Can you imagine what he felt when he saw this video for the first time???
I can’t embed it, but go HERE to view…
It IS hard to believe, but then again who knows what is sitting in boxes in attics and basements even today…
Thankfully he was still alive to see the video, so many were lost either for unknown crashes over the water, or crashed on takeoff or landing…
That was an amazing story. Good-looking guy, too.
Great story, thanks for posting it!
*wow* That story can give you goosebumps….
Aircraft shot to pieces, you ditch over the open ocean, likely to be eaten by sharks because nobody knows you’re there and low and behold, there is a submarine to fish you out of the water. What are the odds? Gratitude and thanksgiving are mere words that can’t begin to address what you’d feel – what this gentleman felt. And to have it all captured on color film.
I had a friend with a similar story. He was on a dive bomber(tail gunner) that was shot down in Tokyo Bay. He and the pilot managed to get into a life raft and watched as boats from shore headed out to attack them. It’s mid-afternoon and luckily they had fighter cover that repeatedly drove the boats back. Late afternoon the fighters wagged their wings, letting them know they had to leave (low fuel). Darkness saved them until morning. It’s a long night with no hope for surviving after sunup. A dense fog gave then a brief reprieve. As the fog cleared a U.S. sub popped up beside them. They climbed aboard and the Captain explained that the crew wanted some target practice, so they shelled the boats on the beach for a few minutes, then the Captain said we’d better go, submerged and slipped out back thru the same sub fences they’d penetrated on the way end. They spent a week on the sub while it finished it’s patrol. Their flight suits were highly prized by the sub crew, and they were well clothed in return. This wonderful old gentlemen didn’t tell me this story until he’d known me for some time. One morning when I visited(he did some contract work for me) he said sit down, have a cup of coffee, I’m going to tell you a story!! He passed away a few years ago!
What was the name of the sub?
Amazing camera work by a presumed amateur, and an amazing story.
WoW……..just wow…….
Gave me chills to watch and hear his story. Powerful. They are nearly gone now.
That must have sent chills straight through his gut, to see a memory in living color on the screen. Stronger than a shot of whiskey, that – thanks!
Way cool. And @LL, those subs were assigned “lifeguard” positions for bombing raids and aircrews were given their designated locations and told to head for them if they had to ditch. Lot of inter-service cooperation and coordination back then.
Thank-You for posting this amazing story
Yesterday my son passed a review board and is a qualified Chief of the Boat.
We’re proud.
Years ago, I was visiting my sister-in-law and was building something for her.
I needed a tool and visited her neighbor to see if he had one I could borrow.
He came over to help me do the work.
Carl was a retired submariner.
He was already in, in ’41 and fought a few years in the Pacific after which they told him he’d had enough, They wanted him to teach at Groton.
I later introduced my son to Carl (Scott was already a submariner).
it takes a certain kind.
Good story, Thanks for the link.
All- Thank you for the comments.
Posted from my iPhone.
Amazing! On of my parent’s friends at Church was a bombardier on a B-29. He and my Dad disagree about some central things…I’m on his side. 😉