**Version two from notebook kept during encampment in Switzerland **

Typed version from the Hand written copy by Harvey Downs. He did some editing on this.

How my wings were clipped on my last mission. Transcribed by Beth Downs Goble

I hardly know how to begin this short story of April 13, 1944 and yet it might as well be when they woke me up about 5 o’clock in the morning. I had had a good night’s sleep as I went to sleep at about noon on the day before as I was so tired and sleepy and didn’t have to fly that day but had for 6 days before that and I was tired. Well they woke me up at 5 o’clock and I was the only one from my particular barracks so got right up and left so I wouldn’t doze off to sleep again. Later they came and got a Bombardier from the barracks and he flew with me. It was a clear cold morning and looked like we would have a nice morning for take-off and not foggy. I climbed into the trucks and rode down to the mess hall for breakfast. I had about an hour to spare before briefing so took my time. Made several trips to the food counter and manage to get six fried eggs to eat. We’re only supposed to get two. Had several cups of coffee and talked with some of the other fellows. About 5 minutes before briefing I went out and climbed into the truck again and was taken to the briefing room. It was all so ordinary it mean much to me as I had been doing this many times as this was my last mission. I still didn’t know what the target was and didn’t care much but hoping it would be short and sweet but I wasn’t going to wait for a mission like that even if the last few had been pretty tough. As I walked into the outer corridor of the Briefing room I walked over to the board to see what plane I had for flying and what I had for a crew as only three of my original crew were left counting myself. I seen I had one of my own men and one of the other pilot’s crew that had finished a few days before so I knew I would have some men who knew the ropes and I wouldn’t have any trouble as far as they went. I also knew the plane I was to fly and particular liked that plane though lots of others didn’t who flown it. About this time I saw the co-pilot and navigator. Since the enlisted men were being briefed, I would meet them out at the plane. Time came for our briefing and I walked in to see what kind of a position I was to fly in the formation and hoping for the best. I had gotten a number 2 position in the low squadron to fly which was a pretty good position to fly as both pilots could fly it easily and we would have lots of protection over us in case fighter attack. I walked up to the front of the room and peeked behind the curtain to see where the target was. It was deep in Germany and I knew it would be a tough trip. After copying down what information I would need I listened to what the briefing officers had to say and the Group Leader. It didn’t seem very long till we were out of there and wasn’t much talking going on by anybody. It was still clear and cool so that was something to be thankful for. The sun was just coming over the horizon. As I went to get my flying clothes and parachute I felt kind of funny. As this was my last mission, I had good hopes of being able to get home for at least a month or so before coming back to fly again. After getting out to the plane and checking it over to see if everything was as I wanted it I went to the tent nearby to fill out some forms and talk with the ground mechanics about the plane. Also seen the crew and joke around with them for we were strangers as far as flying went but I knew them on the ground. It didn’t take me long to finish dressing when one of the boys said the Major was outside, ‘our squadron commander”, so I went outside to talk with him for a few minutes before starting time. He was a pretty good guy and had changed a lot since we first met him when we came to the squadron. After wishing me luck and saying I sure had some hard ones to finish up on he drove off and the crew and I got ready to start our engines.

Take off and assembly was easier than usual due to the good weather so it didn’t take us long to get together and get started on our way. I had a good co-pilot for the day so figured things wouldn’t be to bad as for flying. The crew tested their guns while we were over the channel and everything was OK so that was another thing I wouldn’t have to worry about. The Bombardier was getting his oxygen checks ok so everything was going quite smooth. Our squadron leader had us tucked in there good and tight. We run into our first flack in France but it was off to one right side and low. There were a few clouds in the sky but we managed to either go around or over them. On reaching our initial point the bomb bay doors were opened and the planes got into bombing formation and it was good and tight. Almost up to the target I could see the black puffs of smoke up ahead and so knew the flack guns were working and knew somebody was going to get hit as it was a nice clear day. Just about the time the bombs went away I could feel and hear the flack hitting the plane and prayed no body was hit. Flak hit number 3 engine and the co-pilot tried to feather it but no use it was gone. Number 4 supercharger was hit at the same time so I only had two engines at that altitude 25,000 ft. so I slowly dropped out of formation but was trailing them for a little protection and to miss any more flack area. All the time I was losing altitude and dropping further behind. The formation just seemed to run away from us. About this time, I switched back to interphone and heard that the right waist gunner had been hit pretty bad in the hip but was being taken care of as best as possible. No. 3 engine finally froze up and the propeller snapped free so there wasn’t quite so much drag. I was in contact with our own fighters and they said they would keep an eye on me but evidently, they were looking at someone else at the time for they went off and left us. At about this time I was down to 12,000 ft. The next instant I seen some black puffs appear alongside my left wing which I thought was flack but the next instant I realized it was 20-millimeter shells and knew we were under fighter attack and all alone for the formation had disappeared on ahead. I dove for the clouds that were handy and shook off the fighters but not before they put a few holes in the wings, fuselage, and engine #4. I stayed in the clouds for some time and decided to go to Switzerland since I had a badly wounded man on board and number 4 engine was throwing oil badly now and I would soon lose it. The navigator gave me a heading and since the clouds were all south of us I kept in them as much as possible. Was finally down to about 4,000 feet and ran into some pretty bad weather so had to stay out in the open. We crossed the Swiss boarder near the end of Lake Constance and we all breathed a sigh of relief. We had no more than done that then flak appeared off our left wing again but dodged it all OK. How it ever missed us I will never know as we were only 4,000 ft at the time and flying fairly straight. A fighter then appeared coming in on our left and everybody watched it with much apprehension until they seen the white cross on it. Our wheels were already down having been cranked down by the engineer. We fired flares and rocked our wings. The fighter went on ahead and we followed to the landing field. A safe landing was made though the rudder and trim tabcables were shot away. No. 4 engine was smoking badly and threatened to catch on fire. The wounded gunner was taken to the hospital in Zurich immediately where he is still at and getting along fine though he had a narrow escape. The plan was riddled from nose to tail with flak and 20-millimeter holes. The good LORD was sure with us or somebody else would have got hit. Everybody treated us fine at Dubendorf, the airfield where we landed. Now the question is when will I fly again. I needed a rest but have had it now. All of us are in a camp at Adelboden and treated us well as can be expected. All officers later transferred to Davos Platz.

May 18, 1944

Lt. Harvey R. Downs

Meredith W Travis