The Crusaders
SOME AMAZING PHOTOS OF SOME AMAZING MEN !!
The 42nd Bomb Group served as the only B-25 Mitchell outfit in the Thirteenth Air Force during World War II. Going into combat in the Solomon Islands in the summer of 1943, the Crusaders took part in the drive to Bougainville and the isolation of Rabaul. After that campaign, the Thirteenth Air Force moved to New Guinea and became part of FEAF. The 42nd finished the war operating in the Southern Philippines and supporting not only the ground effort there, but also the invasion of Borneo in the Dutch East Indies.
Check out A. Gray’s page: http://waynes-journal.com/about/ for a look into the the day-to-day life of a 42nd Bomb Group tail gunner. It is a terrific site that gives you remarkable insight into the experiences of our American aviators in the SWPA during the war.
In honor of A. Gray and his remarkable website, I’ve posted some photos of the group…
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Posted on November 28, 2015, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 1940's, Army, aviation, family history, History, Japan, Military History, Pacific War, Tributes, USA, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 26 Comments.
Pacific Paratrooper 
Happy Valentine’s Day GP. S & R
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Thank you both.
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So glad to find time, now that the campaign is over, to visit and see you are still going strong with the blog!
Those photos are pretty incredible, especially the last one. Glad the crew were able to get into the life boat!
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Always good to see you, LB. Yes, it is good to see a happy ending for someone once in a while.
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Those pics are excellent records of those terrifying times, am reading a book about the Beaufighters at the moment, surprised to read they actually dropped Torpedoes also.
Cheers.
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Thanks for coming by, Ian!
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Great job as usual! Jamie loves this stuff. I told him he should consider a career as a history professor! Woof! Love, Maggie
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I’ve had a working relationship with a few historians – good people! It’s a worthwhile career – best of luck, whatever you choose, Jamie!
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thanks so much! Woof!
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Danke, Gislinde! The music of the Berlin Security Police Music Corps is outstanding for the film showing the men of the German Armies. Just as our own troops, they were young, proud and strong.
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I’m pretty sure my grandpa was at New Caledonia during this timeframe. I’ve got some of his letters and pictures.
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Oh, you should make a post!!!!
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I will, soon!
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Looking forward to it!
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Such strong sense of history of courage in the photographs.
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I agree, Ina. They can tell the story far better than I can!! Thank you for taking the time.
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It is hard to imagine sitting in the tail gunners seat when being attacked, GP. It is like you would be totally exposed. –Curt
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I kept trying to come up with a word besides Amazing, but how ? These men never cease to do just THAT!!
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Thank you Freund eine schöne Adventwoche wünsche ich dir eine große Umarmung Gislinde
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And, the same to you, Gislinde!
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When I was growing up, these bombers were always overhead. The B-52s hadn’t taken over altogether. I suppose they were used for training at the nearby Wright-Pat air base.
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I’m sure then that you are far more familiar with the aircraft than I. That’s one reason I left it to someone else to do the article. Thank you for visiting, Jnana.
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Great stuff, GP. The Mitchell was a very useful bomber, and I was surprised to see how low they flew during the bomb runs. Such a good thing, to have all these archives of photos to look back on.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope the WP media library has enough room for all the ones I want, Pete. It’ll be interesting as as I progress to the end. I glad you found my re-blog choice interesting.
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