WW11. Where did we find such men??
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CAF Gulf Coast Wing's B-17 Texas Raiders
4h ·
#OTD in 1943, a 29-year-old second lieutenant by the name of John C. Morgan earned a Medal of Honor for his actions as copilot of a B-17F on a bombing flight over Europe on his fifth combat mission for the US Army Air Forces. His citation reads:
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while participating on a bombing mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe, 28 July 1943.¹ Prior to reaching the German coast on the way to the target, the B17 airplane in which 2d Lt. Morgan was serving as copilot was attacked by a large force of enemy fighters, during which the oxygen system to the tail, waist, and radio gun positions was knocked out.
A frontal attack placed a cannon shell through the windshield, totally shattering it, and the pilot’s skull was split open by a .303 caliber shell, leaving him in a crazed condition. The pilot fell over the steering wheel, tightly clamping his arms around it. 2d Lt. Morgan at once grasped the controls from his side and, by sheer strength, pulled the airplane back into formation despite the frantic struggles of the semiconscious pilot. The interphone had been destroyed, rendering it impossible to call for help. At this time the top turret gunner fell to the floor and down through the hatch with his arm shot off at the shoulder and a gaping wound in his side.
The waist, tail, and radio gunners had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen and, hearing no fire from their guns, the copilot believed they had bailed out. The wounded pilot still offered desperate resistance in his crazed attempts to fly the airplane. There remained the prospect of flying to and over the target and back to a friendly base wholly unassisted. In the face of this desperate situation, 2d Lt. Officer Morgan made his decision to continue the flight and protect any members of the crew who might still be in the ship and for 2 hours he flew in formation with one hand at the controls and the other holding off the struggling pilot before the navigator entered the steering compartment and relieved the situation. The miraculous and heroic performance of 2d Lt. Morgan on this occasion resulted in the successful completion of a vital bombing mission and the safe return of his airplane and crew.”
How is it that a 29-year old, was a brand-new second lieutenant? Morgan's path to the USAAF was not a direct one.
Morgan had registered for Selective Service in October 1940, but was declared 4F because he had broken his neck in an oil field accident. Undaunted, he went to Canada and on 4 August 1941, enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving in RAF Bomber Command in England as a Flight Sergeant on 12 combat missions with the RAF. He was eventually transferred to the USAAF and assigned to the 326th Bombardment Squadron at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
Where did we find such men?
