US ARMY AIR FORCE
Flight Helmet and Oxygen Mask
Staff Sergeant Roland Waters
(Fort Wayne)
The A-11 flight helmet, B-8 googles and A-14 mask shown here were worn by S/SGT Roland D. Waters from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He enlisted in December 1942 and attended aerial gunnery school. After graduating, he was assigned as a waist gunner to the 392nd Bomb Group flying on 2LT Robert Ault's crew.
A-2 Flying Jacket
Staff Sergeant John Kennelly
(Indianapolis)
Private purchase A-2 leather flight jacket worn by S/SGT John Kennelly while serving with the 534th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group in Europe. SSGT Kennelly flew as the tail gunner on a B-17. The Army Air Force stopped issuing the A-2 during the war, but many Airmen chose to purchase their own.
POW Correspondence
First Lieutenant Justin W. Kegley
(Indianapolis)
Justin Kegley entered the service in September of 1941 and was trained as a pilot. At Harvard, Nebraska, he was assigned as co-pilot of a of a B-17 crew, with Claude L. Hickey as pilot. In November, 1943, this crew flew to England and was assigned to the 710th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bomb Group. January 11, 1944 was their third mission, the target being the Focke-Wulf factory at Braunschweig.
Due to weather, “Hick’s Hack” and two other aircraft were unable to find their group, but did find locate the high squadron of the leading 94th Bomb Group and fell in with them.
A recall was ordered, but the 94th BG continued on as they were only 25 miles from the target. Unable to locate the target, the squadron that with which Kegley’s aircraft had joined, went around and tried a second bomb run. The other squadrons of the 94th bombed the target on their initial run.
Successful on their second attempt, the lead squadron headed for home. Immediately after leaving the target area, German BF 110s armed with rockets attacked “Hick’s Hack.” The tail gunner was able to shoot down two of the three attacking a/c, but their B-17 had lost two engines. The third BF 110 continued the attack and knocked out a third engine.
Unable to return home, Hickey made the decision to crash land the bomber. He already had one dead crewman, waist gunner S/SGT John L. Roth, and other crew members wounded.
Two crewmembers bailed out and Hickey crash-landed the aircraft near Wagonfeld, Germany and all were taken prisoner. (For more details, please go to http://www.basher82....raten/roth1.htm )
Kegley was sent to a Dulag Luft. A POW transit camp and eventually assigned to Stalag Luft I, near Barth, Germany. He was liberated on June 1, 1945.
O.D. Wool Field Jacket
SGT James M. Huse
(Valparaiso)
SGT Huse enlisted in September of 1942 and volunteered for flight school. Failing to complete the school, he was sent to a radio mechanics course. With completion of the course, he was sent to England, being first assigned to the 8th Air Force Service Command. In May, he was transferred to the 9th AF Service Command and then assigned to the 879th Signal Company Depot Aviation. A month later, Huse was assigned to a depot supply squadron and remained with supply squadrons for the remainder of the war. In March of 1946, Huse returned to the US and was discharged. In 1946, he reenlisted in the Air Force reserves until he was discharged in the mid-50s.
First Lieutenant
Harold Eggeman
(Fort Wayne)
1LT Eggeman served as a B-26 bomber pilot with the 552nd Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force. After the war in Europe ended, the Army sent him to Paris to take art classes. Two of his works are shown here.
B-26 with crew chief and female friend.
Grounded Birds