08/22/2022
B-17 pilot, John Martyniak from Massachusetts, served in the 8th AAF, 381st Bomb group. He participated in a bombing mission June 6th, 1944. Two days later he participated in a bombing mission of an airfield in Kerlin-Bastard, France. After dropping their payload the bomber was hit by flak.
The following is an account from James Manion, navigator on Our Captain, and the June 8th experience.
Flak took out one of Our Captain's engines. Time and additional issues made it obvious that the ship wasn't going to make it home so the pilot called for fighter es**rt as the aircraft slumped downwards at around 500 ft a minute. Believing that a long glide could still see his B-17 making it all the way North to SW England, Martyniak called for all equipment to be jettisoned to assist in this bid. Lt. Jim Manion (N) gave the aircraft's position to T/Sgt Paul Stewart (RaG), who made contact with Air-SeaRescue, No. 267 Squadron, stationed at Portreath. Martyniak and his co-pilot worked to get the plain safely in the water, while the other seven men filed into the radio-room to prepare for splash-down. The pilot kept calling out his altitude as a means of keeping in touch with the ASR Service. Some seven miles off the Nazi-occupied channel islands the bomber was skilfully slid tail-first into the water. The crew received only two minor injuries. The crew managed to make it into the two dinghies just before the plane went to the bottom. Two Spitfires arrived within a few minutes and circled as the Americans vainly scanned the horizon for signs of the Invasion Fleet. Several more fighters arrived and hovered above until a support airraft made it in and released a life-boat.
Once rescued the men were given food a dry British uniforms. As a result of this experience, Lt. Martyniak joined the Goldfish Club for any air crews who ditched in water and used their life raft (his Goldfish patch is on the chest pocket). He was also awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained.
