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205927S/Sgt Raymond Ezra Duncan
United States Army Air Force 836th Squadron 487th Bomb Group
from:Sentinel, Ok, USA
I was assigned to the 487th Bomb Group 836th Squadron from inception to termination. I served in England on Station 137 for 15 months. I volunteered to be bar tender for the 836th Sqdn party on return of Col Bernie Lay's return after the bomb mission which his aircraft was shot down in France.I was also present at the Boarding of Trebble Four aircraft by Brigadier General Bernard Castle on 24 December 1944 which ended in fate for General Castle & possibly one other crew member.
For 65 years I was not aware of the outcome of this flight until it was discovered on the internet. I was Crew Chief on Heavenly Body which has been reported in a narrative on the internet that it crashed but I have to say I flew back to the USA in July 1945 in it after being allerted 19 times for takeoff.
I prepared a swing seat between the pilot & Co-pilot as the pilot was concerned about one spark plug malfunction. I assured him that it was OK. We flew from station 137 to Wales-overnight on to Rejykavick, Iceland-overnight, on to Labrador-overnight & on to Bangor, Maine without incident.
I built a hut by the aircraft hardstand out of B-24 Bomb bay cargo racks & lived in it several months.
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