Remembering January 27, 1943

            Usually early in each week, I know what the upcoming blog post will be. I had written hastily a possible post but remained unsatisfied with it. As I began dressing for my outdoor chores on Friday morning, I prayed, “Lord, guide in this week’s blog.”

Throughout the morning as I prepared my notes for our Sunday School lesson, I heard Mother’s television giving news stories on the commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Then as we ate lunch, we watched a gripping interview with some of the few survivors from the Nazi death camps who told of their unimaginable treatment. They now participate in events, attempting to make their horrific experience an unforgettable part of world history so that atrocious era will never be swept away from the world’s memory with the passing of time.

Dad photographed
 exactly two months
before the sortie flown
on January 27, 1943.

Then I glimpsed another “day-in-history” type story right before beginning my writing in the afternoon. I probably would have dismissed the online story until I saw “Eighth Air Force” and “Jan. 27, 1943.” I didn’t read the article but immediately pulled Dad’s World War II memoirs from the shelf and turned quickly to Chapter 3, entitled 1943. I found these paragraphs on pages 30-31.

Edmund’s first mission over Germany was to the northern city of Wilhemshaven on January 27, 1943.  In fact, this sortie was historically the first combat bombing mission over Germany for any bomb group.  Wilhemshaven was selected as the designated target since a Nazi naval base was located at this German coastal location.  This was the inaugural flight for Edmund’s crew over the North Sea.  Dreadful thoughts filled his head as he gazed at the choppy ice in the frigid water of the North Sea from his top turret position.  From takeoff to landing, this mission was logged as requiring five hours and thirty-five minutes.

     Edmund retained a clipping of the article relating to the historic mission taken from The Stars and Stripes on January 27, 1943.  Edmund wrote at the top of the article “53 fortresses.”  Only B-17F Flying Fortresses took part in this mission.  At this early stage of the air war, they were unescorted or unaccompanied by Allied fighter planes and yet had to combat the enemy fighters they met in the air.  At the time Wilhelmshaven was one of the most prominent naval bases in Germany.  It was located 380 miles east of London.  Its importance stemmed from its dry docks, sub pens, and shipyards.¹² 

      An article from the Ponca City News dated February 1, 1943, reported of Edmund’s squadron being credited with shooting down thirteen enemy planes.  In the same article, Roy Stegall, Edmund’s high school superintendent, was quoted as identifying Edmund as ‘an “A” student.’¹³ In retrospect, Edmund was not sure this was an accurate report of his school record from Burbank High School.*

                If Edmund Gates, Jr., my father, sat across from us today to discuss this day 80 years ago when the Eighth Air Force first flew a mission over Germany, he would credit Fred Rabo, his crew’s pilot and his dear friend. Dad would say, “The only protection we had was high altitude and close formation. Fred could fly the old bomber.” He would also remind how serious his crew remained when they were over enemy territory and until they could see the White Cliffs of Dover or the lighthouses that dotted the English coast.

                He would not end our conversation without declaring he went all the way through the war without being a Christian. Then he would say with a tear in his eye and a slight quiver in his voice, “But God was good to me to bring me home.”

                If we mentioned today was Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dad would comment, “We didn’t know how bad Hitler was treating the Jews. We would have fought even harder.”

                Considering Holocaust Remembrance Day, let’s reread Deuteronomy 7 where Moses discussed the chosen status of Jewish people. Verse six states, For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

                God chose the Jewish people to reveal Himself, His commandments, the holy scriptures, and ultimately, His Son, Jesus. What a gracious God to show His lovingkindness to Dad who served his country and fought a tyrannical, evil regime that led  ultimately to the Jewish people's return to their own land! Yet through the Jewish nation, the Savior had come and on December 11, 1945, Jesus gave grace, forgiveness, and salvation to Dad upon his return home. How graciously God protected him every moment of the 25 missions he had flown!**

This was taken early in their missions as a crew. I was told these were
purposely taken soon after they reached the shores of England. They
had only flown two missions before this photograph. Less than two
weeks after the crew flew the sortie on January 27, 1943, Charles
 Peterson was killed when he was asked to fly with another crew. 

*These paragraphs were lifted from Okie Over Europe published in 2015 by Dad's nephew, Daniel Edmund Newland. I am indebted to Danny for doing this for Dad.

**Charles Harris, an aviation historian, told me for the first half of Dad’s missions the survival ratio was only one in three crewmen.