Captain Norman L. Aigner: An Ordinary Guy
If you’ve been reading my blog with any regularity, you have probably come across more than one article about an “ordinary guy” who was completely extraordinary in battle.
This article is about one such man. There is a recurrent theme pointing to Norman Aigner being quite an average guy. Don’t get me wrong: Speaking from experience, being an average, ordinary guy is a pretty good thing to be in this life. But I am always in awe of men who prove themselves to be unspeakably brave and...
“Ace”
It was May 22, 1944. The 61st Fighter Squadron was over Rotenburg, Germany. Flight Officer (soon to be promoted to 2nd Lieutenant) Evan D. McMinn, of Pittsburgh, with the 56th Fighter Group (http://www.56thfightergroup.co.uk/index.html), described what happened next:
Flight Officer McMinn had become an “ace,” the designation awarded when five or more enemy aircraft had been destroyed.
Two weeks later, on D-Day, June 6, 1994, the newly-promoted 2nd Lieutenant McMinn was with his...
Three Sprained Ankles
Luck played such a large role in it all. For some, Lady Luck frowned, but for others, she gave her friendliest smile. Such was the case for a crew with the 451st Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force, B-24 tail # 42-7757, nicknamed “Windy City”.
On June 6, 1944, flying back to Italy from their target, the oil fields of Ploesti, Romania, “Windy City” was hit by German anti-aircraft. The bombardier, 2nd LT Alex Chesbowitz, told what happened next:
And the luck of the crew of...
Two Ships on the Final Approach
The greatest seaborne invasion in world history was taking place in France on June 6, 1944. But for the Aviation Cadets at Ellington Field, Texas, it was just another day of training.
Only a few minutes after midnight, at about 12:10 AM on the 6th, two AT-10 Wichita trainers were coming in to the runway at Ellington.
Observers in the tower recognized that the two trainers were close - maybe too close. A red light was given to the upper of the two planes, in warning. Meanwhile, a...
“Machine Guns Concentrated”
Technical Sergeant Arthur L. Perez submitted the following brief testimony:
The glider carried a crew of two, as well as two infantrymen from the 82nd Airborne Division. But the glider’s cargo, in military eyes, was just as important, if not more so. The equipment on board LJ 161 when it went crashed on June 6, 1944, near Blosville, France, was:
1 Jeep
1 Net
Phone and wire
Gun tools
15 rounds 57mm ammunition
1 57mm gun
Pioneer tools
Tow Rope
Loading Equipment
1...
Five From the 464th Bomb Group
The 15th Army Air Force, based in Italy, sent hundreds of B-24 Liberators against the Romanian oil fields at Ploesti on June 6, 1944. This mission cost one of their units, the 464th Bomb Group, five crews. It was one of the worst days of the war for the 464th.
B-24 tail #42-52449, nicknamed “Hard Hearted Hannah,” left the formation for reasons that could not be determined by observers. A top turret gunner in another plane in the formation testified that “…there was no smoke,...
Debut for Debach
It was the very first combat mission for the 493rd Bomb Group, based in Debach, England. Thirty-six B-24’s took off for their target on June 6, 1944. But when they reached their objective, a road and railroad crossing at Lisieux, France, it was completely covered by cloud.
The decision was made for the group to return to England without dropping their ordnance. Somewhere over the English Channel, at 10:28 AM, two of the B-24’s collided. A witness stated “the right wing of A/C...
Night Take-Off
The P-51 Mustang, tail #43-6685, prepared for takeoff early in the morning of June 6, 1944. The mission of its unit, the 352nd Fighter Group, was to support the ground troops landing in Normandy that day. The weather was listed as “changeable and at the time of the accident the sky was overcast and there was a slight drizzle.”
At 0251 hours, the aircraft was seen to crash into one of the large lighting towers that surrounded the field at Bodney, in East Anglia, England.
“The ship...
“Flying Around Beneath the Overcast”
Sometimes the reports are sparse, despite the tremendous loss of life and damage to property.
On June 6, 1944, B-26 ‘Marauders’ of the 394th Bomb Group (Medium) were among those attacking coastal batteries at St. Martin de Varreville, in Normandy, France. As students of the D-Day invasion know, the weather was very poor that day. In the rainy bad weather and the early morning dark, two B-26’s of the 394th collided in mid-air, in the area of Gillingham, England. The crash report...
West of Terni
The city of Rome had been in Allied hands since June 4, 1944, but much fighting continued on in the area. Sixty-five miles to the north, German forces were regrouping near the town of Termi.
P-40 "Warhawks" of the 27th Fighter-Bomber Group at Santa Maria, Italy were ordered to attack these German positions on June 6, 1944.
West of the city, a flight of four P-40’s went down low to attack 5 camoflaged German military vehicles. One of these planes, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Ralph F....
Five From the 464th Bomb Group
The 15th Army Air Force, based in...Wee Willie and the photo that started it all
Above is B-17 “Wee Willie”...Debut for Debach
It was the very first combat mission...From Panatella to Ploesti
The 15th Army Air Force, based in...Six B-24s From Baker Box Downed
The men – the boys, really...The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
More than 260 UCLA students, faculty ...
Talk Radio One’s Steven Spierer Interviews WW2 Researcher Bill Beigel
Steven Spierer Talk Radio One Interview...Captain Norman L. Aigner: An Ordinary Guy
If you’ve been reading my blog with...Tomas Garza’s Daughter – “Now I Don’t Feel Empty”
Like most children of World War II...“Fresno Marine Dies in Action in Pacific War” – Fresno Bee, Oct 21, 1944
Private First Class Huston R. Fannon,...“Fresno Officer Dies in Action on German Front,” Fresno Bee, April 3, 1945
This article is part of a series...The Pheley Brothers of Fresno, California
This article is part of a series...
Wee Willie and the photo that started it all
My father was Paul D Jessop, he spoke of your Grandfather a lot. My father passed away in 2011 .The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Hi Bill, Thanks for putting this together. My grand uncle, 2nd Lt. Robert L. Woolfolk attended UCLA and I believe he graduated in 1936. He was on the waterpolo team. He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. He and six others perished while three were able bail out and became POWs. This is written up the in the book "Bloody Skies: U.S. Eighth Air Force Battle Damage in World War II." There is a B-17G tail gunner's compartment on display at the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to this crew. Regards, Nick VeronicoBill’s WW2 Almanac for January 21: Featuring Col. Randy’s Flying Circus
Hi! Randall Col Randy is actually my great grandfather and I was wandering if you ever new him? I am curious to know more about him.Women in WWII: Cornelia Clark Fort
Interesting....very hard to know the 'who hit who'.....Fort had enough flying time to be a instructor, I know nothing about the other pilot. If Pastor Jeff had information on her being talked into a situation, I would love to know if reliable. Regardless, so many losses in so many ways.... My take is the WAFS/WASPS deserve a bit more of history's 'time in the books'. Many thanks for the commentary, StarrRemembering the Fallen: WWII Veterans of UCLA, Major Robert C. Maze
Bill, Are you still working on this blog? Rosemarie is my mother in law. She passed away 10 years ago. Her (and Roberts') son Robert Maze Jr is alive and well. I was googling Admiral Radford and ended up googling links... Thank you for your efforts here. Kim WoodsFrom Panatella to Ploesti
I’m looking for information on My Great great GRANDFATHER WAS ON A B-24 LIBERATOR CALLED: Diamond li
Bill’s WWII Almanac
