24 On Pass to London

Jack at Buckingham Palace

London survived the Blitz of 1940 with heavy destruction and casualties. From January to May 1944, while Jack was stationed in southern England, the Luftwaffe unleashed another bombing campaign against London. Dubbed the Baby Blitz or Operation Steinbock, this operation retaliated against Allied bombing of Berlin and German industrial targets.[1]

Jack’s bases were close enough to London to be inadvertent or intentional targets. In January 1944 the squadron historian wrote, “Most of the personnel have been witnesses to the German’s bombing of the city of London. This has been going on almost every night for a couple of weeks. With the sound of the warning siren, the men would grab their helmets and gas masks and run for cover of the bomb shelters, which were in the area of the barracks.”[3]

Three Junkers-88s, Germany's mainstay bomber in 1944 [2]

They knew the drill, so when on pass in London, they knew what to do. Jack wrote to Alice: Yes honey there was a lot of excitement in London when I was there on pass but don’t ever worry as I was plenty safe but don’t think I wasn’t scared because I was Ha.[4]

Winkler at Buckingham Palace

 

Westminster Abbey

Jack described one of his London trips to Alice:

Dearest Alice,

Last night Wink & I had a 24 hour pass so we went to London & just got back. It was too late to go to shows last night and today we went to church at Westminster Abbey in London. It sure was a swell service and the abbey is so large. When you go in it, it feels as if you are in a large cave. As many churches as we have been in, in the states, none can compare in size to the abbey. When the minister spoke his voice just echoed. They have a very large pipe organ which just makes the church shake when they play. (or at least it feels like it is shaking) Ha They have a nice choir and most of the choir is made up of young boys with high voices. It sure was most interesting to go to a service there.

G.I.s at Piccadilly Circus

American Red Cross, London

I guess I told you that one time before in London when I took a lot of pictures the lens came out of my camera and spoiled nearly a whole roll of film that I had taken of sights in London. Well today I had a good chance to retake most of them and I did. Before church we took pictures of the abbey, the houses of Parliment [sic], Westminster bridge, Big Benn (a large clock on top of one of the houses of parliment). Then we went to church and then had dinner and then went out to Buckingham Palace & took several pictures there. From there we walked thru St. James park & took quite a few pictures of people feeding birds etc. In the park there are many beautiful tulip beds and iris beds & quite a few Hawthorne trees. They are all in bloom & very pretty. Then we went to Hyde park & looked around and then got a train home. We had a swell time.[5]

 

Jack and Winkler at St. James Park

Jack’s next older brother Herald enlisted in the Army Air Corps a short time before Jack, and he, too, was stationed in England. The boys left behind their parents, older brother Dave, and younger sister Betty. Jack was good at writing home, but Herald not so much. Jack wrote to Herald, too, and tried to make plans to meet in England. They would have to coordinate their passes.

A gift from London for Alice, and Betty received one, too.

 Meanwhile Betty and her then boyfriend Henry Mayfohrt were dating and happened to go to a movie. The theater played newsreels before the main feature so moviegoers could see what was going on in the world. By chance she saw on the newsreel her brothers Jack and Herald playing pool in England! She was so excited she wanted to skip the movie and run home to tell her family.[6]

Brothers Jack and Herald

Technical Sergeant Herald C. Kellar

 

Herald and Jack

Jack, Herald, and friends

Jack and his buddies visited London several times during the winter and spring of 1944. German bombing was unpredictable, but they knew how to deal with it. One night they met an unexpected threat, and they were not prepared.

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[1] “Operation Steinbock,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Steinbock : accessed 1 June 2018).

[2] “3 Junkers Ju-88A-4 bombers,” Emmanuel Gustin, “The Junkers Ju-88,” uboat.net (https://uboat.net/technical/ju88.htm : accessed 1 June 2018), photo illustration.

[3] 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), 2-14.

[4] Jack J. Kellar (England), to “Dearest Alice” [Alice Streeter Kellar], “April Fool’s Day” [1 April 1944], lightly edited excerpt.

[5] Jack J. Kellar to “Dearest Alice,” 21 May 1944, lightly edited excerpt.

[6] Betty (Kellar) Lowdermilk (Goleta, California) interview with Judy Kellar Fox 9 November 2012.