19 We Fought Them Over the Channel

Pilot DeLong, Jack, another crewman

In the Air in Combat

A month after receiving its planes, the 363^rd finally saw its first mission, 24 February 1944. As part of “Operation Big Week,” Jack’s 380^th Squadron provided twelve of the forty-two P-51s sent up to patrol and protect bombers on their return from a bombing mission. They met their bombers at 25,000 feet over Brussels, where smoke from the drops could be seen up to 10,000 feet. Although flak was heavy and accurate over Belgium, the group had a successful first outing.[1]

Bombed Brussels

Jack remembered: The Germans were flying out of France, and our planes fought them over the Channel.[2]

With their new engines, planes from the 363rd's base at Rivenhall in
southern England flew to Brussels and even Berlin and back.[3]

In addition to escorting bombers to and from their targets in France, Germany, and the Low Countries, P-51s from the 363^rd attacked other strategic targets. They bombed airfields, bridges, trains, and railroad marshalling yards. Flying low they aimed their wing-born machine guns at vehicles, flak towers, and gun positions. They strafed troops on the ground.[4]

 

A railroad target

Lt. William M. Haynes with his kills and bomb drops
stenciled on his plane

Decades later Jack recalled that one of his pilots always came back from his missions with the paper covering his gun muzzles intact. He had not used them. One time the paper was burned away, and Jack excitedly asked him, “Did you get any?” He was ready to cheer on his pilot in their common effort to overcome the enemy. Jack’s voice choked with emotion when he spoke the pilot’s quiet reply, “No. I waited 'til they were in the trenches.”[5]

Germans in trenches along Germany's western front[6]

Jack: I’ll never forget the first mission we made, to fly top cover for the B-17s to Berlin, which was a historic thing. Our outfit was in it. On that morning they were sending the B-17s over our field, and as they gained altitude, some of them were going east, some of them were going west, some of them were going north, some of them were going south, and they were gaining their altitude, and after they got their altitude, you could see them take off, and they were on their way to Berlin. Big day.[7]

B-17 Flying Fortresses in formation[8]

At home in Santa Rosa, Alice read about the bombing in the local news, unaware of Jack’s involvement in the operation: “U. S. ‘Forts’ Hit Berlin First Time”

LONDON, March 4 (AP)—Berlin was bombed by American Flying Fortresses [B-17s] today for the fist time in the war as part of an extensive daylight attack on eastern Germany by the U. S. Eighth Air Force.

  Plunging 600 miles into the heart of the Reich, one formation of heavy bombers hit the capital itself . . . with the help of an escort of Mustangs which also went all the way to Berlin to equal the deepest fighter penetration ever made into Europe.

  The flyers reached their objective and tensed for the bomb run through heavy flak as the luftwaffe’s small but dangerous fighter force swept in to give battle. Fourteen bombers and 26 fighters are missing from the operations [and] nine enemy planes were destroyed by the fighters.

  The Fortresses thundered through blinding snowstorms and 58-degree-below-zero temperature in the substratosphere to make the first American attack on the capital. The once-mighty German air force sent up only 30 to 40 fighters in defense of the city.

  Flyers said they saw bombs crash down on “buildings surrounded by trees.” The American crews had been tense for days because of their knowledge that the “big B” was coming up. Most of them were apprehensive of powerful resistance as they were briefed in the predawn darkness. Some of them—including men making their first mission—didn’t expect to get back alive.

  The weather over Germany was almost unbearable. Flyers wearing two suits of heavy underwear and electrically heated outer suits nearly froze. As the clouds and snowstorms thickened over Europe, a majority of the big armada cut over to hit other unidentified targets in eastern Germany in order to take advantage of more favorable weather.^[9]

 

B-24 Liberators

Liberators dropping bombs

Jack evaluated the American losses: They made this first run to Berlin. When they came back we had planes down in France; we had planes down in the Channel; we had them in southern England; we had them in northern England. They were lost; they were all over the place. Some of them were crippled; some of them ran out of gas.[10]

A crippled P-51

The diary of the 363^rd Group echoes this somber evaluation. “March 4^th, Saturday, this day will go down in their history as the worst day the group was to encounter; in fact, the worst day for any combat fighter group during the entire ETO [European Theater of Operations] operation. Eleven (11) pilots of the 381^st and 382^nd failed to return and were classed as mission in action . . . They were never heard from again. The group’s 7^th mission started as a bomber penetration action . . . which was to take the group just short of Berlin, Germany. On take off and climb to its assigned altitude, the group entered an overcast, from which the [eleven] pilots and their planes . . . were never seen or heard from again.”^[11]

The missing pilots and planes were from the other two squadrons in Jack’s group. The 380^th Squadron would not be immune, though, given the nature of the operations, the inexperience of the young pilots, and the idiosyncrasies of the planes themselves. It was just a matter of time, wartime.

---

[1] Nick Marinelli, The History of the 363^rd Fighter Group, 380^th Fighter Squadron, 381^st Fighter Squadron, 382^nd Fighter Squadron, 9^th Air Force, ETO, IX Tactical Air Command, 70^th Fighter Wing until August 1, 1944, XIX Tactical Air Command, 100^th Fighter Wing until August 29, 1944, Reorganized as the 363^rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 160^th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 161^st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 162^nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron after September 4, 1944, and attached to the XXIX Tactical Air Command (South Lynn, Mich.: Nick Marinelli, 1992), 3-20. Also Kent D. Miller, Seven Months Over Europe: The 363^rd Fighter Group in World War Two (Hicksville, Ohio: The author, 1989), 4. Also, 380^th Fighter–160^th Tac. Rcn. Squadron History, February 1943–August 1945 ([unknown place]: [unknown publisher], printed by A. Roßbach, Eschwege, Germany [1945]), 13. Also, “Big Week,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Week : accessed 28 April 2018).

[2] Jack J. Kellar, interview about his first years after high school by Judy Kellar Fox, 12 April 1993; cassette tape recording and transcription held by the author.

[3] “Rivenhall-Brussels-Berlin,” map, Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rivenhall,+Witham,+UK/@50.6929155,-0.2325661,5.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d8e497733e7d39:0x843f6fb561437262!8m2!3d51.8263785!4d0.6525162 : created 25 April 2018).

[4] “363d Expeditionary Operations Group,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/363d_Expeditionary_Operations_Group : accessed 28 April 2018), 363d Fighter Group. Also, “North American P-51 Mustang variants,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_P-51_Mustang_variants#Dimensions,_performance_and_armament : accessed 26 April 2018), “P-51A/Mustang II (NA-99).”

[5] A story Jack related to his daughter Judy Kellar Fox, but not voice recorded, about 1993.

[6] Lohmeyer, “Westwall, im Bienwald, Laufgraben und Drahtverhau,” [Siegfried Line (Germany’s western fortifications), in the Bienwald (a large forested area in the western Palatinate), trenches and barbed wire], photograph, 12 March 1940, Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-2006-0187,_Westwall,_im_Bienwald,_Laufgraben_und_Drahtverhau.jpg : accessed 26 April 2018); Deutsche Bundesarchiv [German Federal Archive]; CC-by-SA 3.0.

[7] Jack J. Kellar, interview about his first years after high school by Judy Kellar Fox, 12 April 1993; cassette tape recording and transcription held by the author.

[8] “OVER GERMANY—B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 398th Bombardment Group fly a bombing run to Neumunster, Germany, on April 13, 1945,” photograph, U.S. Air Force (http://www.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2000591320/ : accessed 17 March 2018) > News > Photos > 040607-F-0000S-004.JPG. Official U.S. Air Force photo in the public domain. 

[9] “U. S. ‘Forts’ Hit Berlin First Time,” The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California), 05 March 1944, p. 1, col.. 4, and p. 3, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/265209703/ and -715 : accessed 28 March 2018).

[10] Jack J. Kellar, interview, 12 April 1993.

[11] Nick Marinelli, The History of the 363^rd Fighter Group, 3-24–3-25.

18 A Plane, a Pilot, and a Crew

Jack at a "Nissen" hut (British version of a quonset hut)

There he was in England, one in a million and a half Americans who were either stationed in England or moved through en route to Europe.[1] With thousands of others Jack had been trained to repair aircraft, to keep them flying, part of the U.S. role in the Allies’ response to the German invasion of Europe. After spending his first month in England at a former Royal Air Force (RAF) base, on 4 February 1944 Jack’s squadron joined its group at a new base east of London.[2] One of nearly five hundred airfields hastily built in Great Britain during the war, this one at Rivenhall lay on land that a few years earlier had been part of someone’s farm.[3]

Rivenhall air base[4]

A New Base

Jack’s photos illustrate the move described by his squadron history:

On February 5, 1944 the [380^th] entrained for the new base at Rivenhall, Essex. At 1000 the officers and enlisted men lined up on the road along Site 8 at Keevil and marched out to trucks waiting on the main highway. We boarded our train at Sean and arrived at Kalvedon, Essex about 1700. Again we boarded trucks waiting and by 1730 we were in our site at Rivenhall. The site was still under construction. No lights had as yet been installed and for the first few nights we had to do the best we could under the circumstances.[5] 

The convoy in preparation for departure

Jack's buddies on the truck

The convoy passes a Gypsy caravan.

Passing English homes and gardens en route

Planes at Last!

At Rivenhall we were issued our planes. Ours was the A9 P-51 Mustang airplane. I got a pilot by the name of First Lieutenant McCall.[6] He made captain later. He was a real nice fella, very nice fella. I got my plane, and there was lots of tech orders to read, and lots of things to check out on the plane. We learned a lot about P-51s in a hurry.  We had to because they were flying missions.[7]

Capt. Evan McCall and "Fool's Paradise III"

Jack's first plane with Sgt. Clare McGlynn, armorer; S/Sgt. Kellar,
crew chief; 1st Lt. Martin L. DeLong, pilot; Sgt. Thomas F. Hanley,
assistant crew chief

Pilot DeLong and crew chief Kellar
The crew's names, ranks and functions are
stenciled in front of the cockpit.

The A9 plane Jack refers to was the code for the P-51s of the 363^rd Fighter Group’s 380^th Fighter Squadron.[8] The P-51B was no longer using the Allison engine Jack had learned about in Indianapolis. The V-1650 Merlin (a Rolls-Royce engine manufactured in the U.S. by Packard) allowed the plane to perform better at higher altitudes.[9] Jack’s new plane came with the new engine, and both he and his pilot had to get up to speed quickly!

The P-51B in its original camouflage paint
A9 is code for 363rd Fighter Group, 380th Fighter Squadron.

A Crew to Work With

Jack describes his job as crew chief, the man in charge of all the work done on his plane:

A fella by the name of Leon Prince was my assistant crew chief. I had a radioman, but they weren’t necessarily assigned to one ship. They’d work on any ship that needed radio work. And I had an armorer by the name of Roeger who took care of the guns and so forth.  Most of the time. They would change off every once in a while, too. But not the mechanics. The crew chief and the assistant crew chief stayed right on one plane. Then we had fellas who took care of the propellers. Leonard Art took care of the propellers. There was certain technical things, so we had an instrument man. We crew chiefs took care of the biggest part of the plane, though.[10]

Sgt. Leon E. Prince, assistant crew chief

Cpl. Herbert H. Roeger, armorer

Tech Sergeant Richard "Leonard" Art,
propellor mechanic

Keenly aware of his responsibility to his plane and his pilot, Jack worked hard to be a reliable crew chief. His Squadron history describes the importance of the crew chiefs:

The crew chiefs and their helpers who repair and keep the planes in good operating shape work long and hard at making sure their pilot officers fly ships that are in the best shape human hands can put them in. This work has done more than anything to raise the morale and esprit de corps of the whole squadron than any other work that might have come along in the past. The boys on the line . . . realize that it is they who keep the ships in the air.[11]

Letters from Alice

When he wasn’t thinking about work, Jack’s mind was on Alice. He wrote her every day and lived to receive news from her. Sometimes letters came regularly, sometimes, especially when Jack’s unit moved, they took some time to catch up with him.

England, Feb 14, 1944, Valentines Day

Dearest Alice,

Gee today is valentines day and I sure feel swell as I recv’d your valentines card today and I sure do appreciate it. It sure is nice. Thanks so very much. I recv’d 11 letters from you dated from Jan 17 to 26 also one from my mother, one from papa, one from Dave [brother] & one from Betty [sister]. Gee it was sure swell getting so much mail but it is sure going to take a long while to answer it all. Oh honey I sure wish you could hear the things that are being said and done in our barracks here tonight. Some of the boys got busy and hooked up our lights and it is the first time we have had lights for over a week now and it seems to have made them all go a little off their head. They sure are a crazy bunch and we sure have a good time. My plane has been O.K so far. I sure hope it keeps it up. Winkler was on K.P. today so we have really been eating lots today Ha. Excuse my scribbling but the fellow who sleeps next to me is out in the middle of the floor in his long johns trying to do a dance. Maybe I should get out and show him how it is done.[12]

Gene "Red" Pelizzari and Jack
letting off steam

Horsing around mediated the anticipation of actual participation in the war, which was soon to come.

---

[1] “American Soldiers Arrive in Great Britain, January 26, 1942,” The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, See & Hear: Museum Blog, posted 26 January 2012 (http://www.nww2m.com/2012/01/january-26-1942-american-soldiers-arrive-in-great-britain/ : accessed 29 March 2018).

[2] Nick Marinelli, The History of the 363^rd Fighter Group, 380^th Fighter Squadron, 381^st Fighter Squadron, 382^nd Fighter Squadron, 9^th Air Force, ETO, IX Tactical Air Command, 70^th Fighter Wing until August 1, 1944, XIX Tactical Air Command, 100^th Fighter Wing until August 29, 1944, Reorganized as the 363^rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 160^th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 161^st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 162^nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron after September 4, 1944, and attached to the XXIX Tactical Air Command (South Lynn, Mich.: Nick Marinelli, 1992), 2-15.

[3] Bruce Stait, Rivenhall—The History of an Essex Airfield, 1984; digital reprint 2007, The Parish of St. Mary & All Saints, Rivenhall, Essex; digital images, Internet Archive Wayback Machine (http://www.rivenhall.org.uk/default.asp?pg=history+of+rivenhall+airfield+1 : accessed 11 April 2018). The 2007 reprint seems no longer to be available online. Much of the text is incorporated into an edited digital version: Bruce Stait, Rivenhall: The History of an Essex Airfield, ed. Andrew Stait (The Hill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, Amberly Publishing: 2013), no page numbers, “Building the Airfield”; preview, Google Books (https://books.google.com : accessed 20 April 2018).

[4] “Operational Command Post Buildings, RAF Rivenhall, England,” photograph, 1944, by U.S. Army Air Force, Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rivenhall-basecp-1944.jpg : accessed 20 April 2018); from Roger A. Freeman, UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now (1994); public domain.

[5] 380^th Fighter–160^th Tac. Rcn. Squadron History, February 1943–August 1945 ([unknown place]: [unknown publisher], printed by A. Roßbach, Eschwege, Germany [1945]), 11–12.

[6] If Jack’s identification of his pilot as First Lieutenant McCall is correct, he probably worked with him for only a short time. A photo of Jack with pilot First Lieutenant DeLong is annotated: “Jack’s first plane.” McCall was the company commander, a major early on, and his name, with the same vowels as DeLong, is also a composite word (with Mc and De), easily confused after fifty years.

[7] Jack J. Kellar, interview about his first years after high school by Judy Kellar Fox, 12 April 1993; cassette tape recording and transcription held by the author.

[8] “RAF Rivenhall,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Rivenhall : accessed 10 April 2018), History.

[9] “Packard V-1650 Merlin,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_V-1650_Merlin : accessed 28 February 2018).

[10] Jack J. Kellar, interview, 12 April 1993.

[11] 380^th Fighter–160^th Tac. Rcn. Squadron History, 14.

[12] Jack J. Kellar (England) to “Dearest Alice” [Alice Streeter Kellar] (Santa Rosa, California), letter 14 February 1944, excerpt.