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This page contains images from Lt. William C. Lewis photo album.
It covers his WWII tour of duty from training in Mustang Field through 27 combat missions on a B-24.
All photographs in this album are the copyright of Lt. William C. Lewis, and are used here by his permission.
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This excellent photo album was compiled by Lt. William C. "Bill" Lewis over his tour of duty.
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It takes us all over the world and gives us a glimpse into the places and things that a B-24 Navigator experienced during and in between missions.
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Cadet Bill Lewis prepares to enter cockpit of PT-19 for a practice flight.
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A Cadet is dunked in a pond adjacent to Mustang Field after completing his first solo flight.
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My civilian flight instructor, H.E. Frye preparing to taxi for a flight in a PT-19.
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My friends in class 43-J at Mustang Field, El Reno, OK. (left to right) Neal K. Kletrovetz, William D. Holman, Thomas S. McGraw, William M. Pribyl (standing) My best friend Frank (crazy) W. Johnson and another very close friend Robert N. Hochgesang.
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Two close friends preparing to enter PT-19 for a training flight: Melvin C. Link (this photo)
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and Norbert W. Kirkpatrick.
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Aviation Cadet William C. (Bill) Lewis waiting on a ride to Austin or San Antonio, while in class 43-18 Navigation School at San Marcos, TX. Alvin J. (Butch) Malmer, my closest friend in Navigation School. We remained close friends in the 486th Bomb Group, 835 Squadron, Instructors School and through the years, until his recent death.
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I graduated from Navigation School, Class 43-18 at San Marcos, TX on 24 Dec. 1943. At that time I was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and rated as a Navigator Observer. After a Leave, I was assigned to the 486th Bomb Group, 835th Squadron, at Davis-Monthan AAB, Tucson, AZ. for combat crew training in a B-24-H.
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The 486th Bomb Group was formed from 9th Antisubmarine Squadron at Miami, FL. I was assigned to Gilbert Ashley's crew. Lt. Ashley had been with the Antisubmarine Squadron fro about a year and was an excellent pilot.
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This is the crew picture, except for the ball turret gunner: Top Row Standing: Gilbert Ashley - Pilot, Rom Smith - Copilot, Cliff Zeien - Bombardier, Bill Lewis - Navigator. Bottom Row: Carl Woodard - Crew Chief, Harvey Miller - Top Turret Gunner, Dan Weinman - Nose Turret Gunner, Tom Whitfield - Flight Engineer, Paul Dawson - Radio Operator, Leon Stiglich - Tail Turret Gunner.
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We completed our flight training, as a crew with the 486th Bomb Group, and left West Palm Beach AAB on March 15, 1944 for a flight to Waller Field, Trinidad. We opened our sealed orders, as instructed, two hours later and found that we were assigned to the Eight Air Force in Great Britain.
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Picture taken at the edge of Waller Field, Trinidad. Left to Right: Cliff Zeien - Bombardier, Ron Smith - Copilot, Bill Lewis - Navigator.
Harvey Miller - Top Turret Gunner had a cold and we were grounded seven days in Trinidad.
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The Next flight was to Belem, Brazil (No Pictures).
The next flight was to Fortaleza, Brazil. We left Fortaleza for a 12 hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean and back across the equator to Dakar, West Africa.
Bill Lewis sitting in the text opening, our living quarters at Fortaleza, Brazil.
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Dakar, French West Africa was our fourth stop (no pictures).
These two pictures were taken in Marrakech, French Morocco, that was our fifth stop.
We were in Marrakech three weeks due to weather conditions in the North Atlantic. Our B-24 did not have de-icing equipment.
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Nose Art on a B-24 headed to the 15th Air Force in Italy - Picture taken on the ramp at Marrakech.
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We named this Brazilian Monkey after our Pilot Gilbert Ashley. I don't think he ever knew this :)
The Monkey was picked up in Brazil, by the gunner on another crew. It was forbidden to take it to Great Britain so they gave it to Whitfield and Dawson. They brought it to Cliff and I and wanted to know if we though Ashley would let them take it with us. We said "No Way", but offered to hide it in an Ammunition Box in the nose section with us.
When we got to Valley Wales, the day after Easter, we forgot about the monkey. It was below freezing that night and when we found it the next morning, it was our first casualty.
We buried it in the Wales after a brief ceremony.
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STATION 174 - SUDBURY, SUFFOLK
486th Bomb Group
Located in the little hamlet of Great Waldingfield two miles east of Sudbury.
Our group moved into this new airbase which had just been constructed by the British. It was built to the specifications for British Bomber Stations that would have a staff of about 1800 personnel.
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We left Marrakech on Easter Sunday, 1944 and flew to Valley Wales. The next day we flew to our base at Sudbury. At Sudbury we lived in Quonset huts. Two crews, eight officers to a hut. This picture shows me in front of our hut.
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This what the Quonset hut living quarters looked like on the inside.
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About once a month, after starting combat missions, we received a 48 hour pass. Lt Bill Lewis and Lt Ron Smith hitch hiking to London.
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After arriving in London, our transportation was Double Decker Buses and Taxi Cabs.
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Sight seeing in London. St Paul's Cathedral.
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The Parliament Building and Big Ben.
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Picture of some damaged buildings in London from the Blitz bombing by the Luftwaffe.
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Left to Right: Cliff Zeien - Bombardier, Ron Smith - Copilot and Bill Lewis - Navigator in front of Alexandria Gate in London.
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The next two pictures were taken on the a mission to bomb the airfield at Bourges, France from 19,000 feet.
This was a tactical mission to knock out airfields that were used by the enemy.
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This B-24 going down with an engine on fire did not crash.
The pilot was able to blow out the fire by diving at 2800 feet per minute (the maximum that a B-24 could take).
The plane landed safely on an emergency field back in Great Britain.
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Whitfield (the Flight Engineer) taking a rest on a bomb.
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Carl Woodward and his crew of mechanics that kept our plane in excellent condition. We never had to abort a flight, training or combat, due to mechanical problems.
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Our bomb group flew a last mission in the B-24H, and then we were changed over to a B-17-G. The next 10 days were flying transition training flights in the brand new B-17G.
The first mission in the B-17 was on August 1, 1944 to bomb an airfield in Tuurs, France. The tail sections on our B-17s were painted with a white 'W' on a black square.
Our B-17-G was No. 43-37949.
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The white 'O' on a black square used on our B-24s could not be used, since there was another B-17 group that had a similar designation.
This is the nose section of out B-17-G, showing bombs painted to represent 14 missions.
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Bill Lewis sitting at his desk in the nose section of the B-17-G.
Note the 'GEE' navigation instrument on the desk. This was a British navigation and bombing system similar to the American 'Loran' System.
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Bill sitting on the bombardier's chair.
This is the position he flow as a 'Pin-Point' Navigator on a lead crew. Lead crews had two navigators, one using 'Dead Reckoning' and the other using 'Pilotage' systems of navigation.
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This is a mission chart, used by lead crews, to identify escort fighter aircraft rendezvous times and locations. Note the SECRET stamp.
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Recently, a group of Frenchmen have been digging up aircraft, from the countryside near Brest, France. This was sent to me by Gildas Saouzanet in 2003, showing an engine from the B-17-G, Serial No. 43-37949, that we flew.
The aircraft was taken over after we completed our tour, and flew their first mission on Sept 5, 1944.
The Crash was due to a mid air collision with another B-17. No. 949 was flying in the 'Tail End Chanley' position when the lead aircraft made a left turn, and the No3 position aircraft delayed his turn and got into No1's propwash. No 3 lost control and dropped down into No. 949. That was the end of that aircraft.
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Bill Lewis flew a total of 27 missions during the war.
After his 27th, he found out that he was only required to fly 25! So he flew two extras for our country!
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Bill currently volunteers his time on the CAF Sprit Of Tulsa's PT-19 project.
In the fall of 2004, Bill flew his 28th mission. A flight on the CAF's own B-24, Diamond Lil. It brought back lots of memories for him, and inspired the Web Master to produce this gallery.
Thanks for this excellent and personal view into living history Bill!
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-- THE END --
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