Memorial Day 2012

My father, James H. Hoffpauir, served in the Army Air Forces--specifically, the 8th Air Force, during World War II.  He was assigned to the 44th Bombardment Group, 506th Bombardment Squadron, and flew in 14 combat missions in the latter period of the war, from August 1944 to April 1945, in support of the Allied invasion and campaign in Europe. He was a a nose gunner and bombardier in B-24 heavy bombers based at Shipdham, England.  Missions included bombing of railways, marshalling yards, military headquarters, docks, and airfields, in France, Germany, and Holland. His bombardment group aided the ground offensives at Caen and St. Lo. The group dropped food, ammunition, and other supplies to airborne troops in Holland in September 1944. Their bombardments helped check the enemy during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45.  They attacked airfields and transportation terminals in support of the advance into Germany, and flew resupply missions during the airborne troops assault across the Rhine 1945. My father's last recorded mission was on April 20, 1945; the 44th Bomber Group flew its last combat mission on April 25, 1945.  He had arrived in England as a Corporal, a rank he retained during earlier missions on the periphery of the European theater. In later missions to the interior of Germany, including Berlin, he bore the rank of Sergeant. It was policy to give all bomber crewmembers the rank of sergeant when they were sent deeper into enemy territory, on the presumption that, according to international protocols, they would be afforded better treatment should they become prisoners of war (personal histories indicate that the protocols were not always
respected).

On his first missions, Dad was listed as nose gunner and "togglier"--he referred to his duty as "visual bombardier", essentially watching to see when the lead bomber dropped its bombs, then pulling the toggles for the bomb hatches of his own B-24.  On later missions, he is listed as nose gunner and bombardier; there were several attacks during which his plane was in the "lead" squadron. The B-24 in which he flew the most missions was nicknamed "Down De Hatch". Several years ago, my Internet search discovered a picture of Down De Hatch after her return from England. Her guns had already been removed, and she was in a queue for dismantling and salvage...it was moving for me to see the specific position, in the nose of this particular plane, where my father flew during combat missions. He never spoke of firing his guns in anger, but there is no doubt he was required to do so. While the Luftwaffe had been cleared from the skies in the latter months of the war, the accounts of missions in which my father flew indicate that they were attacked from the air. On one such mission, the Allied fighter pilots alone took credit for downing 25 enemy planes; this does not account for the damage inflicted by the bombers' nose, turret, waist, and tail gunners. Dad did report, with chagrin, that he once fired--as he had been trained to do--at a fighter plane flying directly at the nose of his bomber...only to be informed later that it was an Allied plane, flown by an officer who knew it was strictly forbidden to approach friendly bombers head on. The fighter pilot later apologized to Dad, and his commander.  My father was just relieved that, in this instance, his aim had not been very good.

One of my father's "war relics" was a British banknote bearing the autographs of most of his bomber crew, now one of my treasures. He had recited their names to me on several occasions, and I found a listing in a history of the 44th Bomb Group: John Freidel, Pilot; Bob Maas, Co-Pilot; Douglas Owen, Navigator; Rene Lessard, Radio Operator/Gunner; Robert Hebert, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner; Howard Simon, Right Waist Gunner; George Kazantzas, Left Waist Gunner; Donald Lavoy, Tail Gunner; and, of course, James Hoffpauir, Nose Gunner/Bombardier.  On Dad's last mission, in a B-24 that was so equipped, David Rosen was listed as Ball Turret Gunner.  Dad was thrilled, in the latter years of his life, to have several visits from Robert Hebert and his wife, Pearl. Robert reported that he and Dad were the last of the crew still living...they have both since passed away, Dad on August 18, 2009.

My father indicated that he was stationed at multiple bases during his training and following his return from England; I was never sure--and I'm not sure he could remember--where he was located, and when.  Reviewing group histories, some of the sites he talked about fall into place. He was inducted and received basic training in Louisiana, likely at Barksdale Field. He has postcards and pictures citing Laredo, Texas, likely also a training station. He also has pictures annotated as taken in Florida, including Panama City; MacDill Field is listed in group histories. Again, he was stationed at Shipdham, England,throughout his overseas tour. His memory of stations after his return to the States was a blur, but several sites in group histories synch with his accounts: Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Andrews Field, Maryland (likely the base for several excursions he described into New York City and Washington, D.C...by Army truck or jeep, rather than by plane); Great Bend, Kansas. Dad did not specifically mention Kansas, but he did recount that he was involved in salvage of planes in Arkansas; he may have confused the two places, or maybe I am.  He was discharged from the service at San Antonio, Texas, from which he took the Sunset Limited passenger train to his home and family in Crowley, Louisiana.