Aspects of Airpower in WWII: Including Bert Ramsey, E.L. McMullen, and Others

ASPECTS OF AIR POWER IN WWII,

INCLUDING BERT RAMSEY, E.L. McMULLEN, AND OTHERS

by E.T. McMullen

(A talk given 17 November 2000 to the American Legion, Statesboro, GA)

This is about some aspects of the aerial war in WWII, some of the people involved in it, and some of the lessons learned. I will highlight Second Lieutenant Berton H. Ramsey, but I will start with my father because he was the first man in my story to enlist in the Army Air Corps. That was on 25 September 1939 at Langley Field, Virginia. He joined up because the totalitarian leaders, Hitler and Stalin, had invaded Poland and divided that country between them. The world had just become a more dangerous place.

As a private, my father was a jeep driver, but he could type, so the Army transferred him to administration. By the end of the war, he had held every rank up to, and including, Captain. My father was promoted from Sergeant to Warrant Officer while at the 92nd Bomb Group, 3rd Air Force, at McDill Field, Florida in 1942. I have a copy of the discharge form necessary to go from enlisted to officer. Even though he was in the Army Air Force, there is nothing on the form about aircrew experience. However, there is a blank to be filled out for horsemanship! It says "Not mounted."

Later, in 1942, the Army sent my father to Officers Candidate School in Miami, FL. He tells me he was there at the same time as Clark Gable. Gable was informed that the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) was having trouble recruiting aerial gunners, so Gable used his popularity as an actor to publicize that need. It worked! Thereafter the USAAF had no trouble getting gunners.

This year is the 60th Anniversary of the Miracle at Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, in which the Royal Air Force kept control of the air and prevented Hitler's victorious armies from invading. (See my articles on Sir Frederick Rosier and the Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey, and God and Great Britain.) In order to help the British, some Americans were going to Canada to join the Royal Canadian Air Force to learn to fly. Then they would transfer to the British Isles to fight Hitler. Dan and Albert Shuman, and Barney Shelnutt of Statesboro, all went to Canada. So did my stepfather; he told me that the F.B.I. was turning people back at the Canadian border because the U.S. was officially neutral at that time, so he had to be careful about it.

Barney Shelnutt enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in April 1940. A little over a year later, Sgt. Shelnutt was killed in action on 26 October 1941, after over forty combat missions. His battle-damaged bomber had to ditch in the drink while returning from bombing Germany. Shelnutt stayed at his post too long, radioing his position, and drowned. Dan Shuman, who lettered in football at Statesboro High School, narrowly escaped death in a plane crash. Later, he ended up as a prisoner of war in Germany, as did my stepfather.

My stepfather completed pilot training and received his Royal Canadian Air Force wings. But, before he could be shipped to England, the U.S. entered the war and so he returned to the States, joined the Army Air Force, and received USAAF wings. Later my stepfather was a pilot instructor before going to England to fly P-51's. He was in the 358th Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force. He had 3 1/2 aerial kills to his credit when his plane caught fire; he bailed out and eventually was sent to Stalag Luft One. (See Art Alexander, P-51's over Nazi Germany.)

In Canada, the British and Canadian Bible Societies were handing out New Testaments, similiar to the one on the right. Inside the front cover was a message from His Majesty, George V, King of Great Britain, urging his subjects to read the Bible. Among other things, he says the Bible is divinely inspired. In the U.S., the Gideons, the American Bible Society, and others were handing out New Testaments similiar to the one on the right. Inside the front cover was a message from President Roosevelt recommending that all those serving in the United States Armed Services read the Bible, which he calls a Sacred Book. (The New Testament shown is actually from World War One, and the message is from General Pershing.) Roosevelt and King George were reminding Americans and Britons that the Bible is the source of many of the values we were fighting for. Hitler wanted to establish a National Reich Church where Mein Kampf would replace the Bible and the swastika would replace the cross. Fortunately Hitler did not succeed. I am glad to see that Post 90 and the American Legion are preserving our spiritual traditions. You started this meeting with prayer, and you started and ended Saturday's memorial service with prayer.

Bert Ramsey enlisted in the Army Air Force in December 1941 and received his wings in September 1942. (Earlier, he had attended Statesboro schools and Georgia Teachers College. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1941, he had served as the principal of Metter High School.)

Upon completing all pilot training, Lieutenant Ramsey was assigned to the 322nd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force. The plane that Ramsey flew was the Martin B-26 medium bomber. The B-26 had big powerful engines, but relatively small wings. Some of its nicknames reflect this look: It had "Ironing Board Wings," or was "The Flying Prostitute" (because it had no visible means of support), and looked like a "Flying Torpedo."

The small wings and big engines made the B-26 a high performance plane that had high take off and landing speeds. It was an unforgiving aircraft for novice pilots. Bob Stevens drew a cartoon showing a B-26 pilot praying out loud as he took off from a too-short runway while carrying tons of ammunition. The unforgiving aspect of the plane gave it some other nicknames: "The Widow-Maker," and "A plane a day in Tampa Bay," which was near where they were training at McDill Field. Another Stevens cartoon shows a plane going into the bay while the pilot says "Now I know why they call it the flying torpedo."

For a period of time my father had the job of notifying wives at McDill that they had become widows. If the families were out of state, he often accompanied the bodies to the next of kin. The Martin Company made some corrections to the plane and that helped some.

Ramsey's group left Florida for South America, flew across the Atlantic to Africa, and then up to Britain to be part of the Eighth Air Force. They had trained in low level bombing runs and the 332nd was the first bomb group to use these tactics in Europe. The first raid, to hit power plants in Holland, was ineffective. So there was a second raid three days later, on 17 May 1943. One plane aborted because of electrical problems and turned back. The other ten B-26's pressed on, but none of them returned. It was quite a shock to airmen that, early in the air war, all planes were lost on a mission. The story in Bulloch County's World War II Role of Honor is that antiaircraft fire shot them all down, and that thirty men out of fifty were killed. At the Eighth Air Force Museum library, I found a different story. It is from the man who led the raid, Lt. Col. Robert M. Stillman.

The B-26 that had aborted climbed to a thousand feet to gain some altitude for possible emergency gliding purposes. In so doing, he blipped the German radar and alerted the enemy to the raid. When the planes reached the coast, the antiaircraft guns opened up and the pilots started to weave their planes back and forth to confuse the antiaircraft gunners' aim. Stillman's plane went down first. As was proper, the next pilot tried to move up into the lead spot, but tragically the ship that had been on Stillman's wing changed position just then. The pair collided. There was a terrific explosion - and the flying fragments of the two planes struck down a third one. The next two ships, in the horrible confusion of the moment, missed the power plants, tried to turn as they reached Amsterdam, and were knocked out of the sky by the heavy flak from the batteries on the outskirts of the city.

Next, three of the four surviving bombers were knocked out by flak. The last one was downed by German fighters over the channel.

According to Stillman, they had started out with 30 officers and 30 enlisted men, and only 10 officers and 12 airmen survived. So a total of 38 men died. Lieutenant Ramsey was co-pilot on the plane that was right behind Colonel Stillman. The pilot was Captain William Converse. From Stillman's account, Ramsey was killed in the collision with the plane on Stillman's wing. This may have been the B-26 piloted by First Lieutenant Frederick H. Matthew with Second Lieutenant Joe B. Dalton as the co-pilot.

(Bert's memorial and dedication service was held in Statesboro in 1945. The order of service is in the Appendix. In 1947, the Ramsey family received the photograph of the Nievelstein family, who were tending Bert's grave in Gouda, Holland. At that time they were living at 56 Holzstraat, KerKrade, Holland, and Bert Ramsey, Sr. was at 212 Savannah Ave., Statesboro, one block from where I now reside.)

In spite of this inauspicious beginning, the B-26's went on the compile a top combat record. They changed tactics from low to medium level bombing. By the end of the war, the B-26 had scored the lowest loss rate on operational missions of any aircraft in the European Theater of Operations.

On 26 March 1944 the 332nd avenged the loss of Stillman's unsuccessful raid. Eighteen of the men who had been on the first ineffective effort were in the lead of an armada of 350 B-26s that attacked a submarine pen with 1,000 pound bombs - 600 tons worth - from a sensible altitude of 12,000 feet. Maj. Louis J. Sebile saved one bomb and, after the pens were no more, he headed over to the power plant, and he and his crew took it out.

The B-26s also did their part in preparing for D-day. The total effect of air power can be shown by a report about Field Marshall Edwin Rommel, who was in charge of stopping the D-day invasion. The following is an excerpt from a meeting right after D-day that Major General Kurt Meyer, commander of the 12th SS Panzer Division had with Rommel: "The enemy's overwhelming command of the air makes tactical maneuver virtually impossible. The fighter bombers even attack individual dispatch riders . . . The road network is under their control day and night. A few fighter bombers are enough to delay or even stop movements. Field Marshal, give us an air umbrella, give us some fighter units! We are not afraid of the enemy ground forces, we are powerless against the concentrated air operations.

"The Field Marshal says excitedly, "Why are you telling me this? Do you believe that I drive around with my eyes closed? I have written report after report. In Africa I drew attention to the fatal impact of the fighter bombers, but the gentlemen [at Headquarters], of course, know much better, they simply don't believe my reports any longer!

"The Field Marshall takes a few minutes' stroll before he bids me a fond farewell. Sepp Dietrich asks the Field Marshal to be careful and avoid the main road. He suggests that his big car be exchanged for a Kubelwagen. The Field Marshal refuses with a smile and drives away. He is attacked and wounded shortly afterwards". . . by Allied aircraft.

The same thing that Meyer complained about happened at the Battle of the Bulge. The Allied strategic bombing raids had so depleted gasoline stocks, that the Germans planned to run their offense on captured fuel. But when the winter weather cleared, tactical air power helped stop the German offense and push it back. The Germans had hardly any fighter-bombers to harass the Allies because nearly all aircraft production was dedicated to fighters. And these fighters were trying to stop the bombers that were pounding Germany day and night.

When the Germans surrendered, Kemp Mabry, my father, along with a lot of others, were being sent to the Pacific theater for the planned invasion of Japan. The U.S. was also preparing for the estimated 500,000 U.S. casualties from that invasion. We were drafting more doctors and nurses, and starting to build overseas hospitals. I have a Purple Heart that has no name on it because it is one of 350,000 that were ordered in the summer of 1945. Fortunately, they did not get handed out. We all know the story. Japan finally surrendered after Russia had entered the war and we had dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities. Because of the aerial delivery of nuclear weapons, the world had suddenly become a much more dangerous place. In a short time, the U.S. had gone from using horses in war to dropping atomic bombs.

Today, the world is still a dangerous place, but the U.S. has forgotten one of the lessons from World War II: that we need to be prepared for war. That is why you, and organizations such as the American Legion, are important. We need to constantly remind Americans of the necessity of being prepared for war. I thank Post 90 and the American Legion for your efforts in trying to maintain a strong military.

APPENDIX

Memorial and Dedication Service

for

Lt. Bert H. Ramsey, Jr.

Born April 21st, 1919

Lost his Life on a Bombing Mission, May 17th, 1943

Statesboro Methodist Church

Sunday, November 25, 1945 - 11 A.M.

DEDICATION SERVICE

Voluntary - Mrs. Z.S. Henderson

Hymn - Onward Christian Soldiers - Congregation

Prayer - Rev. Chas. A. Jackson, Jr.

Anthem - In Perfect Peace - Choir

Sermon - Rev. G.N. Rainey

Duet - Let Not Your Heart be Troubled - Mrs. Roger J. Holland/Mrs. Herbert H. Kingery

MEMORIALS

Orphans Home - from W.S.C.S. - Presentation, Jrs. J.E. Carruth; Four Brass Offering Plates - Donors - Bert's Aunts: Mrs. Dew Groover, Mrs. Chas. Perry, Mrs. Linton Lanier - Presentation, Mrs. Jim Donaldson; Acceptance On Behalf of Church - Z.S. Henderson, Chairman Board Stewards; Dedication - Rev. Chas. A. Jackson, Jr.; Offering - Bert's Friends - Jack Darby, Horace McDougald, Grover Brannen, Jr., W.R. Lovett; Announcements - Rev. Chas. A. Jackson, Jr.; Unveiling and Dedication of Marble at Cemetery - Presented by Mr. and Mrs. Bert H. Ramsey, Sr., Lt. and Mrs. T.H. Ramsey, Ft. McClellan, Ala., Lt. (j.g.) Wm. T. Ramsey, Iwo Jima, Pacific; Unveiling - Lt. T.H. Ramsey; Dedication - Dr. M.S. Pittman, President Ga. Teachers College; Flag - Guard of Honor: Chas. Olliff, Jr., A.F. Solms, Jr., Shields Kenan, Jack Darby; Benediction; Ushers - Bert's Friends - Chas. P. Olliff, Jr., A.F. Solms, Jr., Lt. G.C. Coleman, Jr., H.P. Jones, Jr., S. Edwin Groover, Jr., Bill Keith, Capt. Edward Cone, Lt. Joe Joiner; Bulletins - Bert's Friends - Lester Brannen, Jr., James Aldred, Genel Hodges, Tom Forbes, A.B. Green, Dan Shuman, Frances Smallwood, Lt. Chas B. McAllister, Jr.; Memorial Flowers - Ramsey Family.

TO OUR MOTHER

Sometimes a road is dark and long That wanders far, far into the night But if on this road you face it with a song Darkness turns to day, wrong to right. However long this road might be Shut out all saddening thought It becomes a lot shorter with mirth and glee So with despair, don't let yourself be caught. Columbus found a world without a chart Bert will find a road with all his art So with this vision, close your eyes Knowing right prevails, and Bert survives - "Tiny Ramsey" - Iwo Jima, Pacific.

(Dedicated to the eight boys lost with Bert, Jr.)

As we trail the weary pathway Down the sunset slope of life As we pass through grievous shadows In this war torn world of strife. Then our thoughts turn slowly backward To a better, brighter day When we were building castles And watching you at play. We had dreams and hopes and visions For your busy little feet Now we know those dreams and visions Never-more, your lives shall meet. And now lonely, sad and stricken Our one debt to you is plain To prove that your great sacrifice Shall not have been in vain. So tis us you left behind you Who must carry on Take up the fight you died for Till the last great battle's won. And to you we pledge our promise In the Peace that is to be That we shall never falter That the whole world may be free. (Dr. and Mrs. J.A. Norton, Conway, S.C., parents of Twin Sons lost among the eight with Bert.)

THE WEAVER

My life is but a weaving Between my Lord and me I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily. Oft times He weaveth sorrow And I, in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas And explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful In the weavers skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern He has planned. (Author unknown - Mrs. Sanford Schulert of New Jersey whose husband was killed. A friend of Bert's.)

FLYING HIGHER

Dear Mother I'm sending this message to say My thoughts are of you as I go away For Orders have come from my High Command To serve Him up there in a better Land. Please, Mother Dear, I don't want you to grieve For a short while I shall be only "ON LEAVE" And then if I learn to obey GOD"S RULE I'll get some new wings in His Flying School. But first down here I shall have to die Before I can really learn to fly And my earthly body return to the ground Ere release for my Spirit may be found. You shall feel my presence in the blue Which is only a veil between me and you And in your moments of doubt and despair I shall be near to comfort and care. Wish me 'HAPPY LANDING' and breathe a prayer That I'll make a good Pilot for Him 'OVER THERE' And one glorious day I'll teach you to fly In the vast open spaces beyond the sky. (Author unknown - Mrs. Lillie Davis, Atlanta, Ga.)

SPARROW'S FALL

Be brave, sad friends, and know the sparrows fall I know to Him who watches over all No brave soul, daring, flies beyond His Realm No plane so swift but He is Captain at the helm. Brave men shrink not in fear when duty calls Nor shall their loved ones break when sorrow falls The hearts may bleed through every waking hour They, chastened, stand upright by His mighty power. Sad hearts, give not way to dark despair In life's darkest hour He's always near Though I walk through the valley, I fear no ill He is my great strength I shall trust Him still. Ne're yet so dark was night but came again a glorious day The dawn when gloom's stone was rolled away Though one more numbered with the earthly slain Yet by His might shall that loved one live again. Trust on, hope on, for He who notes the sparrows' fall Has that great power which reaches over all Then if He heeds the frail cry of falling bird How shall the heart-cry of His child, remain unheard. (D.B. Turner, Statesboro, Ga.)

THE WAR IS NOT OVER

They tell me the war is over And soon its fields will bloom in clover No more they say will brave men die Nor mothers, wives or sweethearts cry. No more we hear the drone of the planes Or see the missiles in their firey lanes The guns and tanks are quiet and still As if there were peace and good will. Though the day is calm and bright And the sun shines with a glorious light There is no Peace in the hearts of those Whose loved ones, the God of War has chose. No Peace can come to a mother's life Who has given her son in the deadly strife Nor to the hopes and plans of a father's dream For his son who has crossed the bloody stream. The world should now no Peace or quiet Until their blood and pain has full respite And all mankind has come to see The kind of world they died to free. (Col. Leroy Cowart, Atlanta, Ga.)