe he was my biggest influence in getting into aviation and motorcycles.
Cool! I had an 8th grade geography teacher who was a Flight Engineer/top turret gunner on a B-17 in North Africa. I was new to the school and he befriended me when he found out I was interested in WWII history. Thank you, Mr “CB” Burningham.
@@jamesfarina7247 GOSH! I would never have been one for all the money in the world. Andy Rooney, known war correspondent, recounts the storey of a B17 that had to crash-land without being able to lower its wheels and with the ball turret gunner trapped because the hydraulic system was shot up!
My wife's Uncle was one. When he got out at the end of the war he had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized. He eventually recovered and went to work for the Post Office but he was never really right. He never married and still had nervous issues.
Their a different bred of me. I am one of the sons of B-17 pilot. I am now 72. And that mam although not his blood son, but adopted has left a profound affect on my life. He was a Chicago boy, a welder, and he enlisted in the Army Air Corp., he went to Wheeler Field in Oahu, and was there the day they bombed Pearl Harbor. He went on to graduate from flight school in class 43-D, 1943. He was sent to Chelveston England, he was assigned to The 305th (H) Bomb Group, commanded by Then Col. Curtis Lemay, later to be four star General of SAC. The man I am referring and call dad was Lt. Colonel Edward S.Micheal. It was in March of 1944 he was on his 26th mission to Stettin(ball bearing factories. He was flying in a four ship configuration with him on the outside of the Bomber Box. When the "yellow nose" ( these were the elite from the fatherland) protecting their sacred Germantown,so therefore the best the Luftwaffe put up.he was bracketed and hit with 20 mm cannon fire from a yellow nosed ME109 that wounded him severely, and had taken out an engine, the bombs in the Bombay were incendiary's, causing great fires and intense heat on what ever they targeted., but yet another problem besides him being severally wounded the bombs were on fire and, they crew could not jettison them, the top turret gunner had lost an eye from the cannon fire so he was pushed out as he as bleeding out and would have not survived had he not fallen into the hands of the Germans who had good medical and surgical practices. The Lt. Colonel was the a young 2nd Lt. and the command pilot (left seat). He rang. The bailout bell but his chute was so full of holes from the shrapnel the cannon shells made, nobody would leave him. It must be noted a B-17 holds 10 men , 4 officers and 6 enlisted NCO's. Lt. Michaels decided to try to turn. Back and make to England, another miracle the crew was able to "kick" the incendiary's out so now he had to contend with the men aboard, one engine out, eventually another on the way back to England was shot out in another confrontation over France with a Focke Wulf 190. He was shot at by ground fire over Germany( he had to fly low due to the loss of two engines) then he reached the lowlands of The Netherlands, called the Zuider Zee and flak towers tried to take him out, but could the enflade of there guns to go as low as he was flying, plus he was going in and out of consciousness, and his co-pilot was helping fly the plane, the flight in side the plane was slippery from his great blood loss. He was at 600 ft. altitude and the White Cliffs of Dover were near, )of which through a great deal of traumatic pain telling me his story of that day) he made the cliffs by a hundred feet and there lay a RAF Bomber Field and coming his way was a RAFLancaster Bomber heading to bomb Germany. So with the plane almost exhausted of gasoline he radioed and said he could not chance going around, so he set it down on the lawn next to the main runway and crawled out the side pilots side plexiglas window and lost conciousousness, and was taken by ambulance to he hospital. For this he was awarded the last Congressional Medal of Honor given by FDR he died. This is man that changed my life and taught freedom wasn't free. It was the greatest honor of my life to call him Dad and he was the most humble man I have ever known, he put me first in his life every time. The full details if his story all the intimates details can be read on the web if you are interested. Lt. Colonel Edward S.Michaels CMOH.ONE. One last detail his friend William Lawley was his Quonset Hut roommate also got the CMOH for his efforts on Feb. 22nd " Black Thursday" (60 bombers went down that day-600 men were lost and the Air Corp) called it acceptable losses) they were headed to bomb Regensberg's fighter factories). You decide if freedom is free!
Wilbur Richardson, 97, died March 1, 2020 in Winchester, Virginia where he lived out his remaining days. If you can read this thank a teacher, If you are reading this thank a veteran. Godspeed Mr. Richardson
I was honored to know Wilbur for some years. There were a few times he told me about some of his combat experiences, including about the day and circumstances in which he was wounded. I now wish I'd recorded that. Rest easy, Wilbur. You deserve it.
That's what I said about my ex. Lol just kidding but the ball turret was the worst place to be in that plane although the b17 was tough as nails u were twisted like a pretzel and the event so mthing did go wrong not very much time to react
@@chopfather2730 amazing I come from a military family myself my uncle flew with the flying tigers and unfortunately I didn't find it out till some years after his funeral he was quiet about his past and the things he did
I was a Deputy Sheriff after returning from Viet Nam. Since I served a most rural, agricultural County, Town Courts were always conducted in the evening, and the Judges were most Magistrates, elected from within the Township. Not surprisingly, most of them were simple farmers. One evening, after court, the Magistrate, Assistant D.A., several Defense Attorney's, and most of the Deputies who had cases in Court, met for coffee at a local café. Someone brought up our Military Service, and the Magistrate commented, "Oh, I didn't really do a lot during the war, (WWII), I just flew a B-17 from England to France and Germany." After forty some missions, and surviving getting shot down France, the third time, they put him in Plans and Operations, figuring his luck was running a tad thin. I almost fell off my chair; not because of his service, but he said it so nonchalantly, you'd have thought he was talking about driving a milk truck or something. Quite the guy.
I work in a nursinghome and I still take care of Sigi he is now 93 years old. I asked him what he did during the war and he told me that first he was an aircraft mechanic, but in 44 they trained him to be a Pilot. Not much fuel at that time of the war and so he only flew some 60 hours before they let him fly a ME 109 - a few circuits and that was it - sent him to the Geschwader to meet the Allies. Fortunately the commander said that with this little training he would be a target only and so he worked as a technican until the end of the war....that saved his life. Lots of his commrades were sent aloft and were shot down immediately. He also is quiet man and would not have talked about it, if I hadn´t asked.....btw. Oberst Rudel used to live in my hoemtown until his death in 82 - I once saw him as a kid and many of the older villagers still tell stories about him - complete differnt story though....;)
Great seeing the Wilbur Richardson Interview, Wilbur I was pleased to see you are still with the Museum. I met you at The last reunion of the American Med unit in N.C. a few years ago. My Name is Bob Foster and sat at your table. Thanks for your Service.
My father, Jack “Hot Shot” Woska flew waist and tail gunner on 30 missions primarily in B-17 “Ice Cold Katie” and as he would say “none of them were good ones”. I think about him every day. Thank you Mr. Richardson for your service. God Bless you and the men you served with.
Back in the early 2000s, I had annual memberships at the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, and I used to go and talk with Wilbur. He and Dick Bowman were docents at the Picadilly Lilly B-17 exhibit. I remember Wilbur as a heck of a nice guy, tough as nails, too. One day I was plodding along the road heading to the museum in my pickup truck, when I was passed by what I thought was some snot nosed kid in a red Honda... it was Wilbur! I about laughed my head off.I am honored to have met this fine hero, and Dick Bowman as well.
One of my Grandfathers was a Tail-End-Charlie during WW2 in a Lancaster. He survived and told not many stories to the family. However, this one from Wilbur just enthralled me; I have the greatest respect for you Sir, and all of your Comrades. The way you related the story is worthy of praise too - just a 'normal' day at work....something this Snowflake generation couldn't even comprehend. I do speak from almost 30 years Armed Forces service on that subject. I wish you well
This is the reason , they are referred to as: "THE GREATEST GENERATION" They went to fight when we were attacked. Many of them, graduated HIGH SCHOOL & went directly into the service. My Dad was 1 of them. He spent 4 1/2 years in the Philippine Islands. To the 65 that thumbs downed this, if it weren't for these brave , selfless men & women , who answered the call in this time period, the world as you know it , probably wouldn't exist .. The selfless acts of these people were not in vane. They helped us to have the FREEDOMS & RIGHTS we all love. And so many desecrate nowadays. God Bless EVERY man & Woman who answered the CALL , back in this Dark Time. Most are gone now, but , I will NEVER forget or allow anyone to speak critically of them. GOD BLESS YOU ALL...R.I.P.
My dad was ball turret. gunner in Italy with the 15th. When my dad would have a fish or BBQ they would have a few drinks and dad would say they fought the war again that night. Heard many great story's I've told to my sons.
hey, God bless your dad..i salute him and this shot of whiskey is for him...... ur luycky to have such an incredible father...Blessings...excuse my grammar..i had to many shots ...blessings to your dad and yournfamily
My father stayed stateside. He had a pilot's license and was 27 when the war broke out, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was made an instructor pilot right away, training many of the men who later went to European and the Pacific theatres and won the war. He was stationed in Japan after the war with the Army of Occupation as an actual fighter pilot, then. He stayed in 24 years, eventually working on the XB-70 project. Yes, I'm proud of him, and the others, but my God was he a hard man to live with.
@@jamesmothersbaugh357 I always figured it was a mans job to encourage our sons to leave home otherwise they stick around till they are 35 or longer my boys enlisted at 18 and 19 usmc. And they still love me. Proud. S.o.b. that I am.
If you are content to shower praise on those who have had to live through great difficulty, then your service is no more significant than those your criticize for their dislike of this video. The world is bettered by those who stand up for weak, not by those who stand up for the strong. Those that push against the tyranny of the masses, who are despised by those with unearned power, who are a threat to the status quo, they are my heroes because they stop problems before they escalate to this level. They are the fathers and mothers who raise children to be loved and to eschew psychopathy. We live in the age of rampant psychopathy, at least where there is money to control people, and yet few say anything. The problems don't begin with tyrants, the origin is much humbler and more easily contained.
I'M 70 the PUNKS disrespect seniors on YT make fun, berate us with rude comments,"Boomer", @ least I can read&write! THEY CAN'T they're SAD. BTW My Father was on DD691 The Mertz,a fletcher cl destroyer RIP DAD&ALL VETERANS
@@wolfchacer0139 Your delusion is fragrant, like it is steeped in a musty dungeon of everlasting fantasies of persecution and flagellation. If you want things to continue for you as they have, carry on.
This is a fantastic interview. Great audio and this guy is a great performer. VERY articulate and nonemotional and fact driven. He's conveying something very important to us all. Very few left but now we have this GREAT video. Thanks guys. And thanks to Wilbur for his outstanding service.
The bravery and dedication of these combat vets never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Much heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our veterans of wars and conflicts.
This was Mission 358 to Berlin May 19th 1944.....the lower B-17G was "Miss Donna Mae II " I believe she was named so because the original crew had rotated home after the 25. This rookie crew were sadly lost.
Much love and the most profound respect to the men like Mr. Richardson who bravely served our great nation. This man is a true American hero. I can't imagine the courage it took to be a turret Gunner where life expectancy was measured by hours...wow! Thank you sir for keeping our country safe for the rest of us. God bless you!!
A great video thank you sir I enjoyed it very much. I'd like to thank you for serving and for help keeping history alive. My dad was a WW II veteran and I'm retired from the Air Force and fought in two wars. Thank you sir may God Bless.
What a different time. I can't picture 18yr old kids today being fighter pilots bomber pilots. Hell even Lt.'s & , or Majors. Lol..!!!!!!! Nothing against our youth I have teenagers also. Crazy time back then!!!!!!! God bless them all..!!!!!
These men were a product of good parenting, a work unparalleled and having great great lack (the Great Depression) Most had nothing and the military offered a bed, food and uniform with a paycheck. Most lived in a depressive mood that they may not survive, but persevered and did their jobs anyway. Remember the whole world was aflame and we were about to fight a war on two fronts which had no one had been successful. Our country mobilized it resources quite quickly. And Izoroku Yamamoto said that we were a "sleeping giant" so we must be defeated quickly". These young men and women worked as a "team" and they "arose to the occasion". Like the Battle of Britain pilots. We still have these type of men and women today, my son in Special Forces (Army) has taken up the standard and has survived 5 tours of Iraq, 1 to Afganistan and 1 to Colombia. They maybe few but nevertheless they are out there for us, just look around. I am proud to be his father and am a wounded Vietnam Vet. And lost my Father in Korea (Chosin Resorvoir ), I was adopted by a WWII B-17 Bomber Pilot who received the CMOH (Medal of Honor) somI see what these men were made out of and the came from nothing and gave their all and ask nothing in return. The bible say's "no greater friend has thou than to lay down his life for there friends" and they did! Unheard of today.
@@larrywilliams7993 I think humans can and will become whatever is necessary when society unifies and collectively finds a purpose. Looking just at this ball turret gunner and imagining that he (and a million others) performed a miraculous role because of something entirely within himself isn't enough explanation. Our country unified from coast to coast, to beat Fascism and "spread democracy". We were called upon to cut down on sugar, steel, etc......., work night shifts, learn logistical skills in our thousands, go from selling shoes to calibrating the lathes that could produce a perfect propeller, etc........ Few of the "greatest generation" would think they were greater than anybody else then or now. I'd agree. Our government by 1943 had taken over "everything". There were whole new agencies to manage rationing, every aspect of areonautics, 1000 military training schools, and in a seldom heard story, government took over industry. Henry Ford was told to stop helping Adolf, stop building automobiles at all, and begin building B24s. He, not unlike the ball turret gunner, learned to become one hell of a B24 builder, even against his own judgement. If at anytime our country, or the world, or a dedicated part of humanity, sees necessity clearly and acts collectively and deliberately to bend the future, they become "the greatest" and even the stragglers (like Henry Ford) become "heroes" of sorts and do their part in the "great" cause.
@@larrywilliams7993 But so many of them suffered what we now recognize as PTS for years after the war. My father was one of them. He was a bomber pilot with the 492nd Bomb Group. He struggled to process the carnage he witnessed and participated in. He passed away believing every crewmen in his group had been lost on a mission he and his crew stood down from. Turned out not to be true. Only at the very end of his life did he seem to resolve in his mind what he had been a part of.
To climb down in that little ball hanging underneath that big bird while high above enemy territory, dam. Respect ✊ & gratitude 🙏🏼 to this man and all others like him both here and gone .......
I rode around with him in California on a trip from West Point. Amazing man. Humble. He insisted on being the one to drive us around. No glasses even in his 80's.
Back in about 2000, I did an. Interview for a web site on Long Island, NY of Phil Canale, a belly gun man in B17s and told me things that stood my hair on edge.
I've use to go there when I was little I even have lakes to this guy... It's so sad to be a belly gunner and so scary. Man he even showed us the bullet he was shot with and the bullets that would hit the plane man what a hero
The belly gunner was actually the station with the highest survival statistic in the B17. There is armor plating on the outside and being balled up you are a small target. Sides of the plane had no armor except in a few locations...
Don Moore bullshit! Have you ever seen a real B-17? Walked around one and touched it, and been inside one? I HAVE. There is no armor on a B-17, ANYWHERE.The ball turret is made of plexiglass and aluminum. The only steel parts are the rotational track and the gun mounts. The skin and ribs of the plane are all aluminum, no armor. You are surrounded by ammo boxes and oxygen bottles. You are flying 8 miles high, and it is forty degrees below zero inside that plane. Then the Messerschmitt’s show up. Welcome to their life.
Thank you Wilbur Richardson, thank you and all like you. It's sad that the freedom you and others offered your lives for is taken so lightly by so many of us. Thank you again.
I have a lot of respect for the American guys who flew on the B17s. (I'm a brit) The daylight raids were almost suicidal. The idea was to send many bombers, in formation, all armed to the teeth in a 'Flying Fortress'. But what the crews didn't know, was that the enemy was using 30mm cannon, and the enemy fighters could shred a B17 from a greater distance than their own machine guns could reach. For an experienced fighter pilot it was a 'turkey shoot'. (I've seen the German cockpit camera footage). For this man to survive so many ops is stunning to me! I would have chosen to fly with him because of his luck! Great video. Great man. As for the accident when bombs dropped through the tail of their squadrons plane . . . this happened many times with the RAF, but mostly at night, so the numbers of incidents will never be known. Love and respect to all who served in the air. It was a scary place to be in WW2.
Maureen O'Rourke the early P51s had Allison engines that weren't up to flying high altitude with the bombers. It wasn't until a Brit thought of fitting Rolls Royce's Merlin engine that the P51 really came into its own and became a legend. The P51 and the Spitfire (which also used the Merlin engine) are the two best Allied fighters of WW2 IMO
It was indeed. The "box" theory ( which you call Flying Fortress) was cruelly exposed in raids over Germany in 1942 and 43 but by the latter half of 1944, the Nazis just didn't have the numbers. That was known from 1942, the question was to stop them getting hold of the bomb and end the war as quickly as possible before they did. Given that the Soviets had the best chance of taking the war to Germany the role of the British and US air armies was to disrupt German production as much as possible and rain down "terror" on the German population. ( Goebbels was right in that) by sapping their will to resist. It can be argued that right up to January 1945 that plan had failed but the following four months were to prove decisive in the German collapse. Though the price paid was very high, I am encouraged by the acceptance of every British and American flier to do what had to be done, which was to save the world for democracy. My God, we have short memories.
@@roryobrien4401 The "Box Theory" you speak of was known as the "Combat Box", Flying in a "Protective Formation" or "Tactical formation" , using "Interlocking Fire", so each Bomber could cover the other & vice versa.. These formations were used in order to increase the chances of success during daylight bombing missions, because the LACK OF Fighter Escort(s). Which, In turn called for and allowed for tighter formations, While also increasing "incidents" presented in this video..
@@nigeh5326 you right but the P51 like all fighters needed drop tanks so the could fly to Germany and back. But the true fact of matter is not one allied fight was originally design for the roll of escort fight there all had to be modified for the that job in some way out of need
Thank you for your service sir. My grandfather survived 35 missions over there in a B-17. He was a nose gunner & toggler. He never spoke much about it. He served in the Triangle K group.
As a volunteer docent for the museum, and so I got to sit down and talk to Wilbur many times (I also knew him well before I became a volunteer myself). Every now and then, he’d take a nap in a chair under the wing of the B-17, so I’d leave him alone, but come back when he was awake to listen to him, fetch him some water. At the end of some of the days, I would help him carry his binders that were filled with photos and documents that he would share with the public to his car and listen to more stories. I even asked a little about him growing up before the war. Whenever I walked with him, I called it giving him a fighter escort. Wilbur is no longer with us, but he lives on through the museum and it’s volunteers, including me. But more importantly, he will live on through all of the children who came to the museum with their families or their schools who got to see him open his binders to point out what base he served out of, what a piece of flak looks like, and listen to his stories. He wrote a book called Aluminum Castles, where goes into depth about his war stories, so go check it out if you want.
Incredible, one thing about the ball turret that got me the most was how difficult it must have been getting out of that thing in a hurry if your plane was going down. Such bravery.
Where are that generation - we need them so much. What bravery to overcome all fears of flying in a flimsy aircraft knowing all strikes would pierce - he talks matter of fact but his eyes tell of great sadness and pain. God bless America for all those sons she sacrificed so that we over here could live in freedom.
I just saw this for the first time! That was a tragic accident! My heart sank when I heard him! My mum died last September aged 95 and as we are English and mum being a young lady back then, enlisted in the WRAF and she knew some P38 guys! As a man who has never had to do what that ear of folks did! I can never thank the men and women other than thanking my mum, but to you Americans I say a huge thank you to for your bravery back then and the world should not forget all of the brave souls! I hope they all can R.I.P now and once again thank you all of them that are alive and those that did not return!
All those brave men and women were amazing just like the men and women of today's military they kept us safe and are still keeping us safe god bless them all
I met another gentleman who had this same job, ball turret gunner. He was about 5'4" and did not talk about his experiences. These men were truly special.
My uncle (my Mom's brother) flew 33 missions as a belly turret gunner on the B-24 "Shoot You're Covered" in the CBI theater during WWII. Elmer Thiessen was his name.
Thank you Sir for your service. Looking through the comments, thank you to all the men and women who have served, and are serving at home and overseas. To all our allies and all the soldiers, active and retired . Thank you for believing in something bigger than yourselves. To put yourselves in harms way to defend our countries and our freedoms.To those who paid the ultimate price, we all are forever in debt to them and their families. Let us not forget them, and let us never ever forget freedom isn't free. Thank you to all that have made this and the next day possible.
Why would anyone give this a thumbs down? An elderly veteran discussing some previous war experiences. Not one person who gave a thumbs down has seen combat. Guess they want "entertainment."
My father was also a belly gunner on one of these magnificent planes. Flew out of Langley. He would have been 100 years old this year but he passed in the 1980s. God rest his soul. All of these men were brave.
When I was young I was consumed by reading everything about the WW2 airwar, from both English and German airmen. CRAZY! Those very young men, some still kids, displayed courage that has never been surpassed.
Thank God for guys like Wilbur Richardson. My Dad was a part of a gun crew for a AAA gun on a converted old four-stack destroyer (USS Waters) during the WWII island campaign. I appreciate stories from both fronts!
I had a high school history teacher, Mr. William Ellett, that was a belly gunner in a B-17 in World War 2. He used to tell us stories about his service. At the time it didn't mean all that much but now I realize it really stuck with me. The man was a hero and it was an honor to have had him as a teacher. I remember him telling about German fighter planes and their guns winking at him, meaning that bullets were coming at him. It must have been terrifying.
My Grandfather was a belly gunner in the 8th. Like so many he never spoke of the horror he must have experienced up there. These men deserve respect and appreciation.
The Greatest Generation for sure. Thanks to all the men and women who fought for our freedom. God Bless You. I knew several American Vets that fought in WW2. All heros to me.
A true hero! All those crews were basically kids just out of school and had no problem joining up! America was different back then! God bless all these young men!
I have nothing but respect for these guys and their sacrifices will not be forgotten. The vast majority of the country backed them during WW2 and were grateful and aware of what they accomplished. Today we are not a cohesive country, we are fractured and falling apart from within. It saddens and concerns me deeply that the unity and resolve of that era would be difficult to replicate today.
Great respect for you Sir ! I can not imagine my self in Your position !!! You Sir are a Legend , You will have your place in History ! I am sure You arefamiliar with Squadron 303 , and 304 , The Polish Flyboys , during the Battle of Britain !!!The Polaks with one of the highest kills during the Battle of Brittain !!! Anyways , Thank You for the conversation.
How the romance of aviation made these men hero's. I was a lead scout tank commander in Indochina racking up 169 combat patrols. Because I was in the Nam, the media calls me horrible names.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Randall Jarrell, 1914 - 1965 From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
I recently met a WW II P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot who pointed out that the German fighter planes would go after the belly gunner first and take him out first. What a thankless job this was!
My Pop Kenneth E Neff was a belly gunner. April 29th 1944 17th mission went down in france, running out of gas, after a berlin mission. He spent 5 months with the french underground and was repatriated.
Wow - this gentleman saw this infamous incident first hand. Must be very hard to live with such a memory. Strong man. The numbers of flyers and aircraft lost are staggering.
As with all these young men in war, they did their job in the belief that was their duty. Something lost on today’s society. The fact they faced death every time they went out regardless of their own fear, is something we should be grateful for.
I met Wilbur Richardson at a reunion of the 94th Bomb Group in Crystal City, VA. Believe it was about 1982. Brave men all. I'll never short change the Marine Corps, BUT the 8th Air Force ALONE suffered more battle casualties than the entire Marine Corps did during the war.
We had a fine fellow that worked in my family's machine shop who had been a waist gunner in an early model B-17 that operated out of N. Africa, then italy. His name was Herschel Steele, and his fortress was Sweater Girl. It was one of the few bombers that had the nose art on its tail.
His testimony is so moving, unfortunate poor rookies... I think lots of accidents and friendly fires with turetts & machine guns from B17 to B17 must have happened too in those tight formations while shooting at enemy fighters flying around..
One of my great, great uncles died on a B-17 Flying Fortress named the Invictus on their way to Magdeburg Germany. A well-to-do German family found him in their Garden and had him entered in their private family Cemetery. After the ended he was moved to an Allied Cemetery in France. I just thought that was a sweet story.
Who operated the chin turret (barbette) in the G model of B-17 and how did they manage it? They couldn't sit in it, so how did they aim, move and fire the guns? I'm familiar with the B-29 defensive barbette system but the B-17G eas operational a year or more before those.
I saw a story once, on a program like "Twilight Zone" that told of a gunner in the belly of a B-17 that had lost its landing gear and was going to have to crash land (which would have been horrible). There must be a way up out of that turret, but not in this story, however, miraculously, the gear came down finally just as they were to land, and the gunner was safe! I'll never forget that, wish I could remember where I saw it. It was really a nail-biting story! Those gunners in the turret in the belly of that aircraft had to be exceptionally brave, because they didn't have a chance if the plane went down.
My father was in WWII. His father was in WWI. My brother was in Vietnam. My pastor who officiated at my wedding was a glider pilot in WWII. I have heard a number of stories. Some of them were told with a similar casual tone. Nevertheless, they were/are all my heroes. They were all in the Army. Me? I joined the Air Force. Happy and honored to serve this great country of ours. God Bless the USA!
Holy crap. The ball turret gunner was stuffed in the ball for all but about 30 minutes of each mission. We don't pay these guys enough respect. God bless all the brave men who fought to keep us free.
@kevin Simala As soon as I saw the title of this video I thought the same thing. I'll have to go through my book collection to find the account of this exact thing happening. I always wondered who it was worse for, the pilot or the ball turret gunner. Of course the pilot survived, but the anguish he must have endured.
@@jerrytee2688 I absolutely don't mean to be crass or insulting to this fine man, but I've heard a couple of different endings regarding this sequence of photographs. These pictures aren't exactly "rare," because I've seen em used a bunch over the years. One ending is the one related here. The other is that due to the ruggedness of the B-17, it managed to be flown back, landed without mishap, repaired, then returned to service. Personally, I believe the one related in this video to be the correct one.
That hero was my 4th grade teacher. I remember him telling me this story in class. I believe he was my biggest influence in getting into aviation and motorcycles.
I had a chemistry professor that once told use about living thru the Blitz in London
Thanks for the awesome stories, guys.
Cool! I had an 8th grade geography teacher who was a Flight Engineer/top turret gunner on a B-17 in North Africa. I was new to the school and he befriended me when he found out I was interested in WWII history. Thank you, Mr “CB” Burningham.
The ball turret would scare the hell out of me... it takes some real guts to get in there. And he did many times...
Respect.
My Bosses dad was a belly gunner and was 1 of the few fortunate ones to have survived a crash landing
Not enough time to get out of the ball turret if shot down. On top of that there wasn't enough room to wear a parachute while in the ball turret.
amen brother!!
@@jamesfarina7247 GOSH! I would never have been one for all the money in the world. Andy Rooney, known war correspondent, recounts the storey of a B17 that had to crash-land without being able to lower its wheels and with the ball turret gunner trapped because the hydraulic system was shot up!
My wife's Uncle was one. When he got out at the end of the war he had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized. He eventually recovered and went to work for the Post Office but he was never really right. He never married and still had nervous issues.
He was my 7th grade history teacher. I wish I was a better kid back then :)
NO WAY! Awesome.
Apparently, he was a great teacher. Decades later, you're very introspective. That's makes his legacy that much bigger and better.
My 7th-8th grade science teacher was in on the D-Day landings and used to tell us some stories from his experiences there.
Were you in Los Alamitos?
@@davidmiller767 yes i grew up there played baseball, basketball there
Their a different bred of me. I am one of the sons of B-17 pilot. I am now 72. And that mam although not his blood son, but adopted has left a profound affect on my life. He was a Chicago boy, a welder, and he enlisted in the Army Air Corp., he went to Wheeler Field in Oahu, and was there the day they bombed Pearl Harbor. He went on to graduate from flight school in class 43-D, 1943. He was sent to Chelveston England, he was assigned to The 305th (H) Bomb Group, commanded by Then Col. Curtis Lemay, later to be four star General of SAC. The man I am referring and call dad was Lt. Colonel Edward S.Micheal. It was in March of 1944 he was on his 26th mission to Stettin(ball bearing factories. He was flying in a four ship configuration with him on the outside of the Bomber Box. When the "yellow nose" ( these were the elite from the fatherland) protecting their sacred Germantown,so therefore the best the Luftwaffe put up.he was bracketed and hit with 20 mm cannon fire from a yellow nosed ME109 that wounded him severely, and had taken out an engine, the bombs in the Bombay were incendiary's, causing great fires and intense heat on what ever they targeted., but yet another problem besides him being severally wounded the bombs were on fire and, they crew could not jettison them, the top turret gunner had lost an eye from the cannon fire so he was pushed out as he as bleeding out and would have not survived had he not fallen into the hands of the Germans who had good medical and surgical practices. The Lt. Colonel was the a young 2nd Lt. and the command pilot (left seat). He rang. The bailout bell but his chute was so full of holes from the shrapnel the cannon shells made, nobody would leave him. It must be noted a B-17 holds 10 men , 4 officers and 6 enlisted NCO's. Lt. Michaels decided to try to turn. Back and make to England, another miracle the crew was able to "kick" the incendiary's out so now he had to contend with the men aboard, one engine out, eventually another on the way back to England was shot out in another confrontation over France with a Focke Wulf 190. He was shot at by ground fire over Germany( he had to fly low due to the loss of two engines) then he reached the lowlands of The Netherlands, called the Zuider Zee and flak towers tried to take him out, but could the enflade of there guns to go as low as he was flying, plus he was going in and out of consciousness, and his co-pilot was helping fly the plane, the flight in side the plane was slippery from his great blood loss. He was at 600 ft. altitude and the White Cliffs of Dover were near, )of which through a great deal of traumatic pain telling me his story of that day) he made the cliffs by a hundred feet and there lay a RAF Bomber Field and coming his way was a RAFLancaster Bomber heading to bomb Germany. So with the plane almost exhausted of gasoline he radioed and said he could not chance going around, so he set it down on the lawn next to the main runway and crawled out the side pilots side plexiglas window and lost conciousousness, and was taken by ambulance to he hospital. For this he was awarded the last Congressional Medal of Honor given by FDR he died. This is man that changed my life and taught freedom wasn't free. It was the greatest honor of my life to call him Dad and he was the most humble man I have ever known, he put me first in his life every time. The full details if his story all the intimates details can be read on the web if you are interested. Lt. Colonel Edward S.Michaels CMOH.ONE. One last detail his friend William Lawley was his Quonset Hut roommate also got the CMOH for his efforts on Feb. 22nd " Black Thursday" (60 bombers went down that day-600 men were lost and the Air Corp) called it acceptable losses) they were headed to bomb Regensberg's fighter factories). You decide if freedom is free!
Larry Williams
Thank you for the amazing story. I've screen-shotted it to save for posterity and will investigate it further as you recommended.
Wilbur Richardson, 97, died March 1, 2020 in Winchester, Virginia where he lived out his remaining days.
If you can read this thank a teacher, If you are reading this thank a veteran.
Godspeed Mr. Richardson
I was honored to know Wilbur for some years. There were a few times he told me about some of his combat experiences, including about the day and circumstances in which he was wounded. I now wish I'd recorded that.
Rest easy, Wilbur. You deserve it.
My friends any man that climbed into that hole is a hell of a man.
My great grandfather was a tail gunner.in the b17.all I have is a pic of the crew with the plane behind them
That's what I said about my ex. Lol just kidding but the ball turret was the worst place to be in that plane although the b17 was tough as nails u were twisted like a pretzel and the event so mthing did go wrong not very much time to react
@@chopfather2730 amazing I come from a military family myself my uncle flew with the flying tigers and unfortunately I didn't find it out till some years after his funeral he was quiet about his past and the things he did
One was my Father in 1943 training drafted out of Oklahoma by Army Air CORP! B 17 tail gunner!
Amen
I was a Deputy Sheriff after returning from Viet Nam. Since I served a most rural, agricultural County, Town Courts were always conducted in the evening, and the Judges were most Magistrates, elected from within the Township. Not surprisingly, most of them were simple farmers. One evening, after court, the Magistrate, Assistant D.A., several Defense Attorney's, and most of the Deputies who had cases in Court, met for coffee at a local café. Someone brought up our Military Service, and the Magistrate commented, "Oh, I didn't really do a lot during the war, (WWII), I just flew a B-17 from England to France and Germany." After forty some missions, and surviving getting shot down France, the third time, they put him in Plans and Operations, figuring his luck was running a tad thin. I almost fell off my chair; not because of his service, but he said it so nonchalantly, you'd have thought he was talking about driving a milk truck or something. Quite the guy.
I work in a nursinghome and I still take care of Sigi he is now 93 years old. I asked him what he did during the war and he told me that first he was an aircraft mechanic, but in 44 they trained him to be a Pilot. Not much fuel at that time of the war and so he only flew some 60 hours before they let him fly a ME 109 - a few circuits and that was it - sent him to the Geschwader to meet the Allies. Fortunately the commander said that with this little training he would be a target only and so he worked as a technican until the end of the war....that saved his life. Lots of his commrades were sent aloft and were shot down immediately. He also is quiet man and would not have talked about it, if I hadn´t asked.....btw. Oberst Rudel used to live in my hoemtown until his death in 82 - I once saw him as a kid and many of the older villagers still tell stories about him - complete differnt story though....;)
lwm this was America’s last generation that understood why we fight
Very intresting upload
@@catcherintheair Interesting. We usually think of them being more desperate. Speaks well of the commander.
@@Philip02K Nah, I think generations don't change that much. They were very young then too, don't forget.
These gentlemen saved the world.
God will reward them..!!!!
27 million Russians died in ww2 so they took the majority of the brunt in that conflict. But these airmen are the bravest of men there is no doubt.
And now hardly anyone gives a rat's rump especially the younger generation
I got to meet him. Such a precious man! Love him!
Great seeing the Wilbur Richardson Interview, Wilbur I was pleased to see you are still with the Museum. I met you at The last reunion of the American Med unit in N.C. a few years ago. My Name is Bob Foster and sat at your table. Thanks for your Service.
My father, Jack “Hot Shot” Woska flew waist and tail gunner on 30 missions primarily in B-17 “Ice Cold Katie” and as he would say “none of them were good ones”. I think about him every day. Thank you Mr. Richardson for your service. God Bless you and the men you served with.
Back in the early 2000s, I had annual memberships at the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, and I used to go and talk with Wilbur. He and Dick Bowman were docents at the Picadilly Lilly B-17 exhibit. I remember Wilbur as a heck of a nice guy, tough as nails, too. One day I was plodding along the road heading to the museum in my pickup truck, when I was passed by what I thought was some snot nosed kid in a red Honda... it was Wilbur! I about laughed my head off.I am honored to have met this fine hero, and Dick Bowman as well.
One of my Grandfathers was a Tail-End-Charlie during WW2 in a Lancaster. He survived and told not many stories to the family. However, this one from Wilbur just enthralled me; I have the greatest respect for you Sir, and all of your Comrades. The way you related the story is worthy of praise too - just a 'normal' day at work....something this Snowflake generation couldn't even comprehend. I do speak from almost 30 years Armed Forces service on that subject. I wish you well
This is the reason , they are referred to as: "THE GREATEST GENERATION" They went to fight when we were attacked. Many of them, graduated HIGH SCHOOL & went directly into the service. My Dad was 1 of them. He spent 4 1/2 years in the Philippine Islands.
To the 65 that thumbs downed this, if it weren't for these brave , selfless men & women , who answered the call in this time period, the world as you know it , probably wouldn't exist ..
The selfless acts of these people were not in vane. They helped us to have the FREEDOMS & RIGHTS we all love. And so many desecrate nowadays.
God Bless EVERY man & Woman who answered the CALL , back in this Dark Time. Most are gone now, but , I will NEVER forget or allow anyone to speak critically of them.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL...R.I.P.
My dad was ball turret. gunner in Italy with the 15th. When my dad would have a fish or BBQ they would have a few drinks and dad would say they fought the war again that night. Heard many great story's I've told to my sons.
hey, God bless your dad..i salute him and this shot of whiskey is for him...... ur luycky to have such an incredible father...Blessings...excuse my grammar..i had to many shots ...blessings to your dad and yournfamily
My dad was a Navigator in the 15th! 454th BG 737th Sq August - May 1944-45
My father stayed stateside. He had a pilot's license and was 27 when the war broke out, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was made an instructor pilot right away, training many of the men who later went to European and the Pacific theatres and won the war. He was stationed in Japan after the war with the Army of Occupation as an actual fighter pilot, then. He stayed in 24 years, eventually working on the XB-70 project. Yes, I'm proud of him, and the others, but my God was he a hard man to live with.
@@pgroove163 been there done that. Having a sip now.
@@jamesmothersbaugh357 I always figured it was a mans job to encourage our sons to leave home otherwise they stick around till they are 35 or longer my boys enlisted at 18 and 19 usmc. And they still love me. Proud. S.o.b. that I am.
Thank you,Sir,for your selfless service.You are a hero.Amazing!
As for you thumbs down cowards...Don't worry about it, somebody with a lot more guts than you will protect your freedom for you.
If you are content to shower praise on those who have had to live through great difficulty, then your service is no more significant than those your criticize for their dislike of this video.
The world is bettered by those who stand up for weak, not by those who stand up for the strong. Those that push against the tyranny of the masses, who are despised by those with unearned power, who are a threat to the status quo, they are my heroes because they stop problems before they escalate to this level. They are the fathers and mothers who raise children to be loved and to eschew psychopathy.
We live in the age of rampant psychopathy, at least where there is money to control people, and yet few say anything. The problems don't begin with tyrants, the origin is much humbler and more easily contained.
I'M 70 the PUNKS disrespect seniors on YT make fun, berate us with rude comments,"Boomer", @ least I can read&write!
THEY CAN'T they're SAD.
BTW My Father was on
DD691 The Mertz,a fletcher cl destroyer
RIP DAD&ALL VETERANS
@@wolfchacer0139 Your delusion is fragrant, like it is steeped in a musty dungeon of everlasting fantasies of persecution and flagellation. If you want things to continue for you as they have, carry on.
This is a fantastic interview. Great audio and this guy is a great performer. VERY articulate and nonemotional and fact driven. He's conveying something very important to us all. Very few left but now we have this GREAT video. Thanks guys. And thanks to Wilbur for his outstanding service.
The bravery and dedication of these combat vets never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Much heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our veterans of wars and conflicts.
Heroes.... all of them.
This was Mission 358 to Berlin May 19th 1944.....the lower B-17G was "Miss Donna Mae II " I believe she was named so because the original crew had rotated home after the 25. This rookie crew were sadly lost.
Much love and the most profound respect to the men like Mr. Richardson who bravely served our great nation. This man is a true American hero. I can't imagine the courage it took to be a turret Gunner where life expectancy was measured by hours...wow! Thank you sir for keeping our country safe for the rest of us. God bless you!!
A great video thank you sir I enjoyed it very much. I'd like to thank you for serving and for help keeping history alive. My dad was a WW II veteran and I'm retired from the Air Force and fought in two wars. Thank you sir may God Bless.
Thank you sir for your service!
What a different time. I can't picture 18yr old kids today being fighter pilots bomber pilots. Hell even Lt.'s & , or Majors. Lol..!!!!!!! Nothing against our youth I have teenagers also. Crazy time back then!!!!!!! God bless them all..!!!!!
They grew up fast in fight or die, life and death environment. No whining or
blaming from those fella's.
These men were a product of good parenting, a work unparalleled and having great great lack (the Great Depression) Most had nothing and the military offered a bed, food and uniform with a paycheck. Most lived in a depressive mood that they may not survive, but persevered and did their jobs anyway. Remember the whole world was aflame and we were about to fight a war on two fronts which had no one had been successful. Our country mobilized it resources quite quickly. And Izoroku Yamamoto said that we were a "sleeping giant" so we must be defeated quickly". These young men and women worked as a "team" and they "arose to the occasion". Like the Battle of Britain pilots. We still have these type of men and women today, my son in Special Forces (Army) has taken up the standard and has survived 5 tours of Iraq, 1 to Afganistan and 1 to Colombia. They maybe few but nevertheless they are out there for us, just look around. I am proud to be his father and am a wounded Vietnam Vet. And lost my Father in Korea (Chosin Resorvoir ), I was adopted by a WWII B-17 Bomber Pilot who received the CMOH (Medal of Honor) somI see what these men were made out of and the came from nothing and gave their all and ask nothing in return. The bible say's "no greater friend has thou than to lay down his life for there friends" and they did! Unheard of today.
have mercy on all of us jesus
@@larrywilliams7993 I think humans can and will become whatever is necessary when society unifies and collectively finds a purpose. Looking just at this ball turret gunner and imagining that he (and a million others) performed a miraculous role because of something entirely within himself isn't enough explanation. Our country unified from coast to coast, to beat Fascism and "spread democracy". We were called upon to cut down on sugar, steel, etc......., work night shifts, learn logistical skills in our thousands, go from selling shoes to calibrating the lathes that could produce a perfect propeller, etc........
Few of the "greatest generation" would think they were greater than anybody else then or now. I'd agree.
Our government by 1943 had taken over "everything". There were whole new agencies to manage rationing, every aspect of areonautics, 1000 military training schools, and in a seldom heard story, government took over industry. Henry Ford was told to stop helping Adolf, stop building automobiles at all, and begin building B24s. He, not unlike the ball turret gunner, learned to become one hell of a B24 builder, even against his own judgement.
If at anytime our country, or the world, or a dedicated part of humanity, sees necessity clearly and acts collectively and deliberately to bend the future, they become "the greatest" and even the stragglers (like Henry Ford) become "heroes" of sorts and do their part in the "great" cause.
@@larrywilliams7993 But so many of them suffered what we now recognize as PTS for years after the war. My father was one of them. He was a bomber pilot with the 492nd Bomb Group. He struggled to process the carnage he witnessed and participated in. He passed away believing every crewmen in his group had been lost on a mission he and his crew stood down from. Turned out not to be true. Only at the very end of his life did he seem to resolve in his mind what he had been a part of.
To climb down in that little ball hanging underneath that big bird while high above enemy territory, dam. Respect ✊ & gratitude 🙏🏼 to this man and all others like him both here and gone .......
Thank you for your service Wilbur Richardson. God bless you.
Mr. Richardson is the man and a hero too !
Yeah
They don't make em like this anymore the greatest generation this country has ever had.
Cant imagine what these guys went through, amazing. Heroes.
@Auggie56
That was probably Wilbur, he is our resident B-17 aircrew veteran at Planes of Fame.
Wilbur is a really great guy to talk with too.
Moving story. We owe our freedom to these men. The bravest. I thank you.
I rode around with him in California on a trip from West Point. Amazing man. Humble. He insisted on being the one to drive us around. No glasses even in his 80's.
Back in about 2000, I did an. Interview for a web site on Long Island, NY of Phil Canale, a belly gun man in B17s and told me things that stood my hair on edge.
Freedom. Thank you for it!
I've use to go there when I was little I even have lakes to this guy... It's so sad to be a belly gunner and so scary. Man he even showed us the bullet he was shot with and the bullets that would hit the plane man what a hero
The belly gunner was actually the station with the highest survival statistic in the B17. There is armor plating on the outside and being balled up you are a small target. Sides of the plane had no armor except in a few locations...
Don Moore bullshit! Have you ever seen a real B-17? Walked around one and touched it, and been inside one? I HAVE. There is no armor on a B-17, ANYWHERE.The ball turret is made of plexiglass and aluminum. The only steel parts are the rotational track and the gun mounts. The skin and ribs of the plane are all aluminum, no armor. You are surrounded by ammo boxes and oxygen bottles. You are flying 8 miles high, and it is forty degrees below zero inside that plane. Then the Messerschmitt’s show up. Welcome to their life.
Thank you Wilbur Richardson, thank you and all like you. It's sad that the freedom you and others offered your lives for is taken so lightly by so many of us. Thank you again.
You are a hero. Thank you for your service. From a grateful Canadian.
I have a lot of respect for the American guys who flew on the B17s. (I'm a brit) The daylight raids were almost suicidal. The idea was to send many bombers, in formation, all armed to the teeth in a 'Flying Fortress'. But what the crews didn't know, was that the enemy was using 30mm cannon, and the enemy fighters could shred a B17 from a greater distance than their own machine guns could reach. For an experienced fighter pilot it was a 'turkey shoot'. (I've seen the German cockpit camera footage). For this man to survive so many ops is stunning to me! I would have chosen to fly with him because of his luck! Great video. Great man. As for the accident when bombs dropped through the tail of their squadrons plane . . . this happened many times with the RAF, but mostly at night, so the numbers of incidents will never be known. Love and respect to all who served in the air. It was a scary place to be in WW2.
Makes me mad it took so long to use P51's to escort and protect the bombers.
Maureen O'Rourke the early P51s had Allison engines that weren't up to flying high altitude with the bombers. It wasn't until a Brit thought of fitting Rolls Royce's Merlin engine that the P51 really came into its own and became a legend.
The P51 and the Spitfire (which also used the Merlin engine) are the two best Allied fighters of WW2 IMO
It was indeed. The "box" theory ( which you call Flying Fortress) was cruelly exposed in raids over Germany in 1942 and 43 but by the latter half of 1944, the Nazis just didn't have the numbers. That was known from 1942, the question was to stop them getting hold of the bomb and end the war as quickly as possible before they did. Given that the Soviets had the best chance of taking the war to Germany the role of the British and US air armies was to disrupt German production as much as possible and rain down "terror" on the German population. ( Goebbels was right in that) by sapping their will to resist. It can be argued that right up to January 1945 that plan had failed but the following four months were to prove decisive in the German collapse. Though the price paid was very high, I am encouraged by the acceptance of every British and American flier to do what had to be done, which was to save the world for democracy. My God, we have short memories.
@@roryobrien4401 The "Box Theory" you speak of was known as the "Combat Box", Flying in a "Protective Formation" or "Tactical formation" , using "Interlocking Fire", so each Bomber could cover the other & vice versa.. These formations were used in order to increase the chances of success during daylight bombing missions, because the LACK OF Fighter Escort(s). Which, In turn called for and allowed for tighter formations, While also increasing "incidents" presented in this video..
@@nigeh5326 you right but the P51 like all fighters needed drop tanks so the could fly to Germany and back. But the true fact of matter is not one allied fight was originally design for the roll of escort fight there all had to be modified for the that job in some way out of need
Thank you for your service sir.
My grandfather survived 35 missions over there in a B-17. He was a nose gunner & toggler. He never spoke much about it.
He served in the Triangle K group.
I met Mr.Richardson very nice guy signed a wing of a B-17 model I have
As a volunteer docent for the museum, and so I got to sit down and talk to Wilbur many times (I also knew him well before I became a volunteer myself). Every now and then, he’d take a nap in a chair under the wing of the B-17, so I’d leave him alone, but come back when he was awake to listen to him, fetch him some water. At the end of some of the days, I would help him carry his binders that were filled with photos and documents that he would share with the public to his car and listen to more stories. I even asked a little about him growing up before the war. Whenever I walked with him, I called it giving him a fighter escort. Wilbur is no longer with us, but he lives on through the museum and it’s volunteers, including me. But more importantly, he will live on through all of the children who came to the museum with their families or their schools who got to see him open his binders to point out what base he served out of, what a piece of flak looks like, and listen to his stories. He wrote a book called Aluminum Castles, where goes into depth about his war stories, so go check it out if you want.
Grazie Mr. Wilbur, grazie veramente. Greetings and deep respect from Rome, Italy.
Wow. I can’t even say with words how much respect I have for this guy.
I am watching this on November 28 2019, This vid gives me a whole different perspective on what my Thanksgiving will be about,
Incredible, one thing about the ball turret that got me the most was how difficult it must have been getting out of that thing in a hurry if your plane was going down. Such bravery.
Big salute to you Sir....
Where are that generation - we need them so much. What bravery to overcome all fears of flying in a flimsy aircraft knowing all strikes would pierce - he talks matter of fact but his eyes tell of great sadness and pain. God bless America for all those sons she sacrificed so that we over here could live in freedom.
I just saw this for the first time! That was a tragic accident! My heart sank when I heard him! My mum died last September aged 95 and as we are English and mum being a young lady back then, enlisted in the WRAF and she knew some P38 guys! As a man who has never had to do what that ear of folks did! I can never thank the men and women other than thanking my mum, but to you Americans I say a huge thank you to for your bravery back then and the world should not forget all of the brave souls! I hope they all can R.I.P now and once again thank you all of them that are alive and those that did not return!
Very brave men, so many young lives lost. The greatest respect to them all.Freedom is never free.
All those brave men and women were amazing just like the men and women of today's military they kept us safe and are still keeping us safe god bless them all
I met another gentleman who had this same job, ball turret gunner. He was about 5'4" and did not talk about his experiences. These men were truly special.
A lot of folks don't know, but these "Ball Turret" Gunners had to Short in stature, so they could fit & perform their Heroic Jobs..
65 thumbs down? Seriously?Man God have Blessed all these fine men.
My uncle (my Mom's brother) flew 33 missions as a belly turret gunner on the B-24 "Shoot You're Covered" in the CBI theater during WWII. Elmer Thiessen was his name.
Thank you Sir for your service. Looking through the comments, thank you to all the men and women who have served, and are serving at home and overseas. To all our allies and all the soldiers, active and retired . Thank you for believing in something bigger than yourselves. To put yourselves in harms way to defend our countries and our freedoms.To those who paid the ultimate price, we all are forever in debt to them and their families. Let us not forget them, and let us never ever forget freedom isn't free. Thank you to all that have made this and the next day possible.
One of the most beautiful planes ever built. Instantly recognizeable.
Why would anyone give this a thumbs down? An elderly veteran discussing some previous war experiences. Not one person who gave a thumbs down has seen combat. Guess they want "entertainment."
One of thousands who saved America. ~S~ Salute to you Sir. And thank you for your service.
I been to planes of fame i seen that b17 its beautiful honestly looks much larger in person thwn in vid
My father was also a belly gunner on one of these magnificent planes. Flew out of Langley. He would have been 100 years old this year but he passed in the 1980s. God rest his soul. All of these men were brave.
When I was young I was consumed by reading everything about the WW2 airwar, from both English and German airmen. CRAZY! Those very young men, some still kids, displayed courage that has never been surpassed.
Thank God for guys like Wilbur Richardson.
My Dad was a part of a gun crew for a AAA gun on a converted old four-stack destroyer (USS Waters) during the WWII island campaign.
I appreciate stories from both fronts!
Very well-chosen music.......dignified, solemn and reverential.
Words cannot describe the braveness of this gentleman.......thank you sir thank you from the bottom of my heart 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇸
I had a high school history teacher, Mr. William Ellett, that was a belly gunner in a B-17 in World War 2. He used to tell us stories about his service. At the time it didn't mean all that much but now I realize it really stuck with me. The man was a hero and it was an honor to have had him as a teacher. I remember him telling about German fighter planes and their guns winking at him, meaning that bullets were coming at him. It must have been terrifying.
My Grandfather was a belly gunner in the 8th. Like so many he never spoke of the horror he must have experienced up there. These men deserve respect and appreciation.
The Greatest Generation for sure. Thanks to all the men and women who fought for our freedom. God Bless You. I knew several American Vets that fought in WW2. All heros to me.
Mr. Richardson, words cannot convey our gratitude to you and your fellow airmen for what you did. May you all Rest In Peace.
A true hero! All those crews were basically kids just out of school and had no problem joining up! America was different back then! God bless all these young men!
God bless these brave men
#ThoughtAndPrayers
Telling the story so matter of fact
I have nothing but respect for these guys and their sacrifices will not be forgotten. The vast majority of the country backed them during WW2 and were grateful and aware of what they accomplished. Today we are not a cohesive country, we are fractured and falling apart from within. It saddens and concerns me deeply that the unity and resolve of that era would be difficult to replicate today.
Great respect for you Sir ! I can not imagine my self in Your position !!! You Sir are a Legend , You will have your place in History ! I am sure You arefamiliar with Squadron 303 , and 304 , The Polish Flyboys , during the Battle of Britain !!!The Polaks with one of the highest kills during the Battle of Brittain !!! Anyways , Thank You for the conversation.
How the romance of aviation made these men hero's. I was a lead scout tank commander in Indochina racking up 169 combat patrols. Because I was in the Nam, the media calls me horrible names.
Well, you are a hero, thank you for your service and for enforcing my country's policies in the turbulent years
You did what you had to do and I've talked to many South Vietnamese who were grateful for the service and sacrifice of GIs like you.
Mr. Dale, you’re alright with us. No horrible names here.
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
Randall Jarrell, 1914 - 1965
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
I recently met a WW II P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot who pointed out that the German fighter planes would go after the belly gunner first and take him out first. What a thankless job this was!
My high school aviation teacher was Mr Curry. Korea pilot. Flew lots with him in a 6-place. Small dinky high school. Pittsboro IN. He was amazing.
My Pop Kenneth E Neff was a belly gunner. April 29th 1944 17th mission went down in france, running out of gas, after a berlin mission. He spent 5 months with the french underground and was repatriated.
Wow - this gentleman saw this infamous incident first hand. Must be very hard to live with such a memory. Strong man. The numbers of flyers and aircraft lost are staggering.
Ole Strat' was a crew chief, p-38 & B-24 top gunner... He Taught US Well...
Met him at the museum in 2013. I believe this plane is Picadilly Lilly. Hearing his stories that day was one of the highlights of my life.
As with all these young men in war, they did their job in the belief that was their duty. Something lost on today’s society. The fact they faced death every time they went out regardless of their own fear, is something we should be grateful for.
I met Wilbur Richardson at a reunion of the 94th Bomb Group in Crystal City, VA. Believe it was about 1982. Brave men all. I'll never short change the Marine Corps, BUT the 8th Air Force ALONE suffered more battle casualties than the entire Marine Corps did during the war.
God bless you sir and thank you for your service 🙏🏼
We had a fine fellow that worked in my family's machine shop who had been a waist gunner in an early model B-17 that operated out of N. Africa, then italy. His name was Herschel Steele, and his fortress was Sweater Girl. It was one of the few bombers that had the nose art on its tail.
So tragic these numbers. God bless America’s fallen heroes.
I couldn’t imagine sitting in a ball turret for all that time, nerves of steel to do that
These guys have balls of steel. The greatest respect. God bless.
His testimony is so moving, unfortunate poor rookies... I think lots of accidents and friendly fires with turetts & machine guns from B17 to B17 must have happened too in those tight formations while shooting at enemy fighters flying around..
We will remember them
One of my great, great uncles died on a B-17 Flying Fortress named the Invictus on their way to Magdeburg Germany. A well-to-do German family found him in their Garden and had him entered in their private family Cemetery. After the ended he was moved to an Allied Cemetery in France. I just thought that was a sweet story.
How tragic. Bless those airmen. Brave men they were.
Who operated the chin turret (barbette) in the G model of B-17 and how did they manage it? They couldn't sit in it, so how did they aim, move and fire the guns?
I'm familiar with the B-29 defensive barbette system but the B-17G eas operational a year or more before those.
I saw a story once, on a program like "Twilight Zone" that told of a gunner in the belly of a B-17 that had lost its landing gear and was going to have to crash land (which would have been horrible). There must be a way up out of that turret, but not in this story, however, miraculously, the gear came down finally just as they were to land, and the gunner was safe! I'll never forget that, wish I could remember where I saw it. It was really a nail-biting story!
Those gunners in the turret in the belly of that aircraft had to be exceptionally brave, because they didn't have a chance if the plane went down.
There is an escape hatch in the turret for bailing out.
@@TJDOZIER1 I assumed there would be, otherwise how would they get inside the turret! Maybe it was jammed in the story, anyway thanks for the reply!
Believe it or not, Mr. Richardson was my 4th grade teacher. I wish I had known that at the time. He was very patient with a bunch of spoiled brats !!
I salute you Sir.
I always think of that Spielberg movie when I think of the Flying Fortress.
My father was in WWII. His father was in WWI. My brother was in Vietnam. My pastor who officiated at my wedding was a glider pilot in WWII. I have heard a number of stories. Some of them were told with a similar casual tone. Nevertheless, they were/are all my heroes. They were all in the Army. Me? I joined the Air Force. Happy and honored to serve this great country of ours. God Bless the USA!
Much respect to you and yours... my Father did two terms in Vietnam one in Panama has a Medic
My father was a ball turret gunner in the 379th Bomb Group, he flew 32 missions.
Thank you for saving my way of life as an American. The greatest nation that God has blessed on earth.
Scooby Doo well said sir