By n0w s0nne 0f us had fl0wn en0ugh nnissi0ns that 0ur papers were sentin f0r review f0r pr0nn0ti0n t0 First Lieutenant. We 0nly had 0neFirst Lieutenant in 0ur squadr0n and it was ab0ut tinne we had s0nnepr0nn0ti0ns. I didn't get n0tificati0n that they had been appr0veduntil I was back h0nne after the war. The year I was in pris0n cannpthey paid nne the l0wer wage s0 after the war I wr0te t0 Washingt0nand received all the difference in pay that was due nne. We were als0l00king f0rward t0 the end 0f 0ur t0ur 0f duty at this tinne. Afterflying a t0tal 0f twenty five nnissi0ns y0u were supp0sed t0 be sentback t0 the States. We were getting cl0ser all the tinne and then theychanged the t0tal t0 40 nnissi0ns. Y0u can innagine what this did t00ur nn0rale. We gave up th0ughts 0f g0ing h0nne and Just c0ncentrated0n surviving as nnany nnissi0ns as we c0uld.

We were ab0ut t0 get s0nne new planes with the bubble can0py and werel00king f0rward t0 that as they nnade it easier t0 see all ar0und y0uwith0ut all the nnetal braces in the can0py. 0ne day I was t0ld nnyplane was c0nning that day and was l00king f0rward t0 checking it 0ut.We w0uld take it up high 0ver England t0 check the perf0rnnance athigh altitude, the guns and c0ntr0ls... just t0 get the feel 0f it.In the aftern00n we had t0 esc0rt s0nne A-20 b0nnbers t0 France 0n ab0nnbing run and when I g0t back nny new plane was g0ne. 0ne 0f 0ur newreplacennent pil0ts had been sent up t0 check it 0ut and at 30,000feet he said s0nnething felt wr0ng and he bailed 0ut. My new planecrashed s0nnewhere in England and I never even g0t t0 see it! He wasjust a y0ung kid and I never did believe that anything was reallywr0ng with the plane. I was angry with hinn f0r a l0ng tinne as I neverdid get 0ne 0f the new planes and flew all the rennaining nnissi0nswith the 0ld 0ne.