The author of this source is James Barry Chaster. James Barry Chaster enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1941 and served for most of the war as a bomber pilot. In 1943, James Barry Chaster was shot down in Holland. He was briefly imprisoned in Spain before being sent back to England. He spent the rest of the war back in Canada helping train other bomber pilots. In this testimony, he provides insight on his experiences during wartime making it a primary source as it is a firsthand account of his training, combat missions, being shot down and surviving enemy territories. This testimony can be valuable for both novice and expert audiences, but it can be particularly useful for experts in military aviation history. Novice people with basic knowledge …show more content…
He talks about everything from learning to fly to going on dangerous missions and being captured. He shares the excitement and dangers of flying, the strong bonds among his fellow crew members, and the difficulties they encountered during wartime, such as being shot down and navigating enemy territory. His story gives a sense of what it was like for a frontline airman during wartime. His conclusions revolve around exhilaration and difficulties of flying and the feeling of freedom experienced at lower altitudes with little danger. While still remaining a reliable source, this source does contain bias, including generalizations, opinions stated as facts and bias by omission. Firstly the quote, "went down to Bournemouth like everybody else did" (Chaster, 2022), is generalization as it implies that everyone went through the same experience without showing proof or recognizing potential differences in every individual's experiences, for example the people who did not go to Bournemouth. The quote, "You feel like you're flying if you fly low” (Chaster, 2022) is an example of stating opinions as
Officially credited with 80 air combat victories, 26 year old Manfred von Richthofen (“The Red Baron”) was not only Germany’s greatest Ace, but the greatest Ace of World War 2. Despite the fact that he was killed nearly 100 years ago on 21 April 1918, the question still remains: Who killed Manfred von Richthofen? While the kill was credited to be the work of Captain Roy Brown, a Canadian pilot, there are reasons to believe that the Baron was killed at the hands of a different soldier. Sergeant Cedric Popkin, of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company is the man who was most likely to have shot his plane down. Not only was Cedric within the range the bullet was shot from, but bullet trajectory and evidence from the official autopsy comes
Lengel, Edward G. “Spymaster in Chief”. Military History, Jun/July 2009, Vol. 78. 26 Issue 2, p. 26-35. Langguth, A. J. & Co., Ltd. Patriots.
December 1940, the Army Air Corps planned an experiment for black aviators in an all black fighter squadron. This group would be called the 332nd fighter group and would consist of four fighter squadrons, the 99th, 100th, 301st, 302nd. (4 A). The squadrons that made the most history would be the 99th and the 100th. The 99th was to be made of 33 to 35 pilots and 278 ground crew men, but those accusations came from another source when the real number of men in the 99th would be a total of 12 black cadets and 1 officer trainee. 3 squadrons usually make up a fighter group so the 99th was nicknamed the “lonely Eagles”. They would be flying PT-17s, then BT-13s, and later AT-6s, that would have better landing flaps, retractable landing gear, and 650-horse power engines (Mckissack). They would be the first fighter squadron of the 332nd to go into combat over North Africa. Being part of the 12th Air force, they would fly tactical missions over the Mediterranean theater (Haulman). Going over in ships, April 15, 1943, they would arrive in Morocco, May 1943, only to be told that the battle between the Germans and North Africans was basically over. They then tested out P-40L War Hawks, and Curtis’s, that were built to reach up to 350 mph, climb over 22,000 ft., and ferry over 1,000 miles. The planes would be put through flight drills and mock dog fights. The 27th, part of another group, trained with the men in Africa. The war was always back and forth so the...
...owing were discussed. The difficult path he faced to becoming a fighter pilot, his amazing victories and contributions during the war and recognizing the ordeal he faced by people who believe he falsely claimed that he was triumphant in the fight that won him the Victoria Cross. This indicates that after the conclusion of research there is confidence that Billy Bishop contributed considerably to the success of the Allied nations in both World Wars. However, the controversy of Billy Bishop is very opinionative and discussed among by any historians. There is inconclusive evidence that would prove if Billy Bishop had completed the mission or not. Therefore it was hard to do analysis on that section because every historian has their own answer. It is a shame however, that a controversy like this can damage an extraordinary career of Canada’s greatest ace, Billy Bishop.
Mr. Billy Bishop was an ace World War One pilot who was extremely devoted to being a pilot. Billy was a man who was loyal and courageous. The young, gentle, Canadian man was devoted to what he did, Bishop would practice flying and shooting all the time. “You’ve got to be good enough to get him in the first few bursts, so practice your shooting as much as you can. After patrols between patrols, on your day off. If I get a clear shot at a guy, he’s dead.” (Pg. 69) Billy was a role model for his devotion ...
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
“The vapors suck you in. You can’t tell where you are, or why you’re there, and the only certainty is overwhelming ambiguity. In war you lose your sense of the definite, hence your sense of truth itself, and therefore it’s safe to say that in a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true.” (Pg.88)
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
In the first article “The lonely Eagles” by Robert A. Rose, D.D.S. gave me a great insight to who these men really were. The U.S. Air Force Association honored all the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII at the 2008 Air and Space Conference. They gave out lifetime achievement awards to all who were there. Retired Airmen such as Colonel Charles McGhee, Lt. Colonel Walter McCreary and Colonel Elmer Jones were there to share the spotlight they deserved. They left a lasting legacy to aviators and support personnel. In his book "Lonely Eagles", Dr. Robert A. Rose tells there story of America’s black pilots in World War II. The book is a story of true patriotism, remarkable combat skills. The U.S. Air Force Association express their gratitude and the nation thanks to these heroes for their accomplished and duty's more than 60 ago.
“We sailed on in shock, glad to get out alive but grieving for the comrades we’d lost”
Bard, Mitchell G. The Complete Idiot's Guide to world War II, Macmillan Publishing, New York, New York, 1999
A quote from Bennett “Of all the countries in the world, we Americans have been the greatest destroyers of land of any race of people barbaric or civilized,” (Egan, 2006) makes your realize the self-inflicted destruction of the great planes. This book is not only about people who died but the ones who survived and lived on to tell their story directly to Egan.
Birdy, who is a new soldier, fears that he will end up dead during the war. He said,“Then I realized that it was the noise, the constant booming, that just filled my guts with a trembling sensation. I knew if I heard the boom I was safe because whatever had exploded hadn't hit me. But it was the idea that at any moment it could be all over, that I could be dead or lie in the sand twisting in agony, that filled me with a terror that I hadn't known before. Terror. It wasn't just being scared. It was a feeling that was taking me over. I knew it but I hoped no one else saw it,” (Myers 71). This description of Birdy's fear develops the idea that in Iraq, surviving emotionally during the war is important to be alive. Walter Dean Myers wants the reader
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.