With apologies, as this is only indirectly related to fly fishing ...
While shopping the other day, I made my way out to the truck only to realize that I had forgotten a couple of items. Coursing my way back into the store, I literally ran into an elderly gentleman pushing a shopping cart and sporting a blue baseball cap that had a B-17 embroidered on the front panel. In typical, I've never met a stranger fashion, I said, "Looks to be a G-series Fort you're wearing there", to which he replied, "How did you know that?" Patiently listening to my explanation, he smiled, extended his hand and said, "The name's Newell 'Newt' Moy, B-17 driver for the 398th Bomb Group." I smiled back, met his hand with mine and said, "Newt, thank you for all you have done for me, my family and for this wonderful Country of ours."
We talked for nearly an hour and before parting ways, he asked for my phone number ... Newt called me a few days later and shared story after story (including the 'Delancey story' on my profile page) with me, explaining that he had kept quiet about his experiences until one of his brothers finally coaxed him into opening up ... he realizes the importance of sharing his experiences, because in his words, "I'm not going to be around forever" ... well, I can only hope to be as sharp and as mobile as my new friend should I be around when I'm eighty-seven years old.
21 March 1945 ... 1st Lt. Newt Moy (back row, 2nd from left) and crew prior to a mission to Rheine, Germany.
Following, are a few interesting details Newt shared with me concerning his very first combat sortie with the 398th's, 603rd Bomb Squadron ...
--- Because of budget constraints (fuel and engine/supercharger wear and tear), the Stateside USAAF training ceiling was set at 20,000 feet and for the first time ever, Newt found himself at 28,000 feet with a full compliment of bombs and fuel.
--- His ship was positioned in what he called the formation's vulnerable, 'Purple Heart Corner' (outside right, lower formation) ... the station where shorter crews let the newbies cover their backsides.
--- Nearing the target, Moy's Fort took a direct hit from an 88 right behind and in between the #1 & #2 engines (port wing) ... he said, that had the Germans not set their fuses for approximately 28,500' he wouldn't be telling me the story, as the shell had whistled right through the wing.
--- Because of deteriorating weather conditions, Moy and a couple other B-17s got seperated from the formation and because of low fuel concerns, he was forced to land (against RAF orders!) at a RAF fighter base ... in his words, "I wasn't going to get us killed on our very first mission, so I disregarded their orders and landed at the RAF base!"
While shopping the other day, I made my way out to the truck only to realize that I had forgotten a couple of items. Coursing my way back into the store, I literally ran into an elderly gentleman pushing a shopping cart and sporting a blue baseball cap that had a B-17 embroidered on the front panel. In typical, I've never met a stranger fashion, I said, "Looks to be a G-series Fort you're wearing there", to which he replied, "How did you know that?" Patiently listening to my explanation, he smiled, extended his hand and said, "The name's Newell 'Newt' Moy, B-17 driver for the 398th Bomb Group." I smiled back, met his hand with mine and said, "Newt, thank you for all you have done for me, my family and for this wonderful Country of ours."
We talked for nearly an hour and before parting ways, he asked for my phone number ... Newt called me a few days later and shared story after story (including the 'Delancey story' on my profile page) with me, explaining that he had kept quiet about his experiences until one of his brothers finally coaxed him into opening up ... he realizes the importance of sharing his experiences, because in his words, "I'm not going to be around forever" ... well, I can only hope to be as sharp and as mobile as my new friend should I be around when I'm eighty-seven years old.
21 March 1945 ... 1st Lt. Newt Moy (back row, 2nd from left) and crew prior to a mission to Rheine, Germany.
Following, are a few interesting details Newt shared with me concerning his very first combat sortie with the 398th's, 603rd Bomb Squadron ...
Upon his arrival in Northampstead, England, Moy and his crew were informed that they would be flying their very first mission the following morning, as the
603rd had lost nine B-17s the previous day ... they swapped out Moy's co-pilot for a more-seasoned counterpart and this is what transpired ...
--- Because of budget constraints (fuel and engine/supercharger wear and tear), the Stateside USAAF training ceiling was set at 20,000 feet and for the first time ever, Newt found himself at 28,000 feet with a full compliment of bombs and fuel.
--- His ship was positioned in what he called the formation's vulnerable, 'Purple Heart Corner' (outside right, lower formation) ... the station where shorter crews let the newbies cover their backsides.
--- Nearing the target, Moy's Fort took a direct hit from an 88 right behind and in between the #1 & #2 engines (port wing) ... he said, that had the Germans not set their fuses for approximately 28,500' he wouldn't be telling me the story, as the shell had whistled right through the wing.
--- Over the site, the bottom bomb jammed in it's rack and he soon found his ship a few hundred feet beneath and behind the other, now-lighter '17s
that had just released their payloads ... he put the balls to the wall in an effort to catch up and arcing the plane at a 45-degree angle, his togglier
kicked-free the jammed bomb, successfully releasing the entire payload. Because of the thin air and the aforementioned disposition of his Fort, his ship
had "slid" a bit further than he had anticipated and those bombs fell cleanly between the wing and rear horizontal stabilizer of a ship beneath
them ... that particular B-17 carried the co-pilot he had trained with and that co-pilot had some choice words for Moy following the mission.
--- Because of deteriorating weather conditions, Moy and a couple other B-17s got seperated from the formation and because of low fuel concerns, he was forced to land (against RAF orders!) at a RAF fighter base ... in his words, "I wasn't going to get us killed on our very first mission, so I disregarded their orders and landed at the RAF base!"
