My grandpa’s B-17 crew during WWII along with his bomber jacket and accolades.
Posted by Swaying_Plains@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 93 comments
Posted by Swaying_Plains@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 93 comments
CWinter85@reddit
There's a non-zero chance or Grandpa's met. Mine was a Norden Bombsight technician in the 8th Air Force.
No-Analysis3229@reddit
That’s so cool. I got so pissed off the other day watching re-runs of pawn stars and this bish came in with her dad’s or grandpa’s (can’t remember) WWII bomber jacket and sold it for like $150. wtf come on. Glad to see you taking care of your family history! PS get a protection case for the jacket!
Public_Upstairs5122@reddit
That’s amazing …. Thank you 🙏 for sharing your family’s history … and if your grandfather happens to still be with us please tell him thank you 🙏 for his service ..
chucklestime@reddit
Preserve that jacket! It’s in amazing condition.
Acceptable_Chard_729@reddit
I love this! Which one of those brave young heroes in the photo is your grandpa?
rhit06@reddit
Not OP but I found a copy of the photo with the men labeled. His grandfather is back row fourth from left.
Of the men picture only 4 would survive the plane going down April 21, 1944.
They were the two men far right back row waist gunner: Ralph Goschey and Tail gunner: Ken Seibert and kneeling far right Navigator: Bill Wroblewski.
Acceptable_Chard_729@reddit
Wow. Heroes indeed. I worked at an assisted living for a time where there many WWII vets. Their stories were absolutely incredible.
MapleMapleHockeyStk@reddit
While my dad worked on his history PhD he worked as a janitor in one. Lots if stories and extra research for dad!
Kaffe-Mumriken@reddit
Man what a story
rhit06@reddit
They got 10 days leave to recover. After that on May 1st all 3 enlisted were shown as back to duty.
The navigator must have been more hurt because on May 10 he was still in hospital, although he later returned to flying too.
RetiredPath@reddit
Seems like there should be a subreddit for relatives’ stories from WWII, before its importance is forgotten completely in our schools.
heartstarthero@reddit
Here is my grandpa with his B-17 crew, he was the navigator and standing in the center. According to my uncle he was stationed in Ipswich. Wish I would have had the chance to ask him more about his time there.
rhit06@reddit
They’re standing in front of “Worry Bird” 42-107201. Assigned to 334th BS, 95th BG stationed at Horham which was just a bit north of Ipswich
https://americanarchive.iwm.org.uk/archive/aircraft/42-107201
heartstarthero@reddit
Very cool, thanks for the info!
Master-Bad910@reddit
I’m getting goosebumps seeing that. That’s an incredible piece of history that you’re connected to. Your granddad was a hero. Despite all the veterans insisting the ones who didn’t come home are the real heroes, he was a hero.
Spice-Ghoul@reddit
For a second I thought this was the photo of my Great Grandfather in front of his B-17. It's not, but here's his with his crew. I wish I knew more about it and him, but he never talked about the war, so this is really it.
rhit06@reddit
If you’re not aware already apparently that plane is “Ready Teddy”, 42-30008. It was lost in a midair collision over Germany with 42-97441.
On Ready Teddy 4 POW, 6 KIA. On the second plane 2 POW, 8 KIA.
Not sure if your great grandfather was onboard for the collision or not (crews did fly different planes)
Spice-Ghoul@reddit
My Dad has told me that my great grandpa survived a crash or two?? But like ... I've always kinda figured he was misremembering or exaggerating since he must have been told about it when he was really young. I'll try to ask him and my Grandma (Great Grandpa's daughter) next time I see them.
rhit06@reddit
Any of these last names sound right: Blowers, Teverson, Barnes, Bachand.
Those were the survivors from Ready Teddy that day.
Spice-Ghoul@reddit
Nope. Great Grandpa's name was Joseph (Joe) Scapellato. I'm now staying up late tonight trying to track info down about why he's in this picture if he wasn't listed as on the plane. 😅
rhit06@reddit
Ok, doing some checking that actually matches up. That plane was 407 Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group. I found your relative on a November 1943 report showing he had finished his operational tour. Can be seen here, he's 3rd from bottom in the list of names middle of the page: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/456678672?objectPage=404
So makes sense he was no longer aboard when the plane crashed in 1944.
He came back to the US in early 1944 and was assigned to training duty.
He also earned a Distinguished Flying Cross; https://catalog.archives.gov/id/133435702?objectPage=569
and Air Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/143827702?objectPage=1038
Here's the article with that same photo where I then got the name which let me track down the planes serial number: https://www.opb.org/news/article/my-grandfather-and-the-plane-that-changed-seattle/ So you relative was probably crewmates with the Joe Ahearn discussed
Spice-Ghoul@reddit
Wow, this is incredible work, you are so kind. All I was able to find was this article about him from a newspaper from 1943. I'm so relieved because I was worried for a second maybe I had unearthed some evidence of stolen valor on behalf of Great Grandpa (because I had also found that article "The Plane that Changed Seattle" and looked up The Ready Teddy, and saw he wasn't listed.) So really, thank you so much for finding this stuff. My Grandma will be thrilled to see everything. <3
rhit06@reddit
One last one. Sorry I've spammed you a bit. This is a picture of him from the March issue of Yank magazine when he first returned home. It was during his "Classification Interview", which was how they decided how they were going to assign you/train you for the rest of the war. Seems like he may have eventually had some pilot training
Spice-Ghoul@reddit
Please don't apologize! This is incredible! I'm really moved by your kindness finding all this stuff about him. I only got to meet him a few times (little Rita moved to Texas in the 60s so that's where I was born and raised) but he really was a fun man. Despite his age he had a really mischievous spirit that keep him seeming so young. ♥️
rhit06@reddit
I’m always excited if I can find a picture of someone when researching, so finding 3 was a real treat. And that story of tossing extra weight out as they tried to make it across the channel on 1 engine was great.
Flying bombing missions over Europe was always dangerous — but it was especially dangerous in early/mid 1943 when he was doing it. No doubt he lost many friends and contributed to his reluctance to talk about it/relive it later.
I had two grandfathers who fought in WWII. One navy enlisted who talked about his experiences quite a bit. Another Field Artillery officer in Europe who never did until very late in life when he knew I was interested.
Glad I was able to shine some more light on your great-grandfathers story.
DoctorMansteel@reddit
What sources/search engine do you use to track down this information?
My wife has a great-grandfather who fought in WWII and they know some about it but I'm always really interested to learn more. I want to be able to tell my son about his heritage.
rhit06@reddit
archives.gov is being finicky today, here is the morning report from when he arrived in England, July 13, 1944. Part of 1139th Engineer Group: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/480526909?objectPage=812#object-thumb--812
DoctorMansteel@reddit
Oh my gosh that is unreal. His daughter just passed away and I'm just sad I wasn't able to show her this. I know she would have loved it. She left me (well my wife but meant for me) his flags and other accoutrements from the war because of my interest.
Little slices of history like this are just incredible, can't believe that was digitized!
rhit06@reddit
Here are 5 newspaper clippings from a Tama newspaper talking about him: https://imgur.com/a/ffvYOfs
First one when he came through in March 1944 headed West to East (as mentioned in his obituary), second a reproduction of a letter he wrote home discussing how friendly the French are, third one discussing some of his decorations, fourth one from when he returned home in November 1945 (again mentions 1139th Engineer Combat Group, and also the fact he visited Czechoslovakia), and finally a clipping that mentions some of his "bring-backs" that he was loaning to a museum for a big display they were putting on with various veterans stuff. Including a German flag, paper money, a German fur cap, etc.
The morning reports are a pretty good source of information, unfortunately there are currently only digitized through December 1944, so no/very little 1945 coverage.
rhit06@reddit
Combination of fold3.com and archives.gov. I'll take a look later today and see what I can find for him.
DoctorMansteel@reddit
You're amazing for this.
rhit06@reddit
Here's another one with a photo of him, from September 1943:
Spice-Ghoul@reddit
14 month old Rita??? That's my Grandmaaaaa! 😭♥️
Janky_Pants@reddit
This is one of my favorite comment chains ever lol.
rhit06@reddit
and one more photo, this time from when he finished training in 1942:
rhit06@reddit
Here's another good one detailing some exploits published in 1944
Tomero@reddit
This is why I love reddit.
rhit06@reddit
Switching planes happened quite a lot. The source I found for that picture was a man who finished his 25 missions and came home, so could be the same for your relative. I’ll dig a little deeper on his name too.
Ydoc31@reddit
Dude this is the coolest show of kindness I’ve ever seen and I hope you have nothing but the best days every day.
rhit06@reddit
Thanks for the kind words. Helping people research their ancestors military history has become a bit of a hobby (eg excuse to avoid real work) for me on Reddit.
What can be found varies quite a lot, but I’d guess I’ve helped at least a few hundred people over the last 10 years reconnect to their grandparents /great grandparents (and sometimes Civil War and WWI too). And in that time new documents have become increasingly digitized/searchable, so it’s getting easier to find some documents.
I was lucky enough my grandfathers shared some of their stories with me and that sparked my interest in the topic. But now it feels more important than ever to remember the stories of those men who fought to defeat the Axis Powers
I
sbecology@reddit
That's awesome. My grandfather's plane was also part of the triangle B group.
mr_yuk@reddit
Fun discussion! My granddad, Allen Nicola, was a B-17 pilot in the 390th Bombardment Group, 568th Bomb Squadron. He flew 21 missions. Posting in case someone finds this and knows more.
rhit06@reddit
And again later (1969) but a photo of him:
mr_yuk@reddit
Amazing find! That is how I remember him. Lead engineer for the $220M Pittsburgh airport project and his salary is $16k/year. Seems ridiculous by today's standards. The 19 year old daughter mentioned is my mom.
rhit06@reddit
Bronze Star from 1954: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148200095?objectPage=464#object-thumb--464
rhit06@reddit
Air Medal Award Card: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/143775374?objectPage=1021
rhit06@reddit
Later, but describes some of his Air Force career:
lol_never_@reddit
That’s so cool to have
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Flashy-Mud-7967@reddit
That is an amazing piece of history, so cool!
sneijder@reddit
Great post OP, That jacket is amazing.
Endo279@reddit
Holy Jesus that jacket is the best thing I’ve ever seen
Left_Afloat@reddit
I would get that jacket into a UV case with some way to control humidity (easily accessible desiccant works)! That’s an amazing heirloom that can be tied directly to family with pictures and medals.
WarChance4618@reddit
What this guy said. What you have is a priceless piece of history that should be cherished by every generation to follow.
Magooose@reddit
I have my Dad's but he just had it in his closet, so it's pretty dry and faded now. Waist gunner on a B-24. 93rd BG.
slow70@reddit
Preserve that thing and do it right man
Inverted-Rockets@reddit
Be careful about humidity — leather will typically start to crack below 35% RH. As a rule of thumb, 18-22°C and 45-55% RH is best.
The leather could also benefit from some mild cleaning and conditioning to help alleviate the damage that’s already accumulated.
SeaPale2939@reddit
Great picture and a really nice display
SignalCharlie@reddit
Balls of steel!
ttystikk@reddit
Grandpa was a badass, who clearly needed 4 Wright Cyclone engines to get his giant steel balls airborne.
SmartRooster2242@reddit
Just an FYI r/medals would probably love to see this
CaptainSmallz@reddit
Can someone explain please how the numbering of squadrons and groups work?
For example, I would hazard that the 729th Bomb SQ did not have 728 squadrons before it, and the 452nd Bomb Group did not have 451 groups before it.
laurelj84@reddit
I have a similar photo but it’s my dad (91st Bomb Group 401st Squadron), age 23.
MamaCassegrain@reddit
Magnificent memorials of magnificent men.
Dr_Trogdor@reddit
I wouldn't ever want to be on a B17 crew but I always wished I was on a B17 crew. Even as an older adult that dream of being up there fuckin sending it gets me. The 8th airforce will go down in legend for centuries.
Puzzled-Gur8619@reddit
airman are lucky they got to keep their stuff
My Grandfather fought in a M10 from Africa to Germany and they made him give his Jacket back.
shit_ass_mcfucknuts@reddit
Flying cross and a purple heart, he was tough. Awesome collection!
Trackrat14eight@reddit
That’s bad ass!
Youasking@reddit
Here is a great site that has a ton of information on his plane and a contact that may have some additional pictures! Thanks for sharing! B17
bikemandan@reddit
Is there a site like this for B-24? My grandpa flew one, trying to find a crew photo
rhit06@reddit
I believe that's the wrong "Little Chum" (listed as 710/711 BS while OPs grandfather was 729 BS)
This one matches: https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-39971-little-chum/ with a Charles "Chas" Anderson as waist gunner.
ThatGermanGuy2@reddit
This is good use of the internet.
Lalo_Salamanca666@reddit
Very cool
Vivere_Est_Cogitare@reddit
Wow look at that group of heroes
dmo012@reddit
Amazing. Something like 3 out of 4 B-17 airmen didn't make it through an entire tour, the waist gunners had even worse odds. Thanks for sharing.
utlayolisdi@reddit
Wonderful. 🫡
CPNZ@reddit
Watch "Masters of the Air" - really highlights the lives (and often deaths) of the B17 crews...don't listen to the people who hate on the CGI - is still a good show.
ImpossibleRest3976@reddit
Amazing collection of keepsakes to remember your grandpa's service.
Please get that jacket off of that hanger and have it mounted in an archival glass shadow box. Hangers put too much stress on the shoulders.
-RickyRoo8074@reddit
I love this stuff! My grandfather was a WW-2 veteran also! I would have loved to have made one up for him!
rocketrex504@reddit
Put the jacket in a case! Love this
Swaying_Plains@reddit (OP)
Forgot to mention he was a waist gunner.
wookieewrenches@reddit
One of the deadliest gun positions, bless him for his service
tmcall90@reddit
I imagine he is credited with downing three German planes. Pretty damn cool.
AdConscious5689@reddit
AdConscious5689@reddit
rhit06@reddit
Chas Anderson waist gunner listed as on of the survivors so I think I got the right plane/man.
AdConscious5689@reddit
My grandfather was also in the 452nd bomb group. 728th bomb sq
International_Air@reddit
Home boy probably killed so many folks lol
mollyyfcooke@reddit
I really do believe this was the greatest generation we’ll ever see! Thank you for sharing his memory with us!
TheVulgarApe@reddit
Amazing pieces of history right there.
Animeniackinda1@reddit
Op- see if there is a model club in your area. You could commission a build of his aircraft.
CountTop8394@reddit
There are two WW2 flyers jackets, with provenence, on an Antiques roadshow and they were like $4-5k, so yes, get proper presservation- the paint is important.
Scouse_Papi@reddit
Wow terrific mementos. bet he was a great man!