North American B-25 Mitchell

I was in the 76th FIS flying F-89s at Presque Isle. (56-57) I managed a flight or 2 in the B-25. What a beast! I felt like I was on my front porch trying to fly my house.

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Mar. 12, 1945 Harry and I were out looking for a way ward milk cow. Our job was to pasture the cows and get them ready for milking. yesterday elements of the 41st. Div. invaded Zamboanga city on the mainland of Mindanao, Philippines. We were on Basilan Island 10 miles south of Zamboanga. The cow seemed to be heading towards my Fathers sawmill 1 mile south from where we were. we were walking along foot paths on each side of the the Provincial road as it was paved with crushed rocks and we were bare footed as our shoes had long ago wore out. All of a sudden the road exploded with a horrendous noise with rock splinters flying all over the place. Harry dove to the right and I jumped to the left. As I was airborne I saw the tell tale twin rudders of the B-25. We have been watching 2 B-25s and 2 PT boats obliterate the town of Isabela. We had just been strafed by 2 B-25s luckily we were not hurt.
In 1954 My wife and I with our 2 children immigrated to the United States. I hired into North American Aviation in 1956. When asked by my fellow employees why I hired in to NAA . Told them the storey of the strafing that while I was airborne I swore I would get even. so now I am working for NAA.
Through the years I researched the Libraries and later the internet to identify the unit it was the MAG.61 PBJ Marine Bombers specifically the VMB-611 Lt. Col. George A Sarles commanding and was stationd Moret field Zamboanga.
I communicated with Jim Collins a member of the unit until 1994, Jim stopped answering my e-mails and we lost touch.
Via con Dios Jim.

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To remember those B25J Mitchell Bombers and flight crew's airmen that have gave their lives for freedum. I will build a B25J Mitchell of approx 16lbs and to be a RC flying devise system. Will build that fully scale replica project of a (Special hystorycal squadron) for to be presented to elementary school students class on hystorical presentation and to be never forgot ...

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With the Marine Corps flew as top turret gunner in the D and J models in mopping up and heckler raids in the Northern Solomons. Primarily against Rabaul on New Britain, Kavieng on New Ireland and low level tree top bombing and strafing on Bougainville 1944-1945

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My dad worked for North American in Kansas City, Kansas where B-25's were built. He installed and checked out the radio equipment in them. He was one of many who contributed to the war effort.

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My dad worked for North American in Kansas City, Kansas where B-25's were built. He installed and checked out the radio equipment in them. He was one of many who contributed to the war effort.

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B-25s were the bombers that starred on the movie "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo".I believe that a few of them crashed during the time that they were shooting the movie.

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My dad, Col. Thomas S Simpson (now age 89)loved the B-25; flew 4000 hrs in it. Was with Chennault's 14th AF in CBI 1943-44. Shot down 7-4-44 in northern Burma-crash landed Lido Road,about 6000' up in the rugged mountains - plane burning, jumped out, enemy approached, climbed back in to top turret, turned 2 50 cal between tails, killed 18 Japanese, jumped out, ran 7 days thru jungle, fired upon every day, saw 400 US prisoners-unable to help them. Poured blood out of boots daily from leeches; tribes helped with food and trip up river, black US Marines took them to China; all got malaria; 1945 given Silver Star & Chinese Medal of Honor. Retired 1962 after turning down BG star because they wouldn't let him fly anymore. Still alive and remembers all military stories. I give speeches around N Calif - have his uniforms, logbooks, fotos, whiskey flask, medals, 1000+ personnel papers. All these men from this time were incredibly brave and are my HEROES!!

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I instructed at Reese in B-25s after graduating from Goodfellow. I took Jim Woodhead( see post 8.06.2008 ) on a cross-country, if I remember correctly. On another night cross-country, watched the ignition harness arcing at 23,000 feet just before the right engine coughed it's guts out. I still have a piece of one of the pistons I picked out of the engine cowling after landing.
Remember, Doolittle's Raiders didn't have R-2600s. They were much smaller.

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I was with the 340th BG, B /N, on Corsica and later in Italy near the end of the war. The maintenance on these 25's was always first class so no matter what demands were placed on them during a mission they always performed. On July 3rd we were given 6K of the 486th BS to fly back to Savannah,GA. We logged 52 hours from Italy to Africa to Ascension Island, to Natal, to Belem, to Georgetown to Puerto Rico to Hunter Field. Sgt. Garland, the crew chief, changed a left main tire on Ascension but other than that 6K never missed a beat. 6K had a 103 missions on it with an ME 109 shot down to its credit. What a remarable airplane. The hardest part of the flight was leaving her there on the tarmac and not knowing who would be flying her and not knowing the super service she gave to us in the 486th and bringing us safely home. After shutdown I just sat in her listening to the gyros wind down and the sounds hot metal gives as it contracts so I could remember what it was like to have flown in such an airplane in combat and my last private contact with her. There are some who thought planes were just just well formed aluminum sheets fashioned into shapes with engines attached. I always thought 6K was much more than that. I remained convinced that 6K had a soul.

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My Dad 2LT Robert H Meek was flying copilot in a J model tail number 7Z of the 487th BS flying out of Corsica on October 19, 1944 when he was hit and killed instantly by flak. Despite being wounded himself the pilot 2lT Wilbur Lentz got the plane back to Corsica and landed it. At testament to the B-25. I have before and after pictures and it was really shot up. Some day I hope to get my ride in one.
In their memory,
Robert H Meek JR
Colonel USAR (R)

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I was at Vance AFB, Enid, Ok. from 1949-1954. was aircraft mechanic and fligt engineer (B-25s-North Stage) with B-25 s /n 45-8873A. Flew daily four hour flights with cadets /student pilots. I published a book "Behind The Copilot seat" in 2006 that depicted my experiences flying with cadets /stucent pilots at that time. (Published by Author House)

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Trained 65 hours in B-25s at Reese AFB, class 50G. They were great planes to fly. 69 years later I can still remember the thrill of listening to those engines roar (out of sync on take-off) as they pulled us back in the seat. In training we cruised at 200 mph and never got higher than 10,000 feet, whereas I had already gone higher in my own 65 h.p. 1946 Piper Cub. Wish I had been a pilot in the 25 during the war instead of a gun mechanic.

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We (MIA Charities aka "Moore's Marauders" Team #7) are planning to visit the 29 January 1953 wreck of AC 5246, an RCAF B25 Mitchell that crashed on a training flight from Saskatoon to the Vancouver area. We hope to fix a memorial plaque on, or near, the wreckage in memory of the five air crew who perished. If anyone out there has any information (Dept of Nat'l Defense hasn't forwarded the crash scene report to us) - we would appreciate hearing from you.

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Flew 32 missions with the 38th Bomb Group (jack DeTour above)38th was first medium bomb group to fly B-25s all the way from San Francisco to Australia in Aug. 1942 by the 71st Squadron and 405th Squadrons, the only two Squadron Bomb Group. Two squadrons had earlier been detached from the 38th to fly their Martin Marauder B-26s from San Francisco to New Caledonia - the first to fly from San Francisco to Hawaii in May /June 1942, two of which participated in the Battle of Midway. The B-25s flown to Australia in August were B25C and B-25Ds. In the Spring of 1943, they were modified to have eight forwad firing .50s. B-25Gs joined the outfit in August 1943 flown by the new 822nd and 823rd Squadrons. This plane had the 75 mm cannon in the nose with two .50 machine guns. Cannon was soon removed and two more machine guns installed with two more on each side under the pilot. In Spring of 1944, some B-25Hs came to the outfit, a;so with the 75. Were not kept as they had no copilot seat and we needed copilots and didn't like the 75.. B-25Js began arriving in July 1944. Most were equipped with solid nose with 8 .50 cal. machine guns and had two more .50s on each side under the pilot's compartment. There were B-25Js which retained the bombardiers glass nose compartment and used aas lead ships in medium altitude bombing missions. The top turret had been moved forward to engineer /navigator compartment for added forward firing power. I ditched one near Tarakan Borneo in Dec. 1944. Consider it the best waterlanding plane the Army Air Corps had. Most missions were strafing bombing missions during which we often brought home tree foliage in nacells and dents in wing. One plane clipped of 8" tree, a notch in leading endge of wing between engine and fuselage and tail, and came home, engine not missing a beat. A rugged, sweet plane to fly.

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Graduated from Lubbock TX Air Force Base, flew 46 missions in the Asiatic Pacific, after the war retrained American prison of war pilots at Boca Raton Air Force Base. The B-25,J-27 model was a great and forgiving aircraft, I loved it. All my missions were strafing at tree top level and skip bombing, all with 10 100 pound bombs; best time of my life!

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Sorry Jim. The last B-25 class at Reese AFB was 59-E.

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I graduated from Vance AFB in Jan 1954. We flew the B-25 L and J models in training, At the time I never realized what an honor it was to have the priviledge to fly such a distinguished plane. July 10 I had the thrill of a lifetime. The Confederate Air Force wing located inSt Paul Minn has a J model and I had the priviledge to sit in the jump seat on a flyover in Lakeville Mn. Not bad for an 80 year old man-56 years after flying it myself. Thank God for the people that have taken the time and intrest to keep these planes that are such a great part of history flying. I would love to hear from anyone from that era that is part of those bygone years.

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How well I remember this bird, in its USAF training configuration (Reese AFB, 57-D). The way that twin tail vibrated at certain RPM settings didn't do mujch for the confidence of the trainee. But, I took one up to 23,500' (high-blower), and scared the p**s out of my crew chief. It was a great instrument trainer, (and transitioning to the Douglas C-124 was rather easy). Those Wright Cyclone R-1850s (?) made an unmistakeable racket, especially when equipped with the short stacks (no collector ring). Ours were -J, -L, and -N models, the L's being solid nosed attack versions, with the cannon and /or machine guns removed, of course.

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Hi all! I need information about B25 crashed near Padua (Italy) in autumn 1943... Help me pease!

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