Harold “Keith” Fredericksen, the middle son of Harriet and F. Christian Fredericksen, was drafted on November 11, 1943. He elected to join the Army Air Force and became a tailgunner on a B-17. His orders have arrived and he's been sent to England, serving with the 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group.
Grandma Fred saved Keith's letters home, along with pictures, official goverment telegrams and letters, and all the V-mail. It's from these sources we share this story. The first saved letter arrived in December, 1943. The time is now 1945. Keith is flying missions, enjoying London on furloughs and worrying about home and Jack's possible draft, too. The Battle of the Bulge commences over Christmas. The 385th Bomber Group is flying an aggressive campaign against the enemy. Keith is downplaying his role to a nervous mother. Yet, there are cracks in the picture he is painting, snippets of the stress of combat life.
November 1944 - Individual Flight Record - 12 Missions, 61:55, in-flight time, longest 8:30.
December 6, 1944 - Not much to tell you tonight. Tony and I just got back from the show "Star Spangled Rhythm"…..Red keep asking me if Jean is going to answer the letter he wrote her. I am still a buck sergeant. Still waiting for your package. Hope it makes it here by Xmas. Please tell me when you get the package that I sent you. Won't be long before Xmas anyhow. Remember it will be my second one away from home. Hope the next one I spend with you….It is nice for Nada to go to Chicago. Gary will be company for you, that is if you keep him. He will mean work too. Don't worry, I'm okay. Tell the kids to be good.
December 9, 1944 - V-mail - Can't see writing a real letter tonight so I'm going to settle for one of these things. Nothing has changed here, haven't been up in the blue for five days now, so everything is under control…..It's going to be a long winter here…we will be lucky if we get ten missions in the next two months. Don't worry when things out of control I'll let you know….ha!
December 13, 1944 - Have a little time to write you this morning before we go to London….Could of had my pictures a month ago if I had gone there but those rockets sort of threw a bluff into me. Guess it's safe there now….Our crew has flown three days in a row now. Tony and I had PV the second day, very constructive, out cutting brush, how do you like that? Made me feel sort of at home again. We flew an eight hour mission yesterday, really tiresome….Tell me what you read in the papers at home about the Eighth Air Force. The guys wonder here what people at home think of the boy that fly the "big ones"….Well, mother don't worry. Everything is happy over here and I've got my part under control.
December 15, 1944 - Well, today makes me one year in the Army. It seems twice as long as that doesn't it?..Yes our officers usually censor mail. Red does it almost always. That W. Hagon on the bottom of the envelope is his signature. I'm absolutely okay, so you don't have to worry. Hope to get a real letter from you real soon. Tell the kids to be good.
December 18, 1944 - Hope you didn't mean it when you said you cried when you heard I wasn't getting any letters. You know I'm old enough to get along without much mail---for a while. Made a good haul on mail today, two from Jean, two from you and one from Jack, bless you all. Jean's letters were extra good, she writes just like she talks, you know rattle-rattle--but it was nice anyhow….Your talking about the snow hanging on everything, gave me a funny feeling down by my heart but it is impossible to get homesick with all the screwballs we have around here. Everybody is a little ETO happy, so everything is under control. No the war doesn't sound too good here, I firmly believe the end is near. Please write and tell me what the papers at home say about the Eighth Air Force. Just checkin' up and see if they appreciate the boys that "fly the big ones".
December 23, 1944 - V-mail - Guess I can put all I have to say this evening on a V-mail. Got the package today. It was in very good shape, even tho' it took 10 weeks to get here. That fruit cake seems to get better the longer it stands, right? The fog is still here, haven't flown for twelve days now. We'll never get home at this rate but easy does it. Got a letter from Nada in Chicago. I imagine she is home and settled by now. Hope to hear from Chuck one of these days. Don't worry about me. I'm very well, in spite of the weather. Everything else is under control too.
Two Christmas Cards to his mother are preserved from this year.
December 26, 1944 - Here it is the day after Christmas and all thru the house---everything is the same as it has been for months! Spent a very quiet Xmas tide. We flew the 24th and didn't get straightened around until about eight o'clock. We had gotten up at four that morning so I was ready to sleep. We went to church in the morning. I'm telling you a guy gets to be a believer quick in this business….I have been getting my share of mail lately. But mother, it's not so important that you have to write twice a day. It's nice to know someone thinks that much of me, but it surely must be a job to write to three boys especially when one bitches so much you resort to writing him twice a day. Yes, long letters are so much nicer to get, but V-mail are easier to write….Hope Jack has good luck with the cows he bought. From the sounds of things you were surely lucky you didn't plant winter wheat. I believe getting a disc is a good idea. I'm sure I'll be home to help you cut the spring wheat you'll plant.
December 31, 1944 - Here it is New Year's Eve and I'm too tired to go anyplace. I am really tired no kidding, the last three mornings it's been three o'clock and earlier. That's too damn early to be even funny. The weather sort of cleared up and we have flown the last five days. If this keeps up maybe I'll be home sooner than I expected….Don't worry I've got everything under control over here. You just take care of yourself.
December 1944 - Individual Flight Record - 6 Missions, 44:50 in-flight time, longest 8:10
January 3, 1945 - In this envelope you will find a picture we had taken of the crew. (This picture was not in the box. We surmise that Jack may have been given it and unfortunately it's lost to us.) We have on the clothes we wear when we fly. It's really a good picture of everybody. I look really young don't I? Got a letter from Chuck today!....I know it must have been a lonesome Xmas for you. Hope we will all be home for Xmas next year. Don't worry.
January 4, 1945 - …Got a package from you yesterday. The one with the toothpaste and socks. Just what I needed, thanks. I got three Xmas cards today. Walter, Vivian and one from Francene. They all wrote a few lines, so that was okay.
General Orders - Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal - "For meritorious achievement while participating in heavy bombardment missions in the air offensive against the enemy over Continental Europe."
January 7, 1945 - It looks like I won't make Staff Sgt. until we make twenty five missions, so you will know when I've made my 25. That should be soon if the weather holds out. As it is now I make $142 a month, that's a buck Sgt. overseas, with flying pay….So Jack got his deer again this year. Did he get one for me?...Don't worry. They say over here if you get your first six, you'll finish. So it looks like I'm fine for sure.
January 11, 1945 - V-Mail - If you will please note the date, ole' H.K. becomes of age today. They must of known it because we had real steak for dinner. Got a letter from Arden L. today, a Staff Sgt. with only four missions, I can't see it. Here we are sweating out twenty five for staff…
January 14, 1945 - Just got back from a wonderful 48 hour pass to London…..I'll mail you a package in the next day or two. I finally got my pictures…Hope my Air Medal makes it home ok. (The air medal was not in the box either. Unknown what happened to it.) Now that is surely nothing to be displayed in town. Everyone that flys combat gets it, so just put it in the china cabinet or someplace OK?...Boy the more times I go to London, the more fascinating it is. I bet you could spend a month there and do something different every day….Got letters from Orval and Nada both today. Jack too, I'll write you both next time.
January 18, 1945 - I'm writing this letter by candle light, seein' as how there ain't no lights. We had quite a storm here today. I wrote Jack a V-mail last night. After your letter today I think I will write V-mail every other day. I quote you "Write V-mail if you just date it and sign your name so we know you're okay." Well, I don't think the danger of my life is that bad. But I will do it if it makes you feel better.
January 22, 1945 - They gave us another pass, that's what mixed things up. I was pretty short of schillings so had to settle for {Name of town cut out of letter]. It is a seaport town….Boy the news surely sounds good. As us guys often discuss what they would do with us if the war ended. I surely don't know, but I know it will be a great day won't it?..I got a letter from Andy D. today. I imagine he got my address through Vivian. I gathered from his letters he wasn't seeing it too rough. More power to him. They are shooting to kill out there. I heard from Ray B. too. He seemed to have much of the same deal as Andy. But I believe he has seen some of it. I have so many letters to answer…have to stop going to town at nite it looks like. But it's so nice to go to town at nite and forget all the things you've seen. The guys here are so keyed up. They argue over the silliest things, it even gets on my nerves. But I guess I'll be able to sweat it out. The radio really helps, so do passes…So Violet N. got married, what a blow to my morale that is. I'll just have to grin and bear it I guess. Looks like I'll be a bachelor for life doesn't it?
January 27, 1945 - V-mail - Just a V-mail to let you know everything is okay. I get letters from you asking me to write V-mail, so I'll see what I can do. I got letters from Aunt Ebba and Jean today both V-mail…Please don't worry.
January 1945 - Individual Flight Record - 6 Missions, 39:45 in-flight time, longest 9:30
February 1, 1945 - So Jack is sick, I really hope it is nothing serious. But even if he is in bed for a week that's too much. You surely must have your worries. But you need not worry about this kid, I've got everything under control…What do you mean "so he could take his physical with the other boys". They surely aren't going to take Jack away from you and stick him in this man's army…Tell me what in the name of heaven would you do if they take Jack?
February 3, 1945 - V-mail - Dear Jack, …I surely hope they don't draft you with this new deal they have now. You had better pull every string you can to stay out. taking Orval was bad enough but if they take you that will do it.
February 3, 1945 - V-mail - I just wrote a line to Andy, from what he says he is still in Normandy. There really isn't nothing to tell.
February 5, 1945 - V-mail - Just a stinky v-mail to let you know everything is under control. I got your letter with the snaps in it. Gary surely is a cute kid, hope to be home to see him. I've only been here four months and talking about coming home already. Better take my pulse, huh?
February 8, 1945 - Time to write again. Find enclosed money orders for $250. Something very unusual for me happened last week. I got involved in a payday game of chance, namely dice and something slipped up, so I came out numerous pounds ahead…Nada wrote me a good letter. She always tell me about the kids. They surely must be growing, hope they don't get too big before I make it home. She doesn't seem worried about Karen, so I guess it's nothing too bad. Chuck sent me a picture of he and his women taken on Christmas Day…Hope Jack is much better.
February 12, 1945 - V-mail - Everything is okay here. Maybe the war will be over soon. You ought to see the little pup we have. Every nite he has to sleep with someone, just like Rosie used to do. Chuck and Jean write often.
February 15, 1945 - Heintz is still gone but we've been flying as spares…Jean's letters are good, almost as good as yours Mother. I guess she read in the paper about me getting the Air Medal so she had to write and tell me how proud she was. She's sure a great kid. Hope brother Jack is well by now and he doesn't have any ill effects. It's a big day here tonight. A crew here in the barracks finished their missions. That will be a happy day for me, not too far off I hope.
February 17, 1945 - V-mail - Here I am still safe and sound. Got three swell letters from you today…Jack surely has been sick a long time, it makes it all the harder for you. But if he doesn't have to go to the Army, that's one less worry for you.
February 20, 1945 - …We caught a late train out of London and somehow I got separated from the rest of the guys. Anyhow I went to sleep and never woke up until I was about three hours past the station. I was about the saddest sack you ever saw. I had to wait there until seven o'clock the next morning to come back. Boy, I was in a jam, but I wasn't up for anything so nobody is any wiser. But I learned a lesson….Your news from home sounds good. Jack surely is having a rough time. Just so it doesn't keep him under too long. It is nice you can have Earl Gross with you, he will be company as well as lots of help. He is a swell kid if I remember him right. I had hoped to be home sooner but Heintz going to the continent sort of slowed things up. A crew here in the barracks that has been with us all the time, left for home today. They were a happy bunch of boys. I hated to see them go….I try to answer all of Chuck's letters. So he is finally going to sea, I bet he hates to leave Van Essa.
February 20, 1945 - V-mail- Dear Jean, I hate to write both you and mother the same day. Because you see each other and there is no percentage in writing it twice..
February 22, 1945 - V-mail - Just a dehydrated letter to let you know I'm still present. We haven't been too busy since Heintz left.
February 25, 1945 - V-mail - I'll write you a long letter and tell you all my troubles and everything that's new. Your mail is being held up somewhere. Lt. Heintz and the guys came back today.
February 1945 - Individual Flight Record - 7 Missions, 50:50 in-flight time, longest 9:35
Source:
“Two B-17’s Collide, Uncle Keith Died” by Gary Fredericksen, August 2009.
Family Archives and copies of official records
Wikipedia, RAF Great Ashfield Airfield, England
Harold Keith Fredericksen:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
No comments:
Post a Comment