Flight Training in B-17
Now we were given a nice furlough. It was about time. Almost a year had elapsed and home was a welcome sight. Sleep in a little in the morning, good home cooking, and relaxing. It was nice being with family for 15 days but my orders were to report to Holloman Air Force Base at Alamagordo, New Mexico for further flight training. It was here that I met the crew I would be with for the duration. Robert Warren Hain, (called Pappy, although only 26 years old) a seasoned B-17 pilot with fifty missions over Germany, Navigator Dean Coleman, Pappy's navigator on their missions over Germany. Paul Ceman, co-pilot, Bombardier Dominic E. (Moe) Martelli, Flight Engineer, Clarence E. Dawson, Radio Operator Paul (Ange) Angelo, Left waist gunner, Edward Marchalonis, Right waist gunner Raleigh Marr, Tail gunner Thomas Marshall, and me Sperry Ball gunner. We were all new to each other except Pappy our pilot and Dean who flew together in Europe. We all felt good about having these two seasoned crew members in vital positions in the aircraft. They proved to be a great stabilizing influence later on in combat.
While here we did have more leisure time, we had week ends free and we only flew three or four time a week. Ground school and familiarization with the aircraft and other duties took time also. White Sands missile range is next to Holloman Air Force Base and it is very hot and dry there. Sometimes because of the heat we didn't fly for several days, and flying was important to us because we were now receiving flight pay over and above our regular pay. If you didn't get the required hours in you could lose your flight pay for the month. Once when we had a long free week end coming up and I liked to fly any time I could, I flew to Chicago on what was supposed to be a navigational training flight, (A liquor run to purchase liquor for the officers club). We landed in Chicago and discovered we had a fuel cell leaking. We were told it would take about three days to replace it, so we were free to go where ever we liked but be sure to keep checking on the status of the repair and above all to be back when the aircraft was ready to take off. We were on the military side of the airport and there was a C-45 being fueled and I asked the pilot where they were headed, he said Aberdeen Proving Grounds Maryland. I asked him if he wanted a passenger, He said if you have a parachute climb aboard. I did. We landed at Aberdeen and one of them gave me a ride into Baltimore where I took a bus to Camden Station where I could board the B&A electric train for Ferndale and home. No one knew I was coming and this would be a surprise to all. I arrived in Camden Station in a flight suit and carrying a parachute over my shoulder. I had no travel orders and really looked out of place, but it didn't matter I was going to spend a couple of days at home with the family. I suddenly noticed a couple of MPs watching me and talking softly to themselves. I tried not to notice them hoping they would go away when they turned and walked straight toward me. I suddenly realized I could be in big trouble, theses guys could haul me in and I would never be able to explain this. They were very polite, they asked me if I was in the Army or something, they had never seen anything quite like this in the train station before. I told them I was in the Army Air Corps and that I just landed here briefly and was on my way home to spend the night and would be flying out the next day. They asked me what kind of uniform was this I was wearing, I told them I had a regular uniform at home and would change when I got there. They said, "we don't know what to do with you so would I please stay out of sight as much as possible and get on the next train out of here." I obliged and spent the next day with the family. I called regularly to check on the status of the aircraft back in Chicago. I finally decided I better head back so I got a commercial flight on a DC-3 back to Chicago. I had a little trouble at first, they didn't want to let me on the flight carrying a parachute, bad for business and all that, so we put the parachute in the baggage area. When we landed at Chicago I felt relieved to see the B-17 still sitting there. I got a taxi to the military side of the field, but found no one around the aircraft. It was still early morning and I decided that everybody was probably still in the sack somewhere. I went in the cafeteria to get some breakfast and met one of the ground crew who told me that they flew a fuel cell up the next day with a repair crew and flew everybody else back right away. He wanted to know where I was, they were trying to find me and finally left without me. I went on in to get some breakfast and found they were just opening. A man behind the counter invited me to come on in and he would fix me some breakfast. The place was empty, I took the breakfast tray and sat down to eat. I not much more than got started when along came a Major and asked if he could join me. As we had breakfast together he asked if I was part of that 17 crew sitting on the line. I proceeded to tell him the whole story of how I got a hop on a C-45 and spent a few days at home only to get back here and find everybody had gone back on the plane that brought the fuel cell and repair crew. I told him I would probably get hit with AWOL when I get back. He asked me what group I was with and when I told him the squadron I was with he said he was here to fly the 17 back and that he would be reporting as my new squadron commander. Great, I just shot myself in the foot. He laughed and said not to worry he would cover for me, he said something like he liked guys that are willing to take a chance. We became good friends and he became the kind of guy men liked and would willingly serve under.
We got back only to find all the rest of the squadron gone. They were transported to Fairmont Air Force Base near Lincoln Nebraska. We packed all our gear in the B-17 and flew to meet them. Nothing was ever said about my late arrival, it was as though it never happened.
To continue reading about Auts' military career, click B-29 School here, or in the frame on the left.