Diary of Gordon Manuel last entries before being shot down
“... remembered as the man who made the 64th. He took the Sqdn when it was nothing and in the month of May this Sqdn made 106 sorties that is the record for the Air Force in Heavy Bombardment.
Two days later Capt. McArthur my old pilot was killed with his whole crew on a test flight [B-17F 41-24425 crashed April 17, 1943]. The moral of the sqdn is almost nil.
April 22, 1943
We flew a recco today first we went to Lae were nearly shot down with ack-ack then up to Wide Bay to Open Bay then to Madang and the ack-ack was heavy there we went then to Lae, I dropped 10-100 lb bombs and we straffed the village which is Jap occupied. We then had to make a forced landing at Buna.
April 24, 1943
Flew a night mission to Wewak I dropped 20-100 demolition bombs on the [seems to read “air” which is then crossed out for lack of space] airdrome on the way home we made 10 straffing passes over Madang and 5 over Lae and one over Finchaven. We didnt have to but decided we should wake them up on Easter morning. We were picked up in the searchlights of Wewak but the ack-ack was not effective. We made 4 runs over Wewak just to annoy them and whenever we would get caught in the light we would turn. Then they would stop looking for us. I’d fire at the light so they could find us then the other planes could come in without getting caught in the lights until they had dropped their bombs. I hear from Mary Moulton real often. Hope I can see her soon.
Maj. Hallowell was killed at Brisbane just before we arrived there. It was a take off [accident]. I am the only one left of the volunteer crew that flew to Rabul [sic] on New Years eve. There has been about 100% turnover in combat crews since I started flying. It has come to the point now that I wonder when my turn will come. I believe that when the Lord wants me to leave this world he will take me regardless of weather I’m fighting a war or not."
Credit: Godon Manuel via Gordon Manuel, Jr. Date: April 1943
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