Italy

Having arrived in theatre, the 484th became part of the 49th Bombardment Wing together with the 451st and 461st Bomb Groups. All units in the Wing operated the B-24. At this time 15th Air Force combat crews were expected to complete 50 missions before being rotated back to the US. This figure was set in anticipation of fairly light resistance from the enemy, but as experience soon proved this to be wrong a "double credit" system was introduced. Crews flying to certain heavily defended targets could obtain a double credit for that mission, and in the case of Sallies crew it meant that 36 missions were counted as 50 mission credits

The 484ths' new home was at Torretto airfield on the Foggia plain in Southern Italy. The field was located about 8 miles from the town of Cerignola and had previously been used by Wellingtons of 330 Wing RAF. A number of upgrades were required to enable the field to operate B-24's, but despite this facilities were still primitive. Both the 484th and 461st Bomb Groups eventually occupied the field.

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The runway was constructed of compacted clay gravel with pierced steel planking at the touchdown points. The taxiways and hardstands were also compacted gravel. There were no hangars and the control tower was a temporary scaffold structure. Most of the operational and domestic facilities were housed in tents, although some were later re-housed in more durable wooden structures (such as the kitchens and briefing facility) or occupied redundant farm buildings. For Sallies' crew, home was a tent. In the case of the Officers it was 4 men to a tent, 6 for the Enlisted men (same size tent for both, rank has its' privileges!). The tent floors were dirt and there was no electricity or running water. Meals were taken at the mess tent, but required the men to provide their own mess kit and cutlery. The crews did all they could to improve their lot, but it was a far cry from the facilities available to their colleagues in the 8th Air Force in England. Whilst many view Italy as a sunny, dry country, it could also be very wet and just a little rain turned the domestic sites into muddy quagmires.

The routine for mission days began with a wake up call at 0400-0500, followed by shortly afterwards by a barely edible breakfast of green powdered eggs or thick pancakes. After breakfast, the crews were briefed (originally in a tent, later in a purpose built building) on the mission and issued with maps and mission "flimsies". The G-2 Intelligence Officer would prepare an easel containing a map of Southern Europe with the target and route indicated with a length of coloured tape. This would be covered with a sheet until the target was revealed (usually accompanied by a groan from the crews). After collecting their flight clothing and equipment, the crews were taken to their aircraft by truck and prepared for take-off. Once in the air, the formation would form and when fully assembled proceed to their target. The formation would follow the course navigated by the lead crew, during which each individual navigator would maintain a plot on their position and ensure he had a ready route to a place of safety if required. As can be seen from the mission details flight times could vary, but whatever the target once at the IP (initial point), the crews would don their flak helmets and armoured vests (these would remain on until well clear of the target).

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The aircraft would release their bombs when the lead aircraft salvoed theirs, afterwhich the formation would rally sharply to the left or right in unison. Once clear of the target area, the aircraft would begin the long journey home. Navigation aids were limited in the MTO; nevertheless the crews could use the "Big Fence" radio direction finding system to ascertain their bearing back to base. This system was based in a 13th century castle, Castel Del Monte, 35 miles west of Cerignola but also incorporated three other outstations located elsewhere in Italy to establish the triangulation pattern necessary to accurately locate the aircraft. Those aircraft which had sustained critical damage or were low on fuel could divert to the airfield at Bari, which was the easternmost field available to crews approaching from the Balkans. Whenever possible, crews would aim to reach their home base.

When the formation reached its home base the aircraft would peel off and land as soon as possible. It was common for as many as three aircraft to be landing on the runway at any time, each one slightly further along it's length. Priority would be given for those aircraft carrying wounded crewmen or those damaged or critically low on fuel.

Once on the ground, the crews would be taken to be debriefed and issued with their shot of Whiskey. For most crewmen, exhausted after hours of bitter cold and after breathing forced oxygen at altitude, that was the end of their day.

Whilst this description of a mission day may sound routine, the physical and mental effects can only be guessed at by those who haven't experienced it. The following summary was provided by Major General David Grant, Surgeon General, USAAF. He refers to the B-17, but his description is equally valid for the B-24;

"One look into the pilots cabin of a B-17 will convince you that it's flight is actually an engineering operation demanding manual and mental skills that put the driving of an automobile into the kiddy-car class.

The compartment is lined - front, sides, ceiling and part of the floor - with controls, switches, levers, dials and gauges. I once counted over one hundred and thirty. The co-ordinated operations of all these gadgets would be difficult in the swivel-chair comfort of your office. But reduce your office to a five foot cube size, engulf it in the constant roar of four 1200 horsepower engines, and increase your height to around five miles. Then get into a flying suit, gloves and flying boots - all heated by electricity - put on a helmet with earphones, cover your eyes with goggles and the rest of your face with an oxygen mask containing a microphone, strap on your parachute, and it might be as well to add about sixteen pounds of body armour contained in your flak jacket.

That will give you an idea of the normal conditions underwhich these men worked out the higher mathematical relationships of engine revolutions, manifold and fuel pressures, aerodynamics, barometric pressure, altitude, wind drift, airspeed, ground speed, position, and direction.

You may have to face an occasional pain from ears, bends or intestinal gas expansion, a touch of dizziness, numbness from cold, or the subtle comatosity of anoxia. There will be interruptions to man machine-guns against enemy fighter attacks. Due allowance must also be made for a stream of machine gun bullets and cannon shells, or the burst of flak and air-to-air rockets in your immediate vicinity.

As a final touch to this bizarre picture of intense concentration, add the thoughts of death, bail out, escape or Stalag Luft"

When not flying a mission, the crew used whatever transport they could obtain to travel around the area and visit the local sights. The beach at Barleta on the Adriatic was a favourite, as was the town of Bari. After it's liberation in June 1944, Rome also became a favoured destination. Whatever recreation they sought was limited by the grinding poverty in Southern Italy at that time, further compounded by the land-battle still raging further north.

A pause from operations came in the form of a weeks R & R for the entire crew, usually granted after completing 18 operations. A favourite destination was the AAF rest camp on the Isle of Capri, just off the Neapolitan coast. Sallies crew were the first in the Squadron the be granted R & R and they made straight for Capri.

Sallies crew flew most of their missions together, but there were occasions when they were required to fill in with other crews and as such they completed their missions at different times (but all within 10 days of each other).

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Upon completing their combat tours, the crew was sent to a processing centre at Naples and from there sailed back to the US by ship. This journey was to take 9 days and upon reaching the US the crewmen were sent on leave prior to receiving new assignments. AAF regulations dictated that the men could be called forward to embark on a second combat tour after just 6 months.