438th AAA AW BN
APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
27 February, 1944 Sunday Morning
Dearest sweetheart –
Some of my men have just left for church and it’s reasonably quiet right now. Again there’s just the faintest touch of Spring already in the air – and I’m willing to wager, dear, that Spring here in England will really be hard to take – if everything the poets have said about it comes true.
Yesterday, darling, I got some bad news – not from home or you – but from right here in England. We have, or the Red Cross has a system of traveling Clubmobiles, so-called which travel over the countryside stopping at certain spots to give the soldiers some hot coffee and American type doughnuts. Well one of them hit us yesterday for the first time. I was getting my share – out on the road where they stopped and was talking with another officer. One of the Red Cross workers yelled out from the truck and asked if I were from Boston; she thought I sounded as if I were. I said ‘yes’ and ‘why’. She asked me if I knew a fellow from Boston named Zetlan. Well, dear, that’s a rather odd name and I knew she must be referring to Maurice Zetlan – Al’s younger brother – who I knew – was a Bombardier here – in a Fort. So I told her the fellow I knew was actually from Salem and she said that I was right and added that he had a brother named Al. I was then sure we were talking about the same fellow. The crux of the story, darling, is that he was killed about 3 weeks ago when his plane crashed during a take off for a bombing raid. I can tell you this because the death has been published. Well I was stunned. It seemed that she met him a few months ago and got to know him really well. He was a swell fellow, very nice looking and from what I heard – a helluva good bombardier. It must have been a terrific blow to Al and Lil because they were very fond and proud of him. Their mother and father died within the past 3-4 years and the boys were very close to each other. I felt rotten all day and realized I had to write. I had written Lil only a few days before in answer to her letter that all was well at home. Honestly, dear, it was one of the most difficult letters I’ve ever had to write. The only solace I was able to give them was the fact that I knew where he’s buried and if possible I promised to go to his grave and say a prayer or something.
Well, Sweetheart, I didn’t want to write you about it – but I promised to tell you everything that goes on – and I thought you ought to know about this – having met Lil and Al.
Darling I well remember that night at the Copley when you acted so “forward”. Are you squirming, dear? I will never let you think you proposed to me, though, because actually, you didn’t. What you did do – was to hint that something like that from me wouldn’t entirely find a deaf ear. And I was thrilled at the thought. When I actually told you I loved you – I honestly don’t know myself. I know I felt like telling you very early – but I was unaccustomed to talking or sounding like that – and it was difficult for me to say the words. Darling – you sure did change me a lot – in that respect.
Concerning Leap year and your authority – Miss Rogers – all I can say is Phooey!! Anyway – our status is settled and you don’t have to ask me. I won’t have it anyway! If I want to marry someone – I want to do the asking, for if anything – I wouldn’t want my wife throwing the fact that she proposed – up to me. Now – let’s get it straight right now, sweetheart: I am asking you to marry me – the very first chance we get. I hope, darling, that I’m making it very very clear.
In closing, darling – I will criticize a recent artistic attempt on your part, to wit, an angel? with a harp. I’ll excuse the shape of the harp, but Sweetheart – the angel looks at least 2-3 months pregnant! Nuff Sed!!
So long – dearest, I love you very very hard and make no mistake about it. Will you marry me?
Some of my men have just left for church and it’s reasonably quiet right now. Again there’s just the faintest touch of Spring already in the air – and I’m willing to wager, dear, that Spring here in England will really be hard to take – if everything the poets have said about it comes true.
Yesterday, darling, I got some bad news – not from home or you – but from right here in England. We have, or the Red Cross has a system of traveling Clubmobiles, so-called which travel over the countryside stopping at certain spots to give the soldiers some hot coffee and American type doughnuts. Well one of them hit us yesterday for the first time. I was getting my share – out on the road where they stopped and was talking with another officer. One of the Red Cross workers yelled out from the truck and asked if I were from Boston; she thought I sounded as if I were. I said ‘yes’ and ‘why’. She asked me if I knew a fellow from Boston named Zetlan. Well, dear, that’s a rather odd name and I knew she must be referring to Maurice Zetlan – Al’s younger brother – who I knew – was a Bombardier here – in a Fort. So I told her the fellow I knew was actually from Salem and she said that I was right and added that he had a brother named Al. I was then sure we were talking about the same fellow. The crux of the story, darling, is that he was killed about 3 weeks ago when his plane crashed during a take off for a bombing raid. I can tell you this because the death has been published. Well I was stunned. It seemed that she met him a few months ago and got to know him really well. He was a swell fellow, very nice looking and from what I heard – a helluva good bombardier. It must have been a terrific blow to Al and Lil because they were very fond and proud of him. Their mother and father died within the past 3-4 years and the boys were very close to each other. I felt rotten all day and realized I had to write. I had written Lil only a few days before in answer to her letter that all was well at home. Honestly, dear, it was one of the most difficult letters I’ve ever had to write. The only solace I was able to give them was the fact that I knew where he’s buried and if possible I promised to go to his grave and say a prayer or something.
Well, Sweetheart, I didn’t want to write you about it – but I promised to tell you everything that goes on – and I thought you ought to know about this – having met Lil and Al.
Darling I well remember that night at the Copley when you acted so “forward”. Are you squirming, dear? I will never let you think you proposed to me, though, because actually, you didn’t. What you did do – was to hint that something like that from me wouldn’t entirely find a deaf ear. And I was thrilled at the thought. When I actually told you I loved you – I honestly don’t know myself. I know I felt like telling you very early – but I was unaccustomed to talking or sounding like that – and it was difficult for me to say the words. Darling – you sure did change me a lot – in that respect.
Concerning Leap year and your authority – Miss Rogers – all I can say is Phooey!! Anyway – our status is settled and you don’t have to ask me. I won’t have it anyway! If I want to marry someone – I want to do the asking, for if anything – I wouldn’t want my wife throwing the fact that she proposed – up to me. Now – let’s get it straight right now, sweetheart: I am asking you to marry me – the very first chance we get. I hope, darling, that I’m making it very very clear.
In closing, darling – I will criticize a recent artistic attempt on your part, to wit, an angel? with a harp. I’ll excuse the shape of the harp, but Sweetheart – the angel looks at least 2-3 months pregnant! Nuff Sed!!
So long – dearest, I love you very very hard and make no mistake about it. Will you marry me?
All my deepest love –
Greg
Regards to everyone
Love
G.
* TIDBIT *
about the Loss of Maurice G. Zetlan
2nd Lieutenant Maurice G. Zetlan
about the Loss of Maurice G. Zetlan
2nd Lieutenant Maurice G. Zetlan
Maurice Zetlan usually flew with the crew of "HANG THE EXPENSE", below:
But on Monday, 24 January, 1944, according to John R. (Dick) Johnson, Zetlan had asked off the crew for personal reasons and this day was flying with A.O. "Four Mile" Drummond on an aircraft named "SKIPPER".
That day, at 7 am, both "HANG THE EXPENSE" and "SKIPPER", B-17s of the 100th Bomb Group, (known as the bloody hundredth, for the losses they suffered during the war) took off from their base at Thorpe Abbotts, near Dickleburgh, Norfolk. They set out to bomb a metal works at Frankfurt. They were part of a large formation of aircraft from many USAAF bases in the area. Due to bad weather the planes were recalled while over France.
"SKIPPER" (42-3307), of 351 Squadron, did not get as far as France. The pilot, Arch Drummond, was one of the group's more experienced pilots. As the B-17F withdrew its undercarriage in the semi-darkness, the crew kept a wary eye out for other bombers, as aircraft level with them and above were difficult to see. "SKIPPER" continued climbing straight ahead. At 700 feet, Arch, and his co-pilot Claude E. Schindler were horrified to see the lights of another aircraft, a B-24, coming across their path. The captain flashed his powerful landing lights to warn the approaching aircraft to keep out of their airspace. The plane did not alter its course. To avoid a collision, the bomber dived steeply and banked right. The pilot then tried to level out, but hit the left wing on a barn, at High London Farm Shelfanger, Norfolk, about 7 miles from Thorpe Abbotts.
"Skipper" before a flight and after crash and loss of Zetlan
The impact ruptured a fuel tank and the B-17 caught fire. The aircraft then crashed through a group of trees, and came to halt in a meadow, approximately 300 yards from the farm, with debris strewn everywhere. During the initial impact, Maurice Zetlan was thrown through the front nose, apparently breaking his neck. He died instantly. When the plane came to a standstill the rest of the crew quickly left the burning aircraft, aware "SKIPPER" was loaded with highly inflammable incendiaries. First at the scene was Farmer David Drummond of Old Boyland Hall Farm, Bressingham. He found the other 9 airmen suffering from shock, sheltering by a haystack .
The Crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress "SKIPPER" were:
Maurice's usual aircraft and crew also met with difficulty that day. On their January 24, 1944 Frankfurt mission, Roy Urich was blown out of the tail section of "HANG THE EXPENSE". Urich, to everyone's surprise survived and became a POW. Legend has it the 100th crews saw Roy hurling through the formation still in his seat with his guns still firing. Dick Johnson recalled it this way:
Here is a picture of the tail after "HAND THE EXPENSE" returned to England and landed at East Church fighter base.
"Hang the Expense" with Tail Damage
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
"HANG THE EXPENSE"
with both her Flight and Ground Crews (left to right)
Standing: John (NMI) Mytko, John R. (Dick) Johnson, Frank E. Valesh,
Maurice G. Zetlan, John E. Booth, Paul J. Carbone, Sherman M. Nelson
Kneeling: Nels O. Davidson, Lloyd M. Holland, Louis (NMI) Black, Jr.,
Roy (NMI) Urich, Herschel H. Broyles, J. Sambrailo, Ernest M. Jordan,
Harold C. Wildrick (The Crew Chief)
"HANG THE EXPENSE"
with both her Flight and Ground Crews (left to right)
Standing: John (NMI) Mytko, John R. (Dick) Johnson, Frank E. Valesh,
Maurice G. Zetlan, John E. Booth, Paul J. Carbone, Sherman M. Nelson
Kneeling: Nels O. Davidson, Lloyd M. Holland, Louis (NMI) Black, Jr.,
Roy (NMI) Urich, Herschel H. Broyles, J. Sambrailo, Ernest M. Jordan,
Harold C. Wildrick (The Crew Chief)
But on Monday, 24 January, 1944, according to John R. (Dick) Johnson, Zetlan had asked off the crew for personal reasons and this day was flying with A.O. "Four Mile" Drummond on an aircraft named "SKIPPER".
That day, at 7 am, both "HANG THE EXPENSE" and "SKIPPER", B-17s of the 100th Bomb Group, (known as the bloody hundredth, for the losses they suffered during the war) took off from their base at Thorpe Abbotts, near Dickleburgh, Norfolk. They set out to bomb a metal works at Frankfurt. They were part of a large formation of aircraft from many USAAF bases in the area. Due to bad weather the planes were recalled while over France.
"SKIPPER" (42-3307), of 351 Squadron, did not get as far as France. The pilot, Arch Drummond, was one of the group's more experienced pilots. As the B-17F withdrew its undercarriage in the semi-darkness, the crew kept a wary eye out for other bombers, as aircraft level with them and above were difficult to see. "SKIPPER" continued climbing straight ahead. At 700 feet, Arch, and his co-pilot Claude E. Schindler were horrified to see the lights of another aircraft, a B-24, coming across their path. The captain flashed his powerful landing lights to warn the approaching aircraft to keep out of their airspace. The plane did not alter its course. To avoid a collision, the bomber dived steeply and banked right. The pilot then tried to level out, but hit the left wing on a barn, at High London Farm Shelfanger, Norfolk, about 7 miles from Thorpe Abbotts.
"Skipper" before a flight and after crash and loss of Zetlan
The impact ruptured a fuel tank and the B-17 caught fire. The aircraft then crashed through a group of trees, and came to halt in a meadow, approximately 300 yards from the farm, with debris strewn everywhere. During the initial impact, Maurice Zetlan was thrown through the front nose, apparently breaking his neck. He died instantly. When the plane came to a standstill the rest of the crew quickly left the burning aircraft, aware "SKIPPER" was loaded with highly inflammable incendiaries. First at the scene was Farmer David Drummond of Old Boyland Hall Farm, Bressingham. He found the other 9 airmen suffering from shock, sheltering by a haystack .
The Crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress "SKIPPER" were:
Lt. Arch J. Drummond (pilot) - slightly injured
Lt. Claude E. Sdchindler (co-pilot) - slightly injured
Lt. Frank J. McGuire (navigator) - injured with burns
Lt. Maurice G. Zetlan (bombardier) - killed
Tech. Sgt. Sidney A. Cary (top turett gunner) - injured
Tech. Sgt Talbert E. Spenoff (radio operator) - injured
S/Sgt. John R. Pendleton (gunner) - injured
Sgt. Steven M. Szekely (gunner) - injured
S/Sgt. Guthrie H. Head (right waist gunner) - injured
S/Sgt. Nicholas Perovich (tail gunner) - injured
Lt. Claude E. Sdchindler (co-pilot) - slightly injured
Lt. Frank J. McGuire (navigator) - injured with burns
Lt. Maurice G. Zetlan (bombardier) - killed
Tech. Sgt. Sidney A. Cary (top turett gunner) - injured
Tech. Sgt Talbert E. Spenoff (radio operator) - injured
S/Sgt. John R. Pendleton (gunner) - injured
Sgt. Steven M. Szekely (gunner) - injured
S/Sgt. Guthrie H. Head (right waist gunner) - injured
S/Sgt. Nicholas Perovich (tail gunner) - injured
Maurice's usual aircraft and crew also met with difficulty that day. On their January 24, 1944 Frankfurt mission, Roy Urich was blown out of the tail section of "HANG THE EXPENSE". Urich, to everyone's surprise survived and became a POW. Legend has it the 100th crews saw Roy hurling through the formation still in his seat with his guns still firing. Dick Johnson recalled it this way:
We were recalled shortly before reaching the target and bombed a power plant as a target of opportunity. It was supposedly near Zukunft but I cannot verify this as my log for this mission was not returned to me.
It was a slow go home as we were bucking a very strong head wind. For reasons I will never understand the lead aircraft took us directly over an airfield near Ostend. I called Frank and he called the leader. All he got for his pains was a call to shut up by Magee Fuller. We were sitting ducks at 12,000 feet and a ground speed of about 95 knots courtesy of that head wind. I actually saw the guns go off on the ground (There were four distinct flashes) and a few seconds later there was one hellava jolt. I can still hear Paul Carbone calling on the interphone to say "Roy's gone!" The aircraft nosed up sharply and Frank, fearing a stall and a spin, gave the order to standby to bail out. However, he snapped on the AFCE (automatic pilot) and found he had elevator control by these means. This enabled him to bring the bird back under control and he told us to stick around.
There was no rudder control at all and the elevators answered only to the AFCE. Only the ailerons answered to the stick. Once things were under control Frank called "Mayday" on the emergency channel and two P-47's were right there. I plotted the shortest route to the English coast and Eastchurch was the first airfield we saw. The air sea rescue pilots kept urging us to jump but once they saw we were committed to land they buzzed the field to keep it clear for us. Frank offered us the chance to jump but all hands elected to stay with the aircraft. We did, however, take the precaution of assuming ditching stations during the actual landing. It proved to be an unnecessary precaution as Frank and John combined to grease that thing in.
I cannot remember how we got back to Thorpe Abbotts but we probably had to take the train. We also probably had hangovers as the RAF at Eastchurch were generous with their whisky. By the time we did get back the lead crew had been sent on a 7 day flak leave and we were kept twiddling our thumbs. Just before they were due back we were sent on a similar leave. This kept us apart for almost two weeks which was probably good thinking on the part of the brass as it just may have prevented bloodshed. I guess I have never fully forgiven them in my heart and I'm still sore that Valesh and Booth did not get a medal for bringing that airplane home.
It was a slow go home as we were bucking a very strong head wind. For reasons I will never understand the lead aircraft took us directly over an airfield near Ostend. I called Frank and he called the leader. All he got for his pains was a call to shut up by Magee Fuller. We were sitting ducks at 12,000 feet and a ground speed of about 95 knots courtesy of that head wind. I actually saw the guns go off on the ground (There were four distinct flashes) and a few seconds later there was one hellava jolt. I can still hear Paul Carbone calling on the interphone to say "Roy's gone!" The aircraft nosed up sharply and Frank, fearing a stall and a spin, gave the order to standby to bail out. However, he snapped on the AFCE (automatic pilot) and found he had elevator control by these means. This enabled him to bring the bird back under control and he told us to stick around.
There was no rudder control at all and the elevators answered only to the AFCE. Only the ailerons answered to the stick. Once things were under control Frank called "Mayday" on the emergency channel and two P-47's were right there. I plotted the shortest route to the English coast and Eastchurch was the first airfield we saw. The air sea rescue pilots kept urging us to jump but once they saw we were committed to land they buzzed the field to keep it clear for us. Frank offered us the chance to jump but all hands elected to stay with the aircraft. We did, however, take the precaution of assuming ditching stations during the actual landing. It proved to be an unnecessary precaution as Frank and John combined to grease that thing in.
I cannot remember how we got back to Thorpe Abbotts but we probably had to take the train. We also probably had hangovers as the RAF at Eastchurch were generous with their whisky. By the time we did get back the lead crew had been sent on a 7 day flak leave and we were kept twiddling our thumbs. Just before they were due back we were sent on a similar leave. This kept us apart for almost two weeks which was probably good thinking on the part of the brass as it just may have prevented bloodshed. I guess I have never fully forgiven them in my heart and I'm still sore that Valesh and Booth did not get a medal for bringing that airplane home.
Here is a picture of the tail after "HAND THE EXPENSE" returned to England and landed at East Church fighter base.
"Hang the Expense" with Tail Damage
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