Oral History Interview with Robert Gayle, December 10, 2004 transcript

Oral History Interview with Robert Gayle, December 10, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert H. Gayle. Gayle joined the Army in 1943 and had basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Not wishing to be a tanker, Gayle applied for the Army Air Force and was accepted. He trained as gunner and was assigned to a B-17 crew. He was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group in the 15th Air Force at Foggia, Italy in September, 1944. He describes some of his early missions where the crew had to ditch in the Adriatic and were rescued; a mid-air collision in which he was involved; being shot up by antiaircraft fire and having to bail out over Austria. After parachuting into a snowfield, Gayle was captured by Hungarian troops and made a prisoner of war in February, 1945. The Hungarians turned him over to the Germans in Vienna. The Germans eventually moved him to Moosberg. He was liberated by elements of Patton's Third Army in late April. Upon being transported back to France, General Eisenhower visited the former POWs. He returned home and was reunited with family.
Date: December 10, 2004
Creator: Gayle, Robert H.
Object Type: Sound
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Orland Boone, December 10, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Orland Boone, December 10, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Orland Boone. Boone enlisted in the Army Air Forces in December of 1942. He traveled to South America, to Guyana and Brazil. He flew in B-17s, serving as engineer gunner. In South America Boone worked in the weather office and the operations office. He flew practice missions 6 hours per day. In March of 1944 he was then sent to Europe in the 8th Air Force, 486th Bomb Group, 835th Bomb Squadron, flying in the B-17 lower ball turret, completing 27 missions over the continent. They operated chiefly against strategic objectives in Germany until May of 1945. They bombed railroad bridges in France in preparation of the invasion of Normandy. He was discharged in December of 1945.
Date: December 10, 2004
Creator: Boone, Orland
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Robert Gayle, December 10, 2004 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Robert Gayle, December 10, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert H. Gayle. Gayle joined the Army in 1943 and had basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Not wishing to be a tanker, Gayle applied for the Army Air Force and was accepted. He trained as gunner and was assigned to a B-17 crew. He was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group in the 15th Air Force at Foggia, Italy in September, 1944. He describes some of his early missions where the crew had to ditch in the Adriatic and were rescued; a mid-air collision in which he was involved; being shot up by antiaircraft fire and having to bail out over Austria. After parachuting into a snowfield, Gayle was captured by Hungarian troops and made a prisoner of war in February, 1945. The Hungarians turned him over to the Germans in Vienna. The Germans eventually moved him to Moosberg. He was liberated by elements of Patton's Third Army in late April. Upon being transported back to France, General Eisenhower visited the former POWs. He returned home and was reunited with family.
Date: December 10, 2004
Creator: Gayle, Robert H.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History