Sister Sue bailout
B29 Aircraft, 42-6342
Ernest Turner A/C
Bill Johnson, Co Pilot
Robert Mullin, Navigator
Tom Sample, Bombardier
Clark Rauth, Flight Engineer
Elwyn
“Pop”
Walter McCarthy, Radar
Paul Evans, Tail Gunner
Calvin Brown, CFC
Ted Urban, Left Gunner
Earl Rogers, Right Gunner
The following report written
by Calvin Brown, December 2002
The 40th.
Bomb Group was assigned a mission to bomb targets on the
We
took off fully loaded with Bombs and ammunition. We were about a half-hour out
when no. 4 engine caught fire. The flight engineer activated the fire
suppressant system and put the fire out. We turned back to base to abort the
mission. The other planes in the Group were still taking off and the tower
asked that we make a swing to allow the rest of the planes to get airborne. The
circle we made was about 20 miles or so. We were about 20 miles from base when
no. 4 started to burn again. The fire suppressant system was used up and we
could not put the fire out. Our altitude was about 600 0r 700 feet. I never did
hear the order to bail out but I got into my chute and everyone in the gunnery compartment
was gone. I went to the rear hatch and McCarthy sat in the hatch with his chute
on. I helped him out with my boot. I sat in the hatch and watched the engine
burn. Eventually the wing burned off from the engine out and went sailing away.
The plane rolled to the right and I jumped. Being at such a low altitude, I
pulled the ripcord as soon as I left the hatch. My chute opened in the
slipstream and the way the harness was connected to the shroud lines, it hit me
in the back of the head and I was out. Just as I hit the ground I came to and
went out again.
When I came to this time, there were about 8
or 10 Chinamen standing around me, laughing and giggling and pointing at me
with no effort to help. After I regained my senses I gathered my chute and started
down a trail and ran into Tom Sample and Capt.Turner.
The plane was down just over the hill from where we were. The ammunition was
cooking of from the fire. Capt. Turner told us that “Pop” and Rauth went down with the plane. They helped everyone else out
and they didn`t have their chutes on. Capt Turner had
a broken Jaw because
his chute just cracked and he hit the ground. “Pop had gotten off a mayday
message so our base knew we were down.
In about an hour 4 jeeps came to pick us up.
Our Chaplin, Father Adler was in one of the jeeps. We stayed in
The following report written
by Ted Urban,
When A/CTurner decided to
abort the mission after the initial #4 engine fire, he was concerned about
other B-29's flying behind us as we still were on instruments in
overcast. When he turned around and headed back to the airfield and
before the fatal fire, he gave the order to salvo the bombs.
The bomb bay doors were opened and the bombs were
released. Visual verification that the bombs were away showed that
two shackles malfunctioned resulting in two 500 lb bombs dangling in the bomb
bay each held by only one of two shackle hooks. The fused end of the bombs were facing downward and arming wires were
withdrawn allowing the arming process to proceed.
A/C Turner
ordered me to go into the bomb bay and mechanically release the
bombs. He emphasized to take my parachute. I was already
in full emergency gear with parachute on and emergency tool kit strapped to my
belt..
As I approached the entrance to the bomb bay, I saw
flames shooting by the right gunner's blister. The right gunner
yelled "plane on fire, bail out". I stepped into the bomb bay and
knowing the doors were open, jumped, counted a quick 10 count and pulled the
rip cord. After one or two swings with the open parachute, I landed
in a dry field with the only injury being a cut tongue. S/SGT James G. Glessner, the right gunner who substituted for an ill S/SGt Earl Rogers, landed nearby.
We got together and he borrowed my 45 weapon
proceeding to fire a few rounds into the air to alert other crew members where
we were. After a few shots, I told him to cease firing as we may
need the ammunition in case we meet some Japanese sympathizers who were known
to be around the A-1 airfield.
Shortly after, we were picked up and returned
to base.