Three Crawford Brothers: The WW II Memoirs of Three Pilots Three Crawford Brothers The WW II Memoirs of Three Pilots, Raymond, George and Fred By Raymond Shelton Crawford, Jr. George Wolf Crawford Fred Roberts Crawford AuthorHouse Copyright © 2008 Raymond, George, and Fred Crawford All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4389-0457-3 Contents Prologue and Acknowledgements......................................................................iContents...........................................................................................iii1 From Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, to Aviation Cadet, November, 1942..........................12 Fred and George at Santa Ana, Raymond Visits His Brothers.......................................253 George and Fred at Santa Ana for Pre-Flight, Raymond at Minter..................................434 The Three Brothers' Reunion, Christmas, 1942....................................................535 Fred and George in Pre-Flight, Raymond at Minter, January, 1943.................................616 George at Santa Ana, Fred at Oxnard, Raymond at Chanute. Feb. 1943..............................687 George Joins Fred at Oxnard, Raymond Helps, Fred Graduates Primary..............................778 Raymond Flies B-17s, Fred at Advanced, George Completes Basic...................................869 George From Taft to the Woods of Sequoia National Park. July, 1943..............................9610 Fred Wins His Wings, George Wins His Wings, Raymond Flies B-17s.................................10411 George joins B-24 Crew, Raymond Flies to China, Fred Flies Fighters.............................11512 Fred at Thomasville. George and Bill are Members of the Morel Crew..............................13113 Raymond in China, Fred's Voyage Overseas, George in New York....................................14714 Fred in Africa, Raymond Missing in Action, George Flies to Italy................................16415 The Morel Crew in Italy, Fred in Algeria, Raymond in China......................................19416 George Bombs Europe, Raymond Bombs Ships, Fred and the Spitfire.................................22517 Raymond Bombs Japanese Forces, George Bombs Steyr, Fred in Spitfires............................25618 Raymond Bombs Chengtu, George Bombs Brasov, Fred Tames Mustang..................................28719 Fred's 15th AF Missions, George Bombs Brasov again, Raymond tours India.........................31720 George Earns DFC, Fred Over Ploesti, Raymond Flies Hump. May 16-22..............................34021 George on Capri, Fred's Crash, Raymond Bombs Lashio. May 23-31..................................35322 George on Two Engines, Fred Visits George, Raymond Bombs Canton.................................37623 Fred Goes Down in Flames, George Shoots Down a Me-110. June 16..................................41124 Fred in Budapest Prison, George Learns Fred MIA. June 17-23, 1944...............................42425 George Bombs Ploesti, Fred in Prison, Raymond in China. June 24-30..............................43826 Fred a German POW, George and Vescues, Raymond in China. July 1-5...............................45427 Fred in Stalag Luft III, George Bombs Ploesti, Raymond in China. July 6-15......................47128 George in Cairo, Fred in Luft III, Raymond Destroys Changsa. July 16-21.........................48829 Fred Joins the Choir, George Alone and Out of Formation. July 22-31.............................50730 George's 50th Mission, Raymond Bombs Yochow, Fred a POW. August 1-10............................52131 George's Trip Home, Fred a POW, Raymond in China. Aug. 11-Sept. 8, 944..........................53732 George Courts Jeannette, Fred in Luft III, Raymond Evacuates Luichow............................54933 Fred Receives Mail, Raymond's Trip Home, George Assigned Smyrna.................................57134 Fred on POW Death March, Raymond Sells War Bonds, George at Smyrna..............................58435 Fred's POW Days End, Raymond in Houston, George at Smyrna. April 1945...........................59736 Fred Visits Dachau, Raymond at Ellington, George at Smyrna May and June.........................60937 The Warriors Come Home, July through December, 1945.............................................62938 Epilogue........................................................................................643 Chapter One From Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, to Aviation Cadet, November, 1942. December 7, 1941: On such a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I couldn't ignore the sounds of younger brother Fred and friends playing football in front of our house. Why did Dr. Guthrie schedule the Physics test for Monday? I wanted to play. I tried to settle down to study. But the memory of a past Sunday afternoon was too vivid. No homework that day, I had played in a competitive four who followed coach's rules after each score. On that past Sunday, the Crawford family was just fi