WEBVTT 1 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.079 Welcome to Veterans Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in 2 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:19.960 this edition is Vincent Bill Purple. He is a US 3 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.199 Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, where he 4 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:27.199 flew B seventeen bombers for thirty five missions as part 5 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:30.120 of the three hundred and seventy ninth Bomb Group inside 6 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:33.439 the Mighty eighth Air Force. And mister Purple, thank you 7 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:34.399 for being with us. 8 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:36.759 Thank you for having a new oppensunity. 9 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:38.359 Where were you born and raised, Sir? 10 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.759 I was born in Nassaule, Nasachusetes. 11 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:44.159 Did you have an interest in flying when you were 12 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:45.119 a child. 13 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:52.439 Not particularly until after the transition naturally with Japan December seventh. 14 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.439 We heard that on the radio, and that's when I 15 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.719 made a decision. I had graduated from high school where 16 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:01.799 I made a decision that I would enlist in the 17 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.240 Air Force if I could. 18 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:06.439 And so you did. Where did you go for training 19 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:07.239 and flight school? 20 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:11.640 What happened with that is because I was underage to 21 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:16.959 a degree, I ended up going to pre training in 22 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:22.280 Atlantic City. After that, I went to a training phase 23 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.599 for three months in Rochester, New York to be geared 24 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:31.040 on how to go on the training missions. Then from 25 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:36.000 there went to Nashville for classification. If I still was 26 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:41.680 capable of doing what specs were, then they said, okay, 27 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:46.159 you qualified to be trained as I'm a Air Corps pilot. 28 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:52.239 Therefore primary Flight School went from Lafayette, Louisiana for primary 29 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:57.359 flight school. Basic Flight school went with Little Rock, Arkansas, 30 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.840 and I graduated as a needed more later in the 31 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:08.840 complete conflict multi engine pilots, they sent me to Stuttgart 32 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.039 Archer Star and started to teach me. And I graduated 33 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:18.840 as a lieutenant at Stuttgart, second lieutenant. And that's where 34 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.080 my future with the military was because after that I 35 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:27.120 ended up in multi amensine training. 36 00:02:27.479 --> 00:02:28.520 Is that where you wanted to be? 37 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:32.719 No, everybody wanted to be a fighter pilot. So the 38 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:35.919 answer was no. I expressed to you briefly a moment 39 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:40.039 ago that I ended up in Stuttgart and they converted 40 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:43.360 what we were all qualified to some degree to be 41 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:49.039 and then they take and said, okay, this unit will 42 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.520 now train multi engine aircraft. And that's what it happened 43 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:56.560 in March of nineteen forty three. 44 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:59.520 And how quickly did you adapt to the bomber. 45 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.879 First of all, he had to qualify as a pilot. 46 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:11.439 So from training at Lafayette, Louisiana for two months, Stuttgart 47 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:17.120 rather Little Rock for two months, and the Yether One 48 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:21.560 for two months, I graduated from flight school in March 49 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:29.639 March of nineteen forty four as a second lieutenant age 50 00:03:29.639 --> 00:03:31.319 at that point was nineteen. 51 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:34.879 And then what happened, well, then we. 52 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:40.919 Were then assigned specific duties. I ended up going to Gulfport, 53 00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:47.400 Mississippi after the phase training in Seabring, Florida, when they 54 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:51.639 appointed a bomber crew for me as their captain and 55 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:56.719 their pilot, and we were trained in Gulfport, Mississippi on 56 00:03:56.919 --> 00:04:01.680 multi engines, being a flying fortress to be arventine from 57 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.599 their simplicity, we did what we had to do in 58 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:10.360 multi engine training and that gets you into the more 59 00:04:10.439 --> 00:04:16.319 or less phase training, which was in Seabring, Florida. Suddenly, 60 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:22.839 in September nineteen forty four, I was called one day 61 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:28.439 at operations and said, okay, get your crew, go to Georgia, 62 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.040 get a brand new B seventeen, and go to Europe 63 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:35.600 and go to combat. That's a nice way to start today. 64 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:43.079 But whatever successful tall expense in extremes got to Georgia, 65 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:48.319 got the brand new airplane, flew up the New Hampshire 66 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:51.800 and stayed there for the night, and then flew up 67 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:59.120 to a further export change of departure point in Canada, 68 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:02.480 and then we were there for three or four days, 69 00:05:03.160 --> 00:05:07.199 and then suspect right after that we were told, well, 70 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:11.959 all right, tomorrow you will fly to Europe. So anyway, 71 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.399 the next day we did that huge snowstorm in front, 72 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:19.240 but we took off later on in twelve hours we 73 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.480 landed in England. And now I'm with the Eighth Air Force. 74 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:26.199 Tell me a little bit about the men and your crew. 75 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:32.279 The crew was put together, They were more specific, very good, 76 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:36.240 all of them. I can speak nothing but the best 77 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:36.720 for them. 78 00:05:37.160 --> 00:05:39.279 Did you do a lot more training once you got 79 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:42.560 to England or did they put you in service pretty quickly? 80 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.079 Well, I'm going to say that that answer is easy. 81 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:51.519 Whenever I landed in England, as I stated, they said 82 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:54.439 you were here in our lieutenant, you are going to 83 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:57.319 be assigned to the three hundred and seventy nine bomb 84 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:01.360 Group at kim Bolton, and so you and your co 85 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:07.959 pilot will be transferred to that base in Kimbolton and 86 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:12.439 different with your crew, and then we were signed within 87 00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:17.120 four days went there and that's where I began my 88 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:18.600 combat tour. 89 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:20.279 What was that first mission? 90 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:26.000 Like nothing? Why because I flew the plane to be seventeen, 91 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.600 a very talented in pilot. He was my bodyguard and 92 00:06:31.639 --> 00:06:35.120 he take it all. So nothing really happened. You get up, 93 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:38.720 you flew to target number one, no target, no problem 94 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:43.519 is no bullets doesn't However, that was in October, about 95 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:48.879 the thirtieth of nineteen forty four. The next three days 96 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.920 there were nothing. But on the next day I was 97 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:57.000 then assigned to the squadron and flew and that was 98 00:06:57.319 --> 00:06:59.839 entirely different than being on the first mission. 99 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:01.639 All right, so tell me about that one. 100 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.079 Well, I guess the thing to do that way is 101 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:08.040 we're sitting here as we are talking, and one not 102 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:12.920 that particular thing. I was appointed a pilot, I took 103 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:19.120 my crew. We ended up being in the fourth squadron. 104 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:23.199 Taken off that day and I flew in one of 105 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:27.800 the positions towards the tail end, and it was just well, 106 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:30.519 we did what we were doing. You looked out somebody 107 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.600 had some black flax stack in our chair or something. 108 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:39.160 But as I recall the ride for the training, it 109 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:42.920 was kind of like a nice weekend. This one here 110 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:44.040 was a little bit different. 111 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.160 Well, we're going to get into some of those more 112 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:51.000 difficult missions in a little bit. Tell me about the 113 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:54.639 preparation you did for a mission, from getting up that 114 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:58.000 morning to being briefed and getting in the air. 115 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:00.639 Well, I think you have to go back. They are told, 116 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:03.800 in other words, if we're going to go on a mission, 117 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:08.439 and let's say tomorrow or the next day, you didn't 118 00:08:08.439 --> 00:08:13.079 know that the night before you went on a mission, generally, 119 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:17.079 either at the officer's club or wherever, you were told 120 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.720 that you were going to go to the target of 121 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:27.439 by name, And therefore, prepare your crew because they're talking 122 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:33.240 to me and my coppither. You get your troops ready 123 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:36.360 and they will all be briefed and the next day 124 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:40.360 in the right level of time so that when the 125 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:46.799 next takeoff message time reach, you're prepared to go from there. 126 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:50.559 Then the enlisted personnel, of which there were ten or no, 127 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:54.159 there were eight on my crew, and there were four officers, 128 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:58.159 and they went out and prepared what they had to do. 129 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.080 Make sure your guns are good, make sure even there 130 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:05.559 blah blah blah, make sure everything was good. We as 131 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.919 a mamba deer as the navigator and a pilot and 132 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:13.840 co pilot may be in the pilot went. Then in 133 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:16.679 the following day we did what we needed to do. 134 00:09:17.399 --> 00:09:21.639 On the morning of the particular raid, it came out 135 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:25.080 that you would be we were known the night before 136 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:30.840 that report to briefing. You would go there generally about 137 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:35.039 seven o'clock in the morning, be briefed by Colonel Lyle 138 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.679 and Rust and what you're supposed to do, and therefore 139 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:46.200 you were scheduled released and everybody would instantly go to 140 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:49.799 their aircraft and do everything to what they were trained 141 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:53.320 to do time and time again. And that's all we 142 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:55.879 did at that point. They went everywhere, you know, you 143 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:59.480 know on the amount, you know that you had twenty 144 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:02.919 seven gallons of gash, you could know you had ten 145 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:08.320 thousand pounds of five hundred pounds whatever. It was a 146 00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:11.159 briefing like you were asking to me. So if I 147 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:14.120 said that to you, you will now know what that's 148 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:18.559 all about. So that's what happened. We got briefed. Then 149 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:23.320 we would of course go to takeoff time. We generally 150 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:27.480 with the fly on Fortress be sevething took off every 151 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:32.360 thirty seconds at Kimbolton. We would put three squadrons out, 152 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:37.240 three squadrons of twelve each. That's thirty six aircraft, twelve, 153 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:42.639 twelve and twelve, totally aware what the Eighth Air Force 154 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:47.679 was doing that day. In particular, the lead squadron is here, 155 00:10:47.879 --> 00:10:51.240 the second was behind him thirty seconds and so forth. 156 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:55.480 Didn't necessarily happen that everybody did that good be thirty 157 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.960 seconds behind them, But that's beside the point. So we 158 00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:04.320 ended up and that's how that went. And therefore, now 159 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:08.480 when takeoff time came, and it generally would be between 160 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:12.200 some place between eight and nine or ten, depending on 161 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:17.320 our cloud conditions, dollar fog conditions, or whatever happened, and 162 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:22.039 that would be there, and that's how you got into 163 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:24.879 the bomber column for that portion of time. 164 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:28.960 That's Vincent Bill Purple, a US Army Air Corps veteran 165 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:31.840 of World War Two. He served as a B seventeen 166 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.200 bomber pilot for thirty five missions in the European theater. 167 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:39.159 Still to come, we'll hear about several of mister Purple's 168 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:43.120 most harrowing missions, but up next, he explains the stunning 169 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:47.120 amount of fuel needed for bombing missions and what it 170 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:51.360 was like flying through enemy anti aircraft fire. I'm Greg 171 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:56.200 Corumbus and this is Veterans Chronicles sixty seconds of Service. 172 00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:00.200 This sixty seconds of Service is presented by T Mobile, 173 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:03.440 offers exclusive discounts for a veteran and military families and 174 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.720 are proud supporters of the National Defense Network. Visit T 175 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:09.679 mobile dot com slash military to learn more about how 176 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:13.320 they support our military community. Thank you, These are two words. 177 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:16.879 Sarah Maybray, Child coordinator for the McBurney Memorial Library in 178 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.399 Welsh is trying to share with veterans across Jeff Davis. 179 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:21.320 Parish in Louisiana. 180 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:24.840 Maybe launched a new program in partnership with the librarians 181 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:28.919 across the parish and the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Home. She 182 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:31.159 said her mission is to gather at least two hundred 183 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:33.799 Bank You cards for veterans living or working in the 184 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:37.080 Southwest Louisiana Veterans Home. Little things really do make a 185 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:39.519 big impact, she said. You might not know what people 186 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:41.840 are going through and just a small token of appreciation 187 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.840 can make all the difference. Today's sixty seconds of Service 188 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:47.720 is brought to you by Previgen. Prevagen is the number 189 00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:51.399 one pharmacist recommended memory Support brand. You can find Prevagen 190 00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:54.000 and the Vitamin Aisle in stores everywhere. 191 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.159 This is Veterans Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumba's. Our guest in 192 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.480 this edition is Vincent Bill Purple, who served as a 193 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:04.639 B seventeen bomber pilot in the US Army Air Corps 194 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.799 during World War II. We now pick up his story 195 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:12.120 as mister Purple explains the immense amount of fuel required 196 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:14.080 for bombing missions. 197 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:18.120 The ones I'm specific of, because there was certainly individuals 198 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:22.639 staluss the B seventeen, depending on you were going on 199 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:26.840 a short bombing run or a long bombing run, long 200 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:31.240 being from England to probably Berlin, a short one being 201 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:36.120 someplace over in France. But the maximum that my trouble 202 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:40.360 was was I had twenty four, twenty four or twenty 203 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:44.960 seven hundred gallons on the aircraft point of departure from 204 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:50.799 that type of thing. On February third, nineteen forty five, 205 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:58.639 the Air Force put one thousand bombs over Berlin. Figured 206 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:02.840 out arithmetically what was involved for supplies to fill that? 207 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:10.159 What did the American public do? One thousand planes with 208 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:15.559 twenty seven hundred gallons of gas? That's a few gallons. 209 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:19.559 How did it get there? It got there because there 210 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:23.960 were five thousand vessels in the ocean between Boston and 211 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:27.919 Europe bringing them gas every day going into the direction 212 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:32.279 and all that which to me and I'll say it 213 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:38.559 now and I'll say it forever. The American public, the support. 214 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:43.840 Nothing could could have been better or greater that. Maybe 215 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.600 a little different times, but that's what that part was. 216 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.360 I'm here. Somebody took good care of me somehow by 217 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:53.440 giving me the right thing at the right time. 218 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:57.000 All right, So as you approached the target on a 219 00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:59.320 bombing mission, explain what happened. 220 00:14:59.720 --> 00:15:04.320 Well, okay, take the three hundred and seventy nine bomb group. 221 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:09.000 We put three squadrons up. That's thirty six Chapra twelve 222 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:15.600 twelve twelve. When we got to the target area, this 223 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:19.080 is a squadron one not by name, it's just on this 224 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:24.720 conversation one two three, this one would assume it's necessary, 225 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:28.279 started a bomb run and it could be X number 226 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:32.679 of feet miles of whatever, generally it was miles, and 227 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.679 this would be behind and this would be behind it 228 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:39.279 when you got there. To be actual, the pilot and 229 00:15:39.399 --> 00:15:44.639 co pilot sit there and listen to Glenn Miller or something, 230 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:48.320 because there's nothing more they can do that because you 231 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:52.159 have now as a head lead pilot me specifically or 232 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:56.240 one Nott and everyone turn the aircraft over to the 233 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:00.600 bombardier because he is now flying on the plane. The 234 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:05.120 northern bomb site tells it what to do. So I'm 235 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.200 sitting here talking like I'm talking to you, and one 236 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:12.279 of them, oh, yeah, that's climb blah blah blah. And therefore, 237 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:16.519 and the bombardier was that was his job, and the 238 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:19.559 navigator he was outside in the os of the Bee 239 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:23.919 seventeen and told him where to go. That's what happened. 240 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:28.799 But bombing ridge went from a minute to thirty minutes 241 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:33.039 to forty minus depending what, depending how they took in 242 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:38.679 the Travis the sky for competitive weaponry against him and 243 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:40.799 all that. So that's how it went. 244 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:44.159 You have said, sir, that your first ten missions and 245 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:48.240 I'm quoting, weren't bad and that the worst you faced 246 00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:53.200 was anti aircraft fire from German eighty eight millimeter guns, 247 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:58.080 which sounds pretty bad. What's it like flying through flak? 248 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.320 Uh? Flying through flag the eighty eight millimeter of the 249 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:09.119 one hundred and fifty five milow and nothing you're on 250 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:15.240 the target, you were petrified, terribly thought or not, it 251 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.119 wasn't damn thing you could do. My job was to 252 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:21.079 take and go point A to point B to point C, 253 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:24.640 drop the bombs, get out of there, to get back 254 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:29.759 as soon as you could, still maintaining the complete structure 255 00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:33.440 of the aircraft, equipment and what not to protect yourself 256 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:38.759 against fighter attacks or stokers and whatnot. Mesierschmids from Germany. 257 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:42.880 How much resistance did you face from German fighter planes 258 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:44.000 early in the. 259 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:49.920 War, back in late forty three early forty four, the 260 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:57.799 preference of volume was totally German, Birtish and American coverage 261 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:03.000 was not that totally. American and British capability of production 262 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.119 was able to make a lot of more hirplanes at 263 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:09.960 that point, at one point in time when they produced 264 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:15.519 a P fifty one Mustang that allowed additional mileage for 265 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:20.559 us to be protected against German fighters. So I don't 266 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:23.599 know as I've answered the question, but that's what that's 267 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:24.599 all about. 268 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.519 Well, as time went on, we dominated the skies, that's 269 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:29.119 more and more. 270 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.240 Well, that's correct, we dominated the guy certainly a part 271 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:39.240 of my career, except let's say in nineteen forty five 272 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:46.279 because my initials missions existed from October late October until April, 273 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:50.079 I think it was about the fifth or seventh, and 274 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:53.000 then I had my thirty five plus an extra woman, 275 00:18:54.039 --> 00:18:57.000 and then they said you can go home, not home 276 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:02.200 being home in this case, to a staging area to 277 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:06.640 be cleared to take and of the paperwork done to 278 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.680 get on a vessel to come back to the United States, 279 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:12.000 to get back to the United States, and then go 280 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:14.960 to training so you can train on B twenty nine's 281 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.559 to go to the other half of the world, Japan. 282 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:22.440 That's Vincent Bill Purple. He's a US Army Air Corps 283 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:25.480 veteran of World War Two serving as a B seventeen 284 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:28.799 bomber pilot. In a moment you'll hear all about his 285 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:34.240 most harrowing missions. I'm Greg Corumbus, and this is Veterans Chronicles. 286 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:39.359 This is Veterans Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in 287 00:19:39.400 --> 00:19:42.640 this edition is Bill Purple, a US Army Air Corps 288 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:45.920 veteran of World War Two. Mister Purple served as a 289 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:49.920 B seventeen bomber pilot for thirty five missions, but several 290 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:54.279 of them provided plenty of tense moments. That certainly includes 291 00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:58.400 November fifth, nineteen forty four, when Purple says he was 292 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:02.200 nearly blown out of the scout after an engine caught fire. 293 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:07.200 Well, basically November fifth, that was at Frankfurt, Germany. In 294 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:11.160 respect to that, we had our aircraft damage to a 295 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:15.519 great degree, to such an extent that three of my 296 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:21.799 ten people bailed out over Germany and myself the co 297 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:27.039 pilot and my engineer. We struggled from it for a 298 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:31.799 little bit of twenty five thousand feet leaving that. After 299 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:35.319 all that, because we were going to we weren't getting anywhere. 300 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:39.680 We're on fire, and right number four engine, amongst other things, 301 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:43.640 we ended up. I made a decision and says, well, 302 00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:49.000 we'll make a huge spiral to the right going to 303 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:52.720 the ground. And at that point in time, if you 304 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:56.799 visualize it, unless I'm wrong, the air going over the 305 00:20:56.839 --> 00:20:59.599 wing from the back of the wing to the fourth 306 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:03.160 front of the wing where the engine was on fire, 307 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:06.559 the fire would be going out into space instead of 308 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:11.920 being blown into the aircraft. Well, it fire went out 309 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:15.200 at fifteen thousand feet down towards the ground when we 310 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.839 were getting there. So that's where I am. Ten thousand 311 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:21.920 feet we got away with it, So. 312 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:24.240 You flew back with three engines, or the fire just 313 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:25.680 went out and you had all four. 314 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.640 It fire went out all by itself, but throughout the 315 00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:35.720 effort that I truly believe, with the huge spiral. The 316 00:21:35.799 --> 00:21:38.960 gas tank, of course is right behind the number four engine, 317 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:41.920 and that's where it all happened. But it went out. 318 00:21:42.039 --> 00:21:48.839 So the aircraft to be seventeen micro nestle vessel. Rather 319 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:52.960 it flies on three engines. It flies on two engines. 320 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:55.480 But you don't want to keep too much when you 321 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:57.920 junk on board. If you went two engines. 322 00:21:58.920 --> 00:22:01.000 Did you ever find out what happened to the three 323 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:02.079 who bailed out? 324 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:06.880 Several of them were more than several, but specifically they 325 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:10.480 were captured by the Germans to what extent and I 326 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:14.359 believe I've seen it written, but I can't remember this 327 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:18.000 exact point of the statistic. But some of them survived, 328 00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:18.799 some died. 329 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:25.000 Let's discuss now, Christmas Eve, December twenty fourth, nineteen forty four, 330 00:22:25.640 --> 00:22:28.559 your order to take off in the fog, and you 331 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:31.160 were very lucky to survive. Tell me what happened that. 332 00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:41.519 Day, December twenty fourth, nineteen forty four. We were targeted 333 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:47.319 to go to a target and everything was there, and 334 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:51.799 as it progressed when the morning came twenty four being 335 00:22:52.359 --> 00:22:57.240 one day before Christmas, when the target got there, what 336 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:01.680 it was we were all all parked in our parking 337 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:06.519 spaces on the perferal parts of the airport because of 338 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:12.400 the intense fog that was there, heavy heavy, heavy fogs. 339 00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:15.319 And then eventually to day nothing was going on. We 340 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:19.240 could constantly had red flares blorn in the sky and 341 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:22.119 maybe you could see this says don't take off yet 342 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:26.799 type of thing. And then eventually we did get a clearance. 343 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:33.480 Well the clearance, can you believe you couldn't see much 344 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.920 more than from me to you. That slight exaggeration, but 345 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:41.839 it was extremely, extremely bad. But we were number eight 346 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:46.559 I think of my squadron from my base at Kimball 347 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:52.599 from the for this mission, and several of them ended 348 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:57.799 up getting properly taken off into spots of fog and whatnot. 349 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:03.400 Extreme beyond that while we were going down we were 350 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.759 number eight. We were one in a proper location and whatnot. 351 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:12.359 And today's day fit for this day. I'm your pilot, 352 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:15.559 your bicope. Now I'll put you over your your my 353 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:20.359 cop pilot. But you took and reached under on your 354 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:25.839 holding stick and pulled this way, which made the aircraft shovel. Well, 355 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:30.680 it were done. I was comfortable in our gratitude of flight. 356 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:35.640 This one went this way, and suddenly the tail and 357 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:39.839 the front end number two engine and propeller took a 358 00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:44.880 telephone pole off six feet off the ground. Telephone pole 359 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:48.759 was about eight inches in diameter. Nobody in the world 360 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:51.759 should still be here talking to you with As results 361 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:55.359 of that, we got away with it. We flew back. 362 00:24:56.119 --> 00:25:00.799 The colonel was releasing the flight equipment, and one not says, well, 363 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:05.039 put a hold on because the last one crashed. Well, 364 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:09.599 I did crash, but we kept flying. So we kept flying. 365 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:13.480 Now we're ordered with gasoline, we're holded with bombs. We 366 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:17.039 got everything, and we can't get back on the ground 367 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:20.960 because the fog is that bad. So we spent considerable 368 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:26.079 hours in the sky burning up gasoline on three engines 369 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:30.200 to finish. Beyond that, then we made a decision that 370 00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:33.279 we should take it, take the bombs and drop them 371 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:36.000 in the North Sea, because if we can't, what are 372 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:38.680 we going to do with them. We did that, and 373 00:25:38.759 --> 00:25:42.240 eventually as we came back about four or five in 374 00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:47.000 the afternoon, we spotted an airfield that was open. We 375 00:25:47.160 --> 00:25:51.039 landed there and that was on a Saturday morning, I 376 00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:56.880 believe you, and everything was good. We left the aircraft there. 377 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:59.480 They were very nice to us. They set us up 378 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:03.359 the sleeping the floor and the hangars. A lot of 379 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:06.400 fun sleeping on the concrete floor and a hangar. After 380 00:26:06.519 --> 00:26:11.119 almost got shot down, but that's okay. So we ended up. 381 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:14.200 They put two new northeas put the one new engine 382 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:17.240 in and our Monday we flew back to my base. 383 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:21.759 But there's another part of that story. As time went by, 384 00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:27.559 and I'll project it into probably let's just show it 385 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:31.680 was three, four or five years ago. A German fighter 386 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:36.279 pilot in Germany today's German fighter pilot wrote a book 387 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:40.720 about the three something later. But he wrote a book 388 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:46.200 about the raid on the day before Christmas. To this day, 389 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:53.039 my only remaining crew member is in uh Minnesota, and 390 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:55.720 I call him up at ten o'clock in the morning 391 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:59.559 and he's there and I say, get the wine out. 392 00:26:59.640 --> 00:27:02.720 We will have a drink. And I do still do 393 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:05.000 that every year. He and I are the only two 394 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:07.000 of my crew is still there. 395 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:10.240 I'm impressed that you were able to get back on 396 00:27:10.279 --> 00:27:12.079 the ground safely. After all, that. 397 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:16.160 BE seventeen is a pretty fancy airplane. 398 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:19.519 You're also a good pilot. Though, let's be honest, if 399 00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:21.799 they let you take off in that weather. Was there 400 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:25.119 any time that they said the weather's too bad, don't 401 00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:25.680