Wayne's Journal

Sunday

At 6:00, we crawled out of bed, ate breakfast, went to our ships, fused and loaded twelve 100 lbs in our bomb bay. At 9:00, we took off¹, climbed to 10,000 feet and flew a mission after a coast gun at Friendly Howe Plantation (Kahili airdrome).² We saw one burst of flak.

Mission successful, we headed for Stirling. Hit such rough weather we expected to bail out so put on our chutes. We weathered the storm and landed at home, 11:30 a.m. A 2 oz. shot of whiskey, chow, a much needed shower and we hit that blessed sack.

Think we’re going to spearhead our division somewhere and soon. Who knows besides God and the high command.

Today’s mission entitles me to the Air Medal!

Notes & Commentary

¹ Having gotten to bed at 2:30 a.m., they took off from Torokina Airfield after 3½ hours of sleep.

² Although hampered by bad weather, 15 B-25s attacked a coastal gun on Cape Friendship, Bougainville Island. “Sunday, 7 May 1944, South Pacific Area (Thirteenth Air Force)”, Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces May 1944. database (http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii/usaf/html/May.44.html : accessed 04 May 1944.)

The 42nd Bombardment Group (M) reported . . .

May 7 – Fifteen Mitchells dropped 157 centuries instantaneous on coast guns at Cape Friendship (SE Bougainville). A 5/10 cumulus undercast obscured the results of the bombing.

Periodic Activities Summary, 1 May 1944 – 31 May 1944, Headquarters 42nd Bombardment Group (M), 1 June 1944, microfilm B0131, Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Force Historical Research Agency, 1973, frame 1618.