Selections From "A Collection of Eighty One War Stories"
About the book:
Many of these stories were originally published as "Sketches & Stories" by Ira Matthews. Ira wrote about 70 of these brief sketches about the 40th. These covered events from Puerto Rico to China. Ira hacked them out on his own typewriter and reproduced some sets of them in typewritten page format. Some years after his death, Fountain Brown undertook the task of editing the collection and getting it reproduced in quantity. In 1997, with the help of Bill Rooney, these stories were published as A Collection of EIGHTY-ONE WAR STORIES of Life in the 40th Bombardment Group during World War II.
Source is 40th Bomb Group Association
BACK ROW: Sgt. Ralph M. Smole (LG), Sgt. Delbert E. Glover (TG), Sgt. Sam P. Winborne (CFC), Sgt. Leo F. McBride (RG) T/Sgt. Fred Thompson (Radio), Lt. James L. Brennan (Radar)
FRONT ROW: F/O Louis L. Grace (FE), Lt. Herbert C. Herschfeld (N), Capt. Ira V. Matthews (A/C), Lt. Robert A. Winters (P), Lt. Charles E. Biehle (B)
About the Author:
Ira V. Matthews 1919 - 1990 Ira V. Matthews was born on August 30, 1919, in Townley, Alabama. He grew up on his grandparent's farm in Fayette, Alabama, and graduated from Fayette High School. In September 1939, Ira enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama, as a Private in the Aviation Cadet Program. He graduated from Advanced Flying School at Maxwell Field and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in September 1941. He was assigned to the 40th Bombardment Group, Caribbean Area, in October 1941, flying antisubmarine patrol missions in B-18 type aircraft. In June 1943, Ira returned to the States to begin transition training in Boeing's B-29 Superfortresses at Pratt, Kansas. He served an 11 month combat tour with the 40th Bombardment Group in the China-Burma-India Theater. He and his crew were assigned the "Eddie Allen", a B-29 named for a Boeing Test Pilot killed in early testing of the B-29. He returned to the States in March 1945. A career officer, he served 16 years in the Strategic Air Command while flying B-47 and B-52 bombers. During this time, he served a tour of duty in the Korean War. In 1959, he was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as the Wing Commander of the 4043rd Strategic Wing. Under his command, this unit won SAC bombing competitions. Leaving SAC, Ira served as Military Advisor to Laos in Southeast Asia. On his return to the States, he was assigned to Brookley Air Force Base, Mobile, Alabama, as Director of Maintenance until he retired in the grade of Colonel in 1967. During his military career, he received the Legend of Merit twice, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and numerous other medals. Following his retirement from the United States Air Force, Ira joined the staff of Mobile College (renamed University of Mobile) as Assistant to the President. He served as the Financial Aid Officer until his retirement in 1981. Ira was a member of the First Baptist Church where he was a Deacon and a past Sunday School Teacher. He was also a member and past President of the Mobile Lions Club.
Ira V. Matthews died on October 8, 1990.
Please select a story to read in its entirety:
The Rock Fraternity
THE ROCK FRATERNITY17 The 40th Bomb Group, U.S. Army Air Corps, circled the globe during World War II. The journey started at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, in 1941 where the group's aircrews flew B-18 type aircraft, and ended at March Field, California, in 1946 while they flew B-29 type aircraft. Station assignments along the way included Aruba, Antiqua, Curacao, Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala, Galapagos Islands, Kansas, China, India, and Tinian in the Mariana Islands.
The Galapagos Volcano
THE GALAPAGOS VOLCANO18 In the spring of 1943, a 5,000-foot high mountain peak on the south end of Island Isabela erupted into a raging volcano. Towering clouds of ash were tossed into the atmosphere. The huge cumulus cloud of ash that developed was visible 50 miles away on Baltra Island (The Rock) in the Galapagos.
Quarantined in Wells, Nevada
QUARANTINED IN WELLS, NEVADA27 In June 1943, the Union Pacific Railway Yard in Wells, Nevada, was the host for a 40th Bomb Group troop train for 36 hours. The unscheduled delay was caused by a train wreck east of Wells. Our train was shunted onto a siding bordered on one side by a sandy field, and on the other by a row of identical, one story, frame houses. Each house had a sign bearing a woman's first name on its roof.
Chug-a-Lug
CHUG-A-LUG28 A short time before Christmas 1943, a bomber aircrew flew a B-17 type aircraft from Pratt Army Air Field, Pratt, Kansas, to El Paso, Texas, and remained overnight. They took taxicabs across the border to a liquor store in Juarez, Mexico, where they bought a large supply of whiskey labeled Waterfill and Frazer.
A Very Brief Strike
A VERY BRIEF STRIKE29 A labor disagreement of short duration occurred on a frigid Sunday morning early in 1944 at Pratt Army Air Field, Pratt, Kansas. The 40th Bomb Group had new, Boeing B-29 type aircraft that needed many modifications to make them combat ready.
General Arnold is Waiting
GENERAL ARNOLD IS WAITING30 It was early February 1944. We were waiting for take off clearance from the airport control tower at Marietta, Georgia, to fly the first Bell Aircraft Company's B-29 to Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas. Unknown to us, General H.H. (Hap) Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Corps, was visiting the Air Training Command Headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Two Star Substitute
THE TWO STAR SUBSTITUTE31 In the fall of 1943, 40th Bomb Group personnel were learning how to fly and maintain their new B-29 type bombers at Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas. Most of an aircrew's time was spent in ground training classes since few YB-29s were on base. B-17 and B-26 type aircraft were also used for flight training.
Flight Test to Presque Isle
FLIGHT TEST TO PRESQUE ISLE32 Beginning in February 1944, the 40th Bomb Group began working furiously on their new B-29 aircraft to modify and upgrade them to combat ready status. Since hangar space was limited at Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas, much of the work was completed outdoors. The early spring weather can be best described as cruel. The most difficult task to be completed was the replacement of all four factory engines with combat model engines.
Luftwaffe Raid on Naples Bay
LUFTWAFFE RAID ON NAPLES BAY33 The determined aircrew of a Luftwaffe JU-88 bomber raided Naples Bay, Italy, on the night of March 15, 1944. The attack seriously affected the 40th Bomb Group that was preparing to leave Pratt, Kansas, for Chakulia, India. Once the group was in place at Chakulia, it would begin bombing operations against the Japanese empire.
The Ladies' Man
THE LADIES' MAN51 On June 15, 1944, the 40th Bomb Group launched a B-29 combat mission against the Imperial Iron and Steel Works, Yawata, Japan, from Hsinching Airfield in Western China. It was the first strike against the Japanese homeland since the Doolittle raid in April 1942. This historic Yawata mission attracted many distinguished visitors, Allied brass, photographers, and news reporters to our Chinese base.