The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-25
BY HUGH BAILLIE
United Press Staff Correspondent

Copyright 1943 BY United Press
An American air base in Britain,
June %. - (DelayeO - This is the
story of couple of days spent in an
English shooting box, only instead
of getting up early to shoot grouse
these young Americans arose at
dawn to blast hell out of Germany.
Going up front lines" in air war
fare as practiced now from British
soil isn't what you might expect.
There is no sitting around in dug
outs hearing shattering explosions
or breathing carrion odors, These
front lines are different.
The guests spent the long evening
twilight strolling among rather I'M
kempt gardens, and although the
enemy was only so to 60 miles away
there were sounds Of chippering
birds and the only smells were of
nice clean country air, grass, trees,
and flowers.
In the very early morning the
hosts heavy tread in the bareboards
corridor of the slightly Wondering
mansion served in lieu of a bugle
call. The sleepy guests scrambled
out, piled into an automobile and
raced several miles through beauti-
full countryside similar to that Of
Westminster county or any other
well manicured landscape.
Arriving at a great open expanse
we saw nothing until we climbed a
- k0 Nf oh
young men overcoated and leather
jacketed against the early morning
chill.
All of them were extremely casual,
offhand, and friendly. We then heard
across the meadows the sullen roar
of many motors. Presently a flying
fortress comes scooting across the
treetops, then another, then another
and another The fellows standing
around remark, there goes Pete,
Jack, Charlie" etc--much more COM
posed than they would be If they
were watching Notre Dame take the
field against Southern California,
for instance.
Quicker than you realize there is
fleet moving seemingly slowly but
with portentous solemnity overhead.
81 see Hanks got the Purple
Heart Corner" remarks fellow at
your elbow, referring to a friend OF
his who has the place in the forma-
ton most likely to experience
trouble. Then somebody remarks In
low voice, there they come" You
scan the horizon whence materla-
Lies another majestically approach
ing fleet. Here's the next one Yes,
there they come leisurely floating In
from another direction.
High overhead this puissant air
mazda assemblies at its rendezvous In
the heavens until its numbers be-
come uncountable. Like vast army
such as you never expected to be-
hold outside some dream world, 1t
wheels with dignity, reminding one
somehow of troops marching at
funeral pace, and forms up pur-
posefully for its descent upon the
enemy who by now must have de-
tected its presence on his pattern"
and may be already hustling his de-
fensive ships into the air and sour
rying around his anti-aircraft bat
teries. 1t is celestial pageant with
nd martial music except the steady
crescendo of its own motors like a
single chord swelling from some
other-worldly pipe organ.
Our fleets individual units shrink
as they climbed steadily but their
overall magnitude swells until they
look plenty sinister. There are tons
of high explosives and many Amer
lean boys up there. Suddenly you
realize they have all gone. When
they wheeled around that time in
their great thunderous maneuver
they slipped out of sight and sound.
You ask if they're on the way and
you get a nod. But here's one COM
ing back. TOO bad, he's aborted."
He lands hastily. The crew trans
fers to another plane and a few
minutes later goes roaring away
seeking to catch the formation,
eager for fight.
Presently you move to another To-
cality where fighter planes are ris-
ing in punches. one group after an
other like angry giant bees. They do
not perform formation evolutions.
Instead they vanish almost In