“Riggers Guarantee”

“RIGGERS GUARANTEE” 

On Friday, Dec 31 1943, B-17G 42-31179 DS-B, “Stinky Weather” of the 351st Bomb Group, on only its second mission, leaves Polebrook, England at 7:59 a.m. as part of a 31 ship mission to hit an aircraft manufacturing plant near Bordeaux, France.  They are the low formation in the overall assemblage, and will be bombing from 17,300 feet.  They are carrying (12) 500 lb general purpose bombs, and 2500 gallons of gasoline.  The primary target is obscured by clouds, and they turn to their secondary target near Cognac, France.  They are 216 miles into SW France, are constantly being harassed by FW-190 and ME-109 fighters, and have encountered heavy and accurate flak, larger than 88mm.   Stinky Weather gets hit multiple times, begins losing altitude and falling behind, and just a few miles from the English Channel on the return trip, begins to burn and the crew must bail out.  The after mission reports listed over 52,000 rounds of 50 caliber ammunition expended by Stinky Weather’s group alone, and there are two other groups with them.

Wesley Greene, just 22 years old, of McDowell County NC, entering service in August of 1942, has completed the Army Air Corp 6-month radio operator course, and is Stinky Weather’s radio operator, in his compartment just behind the bomb bay.  His gun is a single .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a roof rack, firing through an opening in the top of his compartment.  His normal bailout exit is the bomb bay, accessible by a 20″ wide door at the front of his compartment.  When the aircraft begins to fail,  the battle damaged bomb bay doors won’t come down via their normal electric motors.  Wesley had to take off his bulky chest parachute, negotiate the 8″ wide catwalk across the bomb bay, then use a hand crank to get the doors open.  He returns along the catwalk above the now open bomb bay, gets his chute back on, and successfully leaves the aircraft along with four others.  Wesley would spend the rest of the war at Stalag 17-B in Northeastern Austria.   On this single mission, in total, 15 airmen are killed in action, 42 taken prisoner, and 10 manage to escape capture and return to England.

The B17 had many different types of radios, both HF and VHF, in addition to the navigation and IFF equipment.  In this drawing, I have depicted Wesley at his position. He has given a good account of himself judging from the spent casings, dud rounds, belt links and discarded ammo.  The gun itself is either stowed in the overhead compartment, or has been tossed over the side to lighten the dying aircraft.  Wesley  mentioned that at one point fighters were attacking from below, as bullets were coming up through the floor of his compartment.

On the desk  in front of him is his morse code key, and the BC-348 HF receiver, over the frequency range of 1.5 to 18 Mhz.  Just above the radio is the bailout bell and light, and to the radio’s right, a mission clock, and the ever present ashtray.  In a rack above the radio is the BC-456 modulator, part of the command radio system.     To the right of the narrow door, are the command radio transmitters on the top rack, and the command radio receivers on the lower rack. The other radios carried by the aircraft are SCR522 VHF AM radios on channel A, at 15 watts.  The BC348 on his desk is a voice or CW  HF receiver.   Below the command radios is a CO2 fire extinguisher, controls for the cabin heat, and an access hole in the plywood floor to refill deicing fluid.  In the top of the compartment are the control cables going from the cockpit to the rear control surfaces.  Near the left edge of the drawing are the various antenna connectors and cables for the other radios not shown.  Lying on the floor is Wesley’s flak vest and his helmet with the ear flaps.

Near his elbow is his oxygen control equipment, a file pocket for various manuals, and the window along with its rolled up cover.

Wesley would go on after the war to get his amateur radio license, WA4BRW, his nephew Lynn Greene’s current call sign.  On this mission, his group call sign is Ragweed Blue, and his squadron call sign is NHU / Thickfrost.  The aircraft is DS-B.  Can you imagine hearing the traffic: “Ragweed Blue Leader, this is Thickfrost Bravo.”. Now those are cool call signs!

The title RIGGERS GUARANTEE?  The troops that pack parachutes are called Riggers.  Their guarantee is that if your parachute fails to open, you can return it for a new one, no questions asked.  Wesley is about to test that guarantee.