Edgar Welborn Military Collection

29 Days FEBRUARY, 1944 2nd Month ESCH LT. NEWMAN CGO BOMBERSTO BIRLIN – NO FIGHTS – VERY COLD Sun. E/A OVERHEAD – JOME H/E – FLARES 20 SPOTTER – LT NEWMAN – VERY COLD MON. BRITISH WAR GAMES NEAR BY – ON BOARD – DONT LIKE IT! OF COURSE NO ONE ELSE DOSE ESC. TO [ATWERK?] RATHER LT NEWMAN FLEW DOWN MZIN ST. PEOPLE WAVING AT HIM – ON DECK, AFTER GETTING NO. 5 ON COAST HIT TWO BIRDS S/G – DAMAGING [RW.?] CAWLING, [SUPERCASING?] E/A BOMBS SHIP TRANS TO SERV. GP. – VERY BAD COND. – HELPED [GLADDEN?] IN HANGER – FEET COLDEST EVER – (2 E/A SHOT DOWN LAST NITE – W/IN SIGHT

S. Matthias New Moon 1.59 a.m.

STAYED AT POST, NO ACTIVITY! MENT HARRY B + BILL AT IPSWICH – SPENT NITE AT ROYAL GEORG HOTEL – GOOD BEDS - + HAD HAM FOR BREAKFAST BILL, FENTON + I WENT TO MOVIE – CAME BACK TO POST

FEBRUARY, 1944

SUN. 27 SLEPT TIL NOON WENT TO SEE MR MAYHAW BOTA REAL FEED CAKES + PIES

MON. 28 VERY COLD SHIP CRACKED UP ON RUNWAY PILOT NOT HURT SNOW FLURRIES VERY HEAVY FROST

TUES. 29 SNOW FLURRIES ESCH SCRUBBED HEADED ALL OF FLIGHT STILL NO NEW SHIP THIS IS BAD

MARCH, 1944

WED. 1 NO MISSION BUTTER FLY HELPED [?] BOARD TO-NIGHT NO [?]

THUR. 2 OFF TO-DAY GOT UP LATE THERE WAS A MISSION NO FIGHT HAVE A SORE THROAT HERES HOPING I CAN BREAK IT UP LONDON RAIDED LAST NIGHT

FRI. 3 VERY COLD BOMB RUN TO [BERLIN?] THE IST ESCH ALL THE WAY NO ACTIVITY STILL VERY COLD SNOW BLIZZARD

SAT. 4 SHIPS TOOK OFF IN IT TO BERLIN NO FIGHT WHERE IS THE LUFFWAFF ONLY FLACK NEWMAN WRITE UP N GOOSE

31 Days [blank] MARCH, 1944 [blank] 3rd Month (Sun. 5) A BEAUTIFUL DAY - NO MISSION MY SHIP REPLACED - LOOK LIKE A WREAK - MAJ. BAILY PULLS A FAST ONE - (Mon. 6) SHIP MADE MISSION [ESCH?] TO [BER?] ARMST [?] NO ACCEPTANCE INSP PULLED - SHIP IN VERY POOR CONDITION WENT TO SEE FARMER (Tues. 7) PULLED INSP. IN VERY POOR CONDITION[S?] - GAS LEAKS [?] F (Wed. 8) ABORTION, MY FIRST IN 73 MISSIONS GAS LEAK IN L. WING LT. SPERRY [E/A?] [B17?] OVER IN DAY LIGHT AS SHI[PS?] GOT OFF - ESC TO BERLIN - WEAKINING LUFF[?] (Thur. 9) [ESCH?]. LT. NEWMAN - NO ACTIVITY SAYS SHIP IS GOOD - 1203AL LEFT LT. LISTEOIN "ACES" OF E.T.O. STARS & STRIPS. (Fri. 10) WENT TO [GAS SCHOOL?] GOT TEAR GAS IN MY EYS NO MISSION - ON GUARD TONIGHT (Sat. 11) NO MISSION NO INK NO THINK

3rd Month [blank] MARCH, 1944 [blank] 31 Days (Sun. 12) LT. NEWMAN IN HOSP. - RAINING DARN POOR SHIP - IRKEDTHOROUGHLY (Mon. 13) ANOTHER ABORTION, SECOND IN 73 - ITS HARD - LT. JORDAN BOMBS FALLING SOMEWHERE NEAR - [IPSW?] (Tues. 14) NO MISSION - GEN. [Doo?]LITTLE - SPATTZ LEE & HERE - LT. NEWMAN BUZZ WATERSHAM - REPMENDED - GOOD SHAM DOG FIGHT - 38's & 47's - 51's - (Wed. 15) HEAVY RAID LAST NIGHT 13 E/A [DOWN?] - HEAVY [MK?] - MISSION TO BRUNEWICK - LT NEWMAN - BUZZED [WATERSHAM?] MADE THE BRASS MAD - TO HELL WITH 'EM - I'LL DO IT AGAIN - (Thur. 16) BLACK DAY - LT. NEWMAN FAILED TO RETURN * DUSTIN WENT DOWN TO STRAFE AIRPORT - LATER SAID, "ON [D?] [ON COURSE?] HOME" - MORE THAN JesT A SWELL FELLOW GONE. VERY BLUE ABOUT IT. HERE WAS A MAN THAT HAD GUTS. WANTED TO WIN AND GO HOME. I PRAY THAT HE IS [SAFE?]. (Fri. 17) BOMB RUN SEVERIAL SEVERIAL TONS (Sat. 18) NO MISSION E/A BOMBS IN VICINITY

31 Days [blank] MARCH, 1944 [blank] 3rd Month (Sun. 19) SOMETHING UP. FEW PLANES ARE BEING PAINTED. [COL DUNCANS?] SHIP A DUZY - (Mon. 20) DOUBT INVASION COMES BFORE MAY OR JUNE - HOWEVE MATERIALS ARE PILEING UP ON COAST - DUNCAN FORMS SPIED SQD. (Tues. 21) OUR FIELD IN RESTRICTED BELT- MAYBE THINGS ARE ON THE UP AND UP (Wed. 22) HAVE VERY BAD COLD FEEL ROUGH. E/A OVER [LAST?] NIGHT. SOME BOMBS (Thur. 23) PLAYED SO[?]OR - WENT TO C/WAF SCHOOL TODAY - (Fri. 24) RE. PAINTING SEVERAL SHIPS FOR THE BUZZ BOYS (Sat. 25) GOT OLD SHIP NEW PILOT - LT JOHNSON BUZZ BOYS REALLY PRACTICING CLIPED BUSHES 5FT - I HIT THE GROUND -

3rd [blank] MARCH, 1944 [blank] 31 Days (Sun. 26) BUZZ BOYS GO ON MISS. DID FA[?] - LOST [1?] DEST. [2?] BAM. SEVERAL - ATO FLIGHT - CLEANED. ON SHIP. (Mon. 27) ESCH TO SPANISH BR[s?] MA [&] MAHERIN DOWN IN FRANCE - TOU[GH?] (Tues. 28) LT. WAGGONER - ABORTED NO POWER - CHANGED PLUGS WENT CANOEING IN POND MER[KEY?] WEATHER (Wed. 29) C-FLIGHT GOT FIVE LT. JORDON CALLING, STRITE CAPT. FORKIN [TWO?] ME WITH A.O.G. CARB CHANGE (Thur. 30) PRESIDENTIAL CITATION - FOR FIRST BOMB MISS. W/47 SHIP GROUNDED - NO CARB (Fri. 31) [blank] (Sat. 1) [blank]

APRIL, 1944. (Sun. 9) [blank] (Mon. 10) [blank] (Tues. 11) [nA?] (Wed. 12) [?] (Thur. 13) [blank] (Fri. 14) ARRIVED AT NEW BASE (Sat. 15) [blank]

APRIL, 1944

TUES. 18 BEAUTIFUL DAY - WORKED WITH EVERYBODY - 'TIL 9:30 GOODNIGHT FOR E/A - ANTI - 4 GUNS WILL PROBLY GET WARM.

WED. 19 HELPED EVERYBODY - EXCEPT MYSELF MISSION TO BERLIN NO FIGHT - SEVERAL PILOES NEAR FINISH OF TOUR - E/A OVER LAST NIGHT - 14 DOWN SAW 1

THUR. 20 WORKED ON (W) - NEW SHIP IN SAID TO FORMS - LATE AFTERNOON MISSION - E/A OVER - TWO WARNINGS.

FRI. 21 WORKED ON MY NEW SHIP 299 D-20 - SEEMS TO BE GOOD SHIP - [?] 3 CROSSED -

ENGINE TEST SARPHINE, [HARDENDOFF?]

ENGINE CHANGE MARSHELL

Sept 6, '43 up at 5:00. acted as room orderly for [Bock.m?] at line about 8:30. ships began to filter in - but not "Daddys" Delight reported down in France, while a [group?] [watched?] two [Vulchers?] finish a [Viell?]. Sweat, Sweat all day. Ships and Pilot given up. at 1800. Highly depressed feeling is about to overcome. seems as if I might have a lump in my throat. Going to be about -2200-

Nov.3["Whom Bom"?] Piloted by R.A. Newman [?] Pilot and [real?] first scout no. 2 ME-210. Total now 2 kills. 2 Probables and one damaged.