Flak and Seat Protectors for WWII by Uncle Bob

(verso: Me again, 6-1-43, R2)

The data on the blog brings back certain memories that Ralph told me. He had a metal plate and put it under his seat. There was great fear that flak would hit under the plane and hit the pilot in a vital area. His plane was borrowed on a mission and the pilot returned with many thanks and an indented metal plate that saved his life and a happy marriage.

(15th Air Force B17s over Zwolfaking A/D. Vienna. July 1944)

The crew had the same idea and had metal plates placed on the side of the plane for the side tail gunners, one for the belly gunner and for the tail gunner. Ralph was unaware of the plates.

When a loaded plane is about to take off with a bomb load the pilot has to figure out the trim of the load - it is done with something that looks like a slide ruler - calculates the fuel and bomb load and makes adjustments for take off - I guess trim the tabs on the wings - etc. Ralph made the adjustments not knowing the added weights - he had trouble getting off and used all of the run way with extra power and a prayer.

After that - the extra weight was removed - I do not know if he kept the seat - I would have - maybe a thinner metal.

There was another story on the plates. The tail gunner always carried one of his baby's shoes for good luck. He built himself plates all around him in the tail and also had it arranged that when he was in the tail he would pull a plate behind him so he was fully boxed in. On a mission a bullet was shot in one of the open corners - bounced around and went out another corner. It also shot through the baby shoe. Incidentally accorded to Ralph the tail gunner was Shelly Winters first husband !!

And that's the rest of the story - From the guru on the mountain UB

R3:Mack P. Mayer, Dittus, Davitt, Lund,
R2: Joseph C. Vowels, Thomas C. Monroe, Finnigan,
R1: Walter C. Keegan, Dawkins, Setzer

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"'Flak' stands for Flieger Abwehr Kanonen: no word was more dreaded among Allied bomber crews than this during the air war between 1939–45."
Flieger= Aircraft
Abwehr=defense/interception/repulsion
Kanonen=cannon/flexible or movable gun