Memphis Belle captain passes on...

[Wing Nut]

Commander of Memphis Belle Dies at 85

1 hour, 15 minutes ago

[ozzy72]

[HawkerTempest5]

I had to chance to meet Bob Morgan at Duxford a year or so ago. Very sad news.

[Smoke2much]

Rest in peace.

[Scottler]

Amazing....you can go through 25 combat missions and return even though half of your airplane has been shot up...then 60 years later you fall and that's it.


Rest in peace, sir.

[BFMF]

[Pinchaser...]

[Polynomial]

it is rather sad that he has died but we have to be happy for what he achieved, to live to the age of 85 and survive a world war is a marvellous achievement.   He should be pleased to have lived a life such as his,

R.I.P

PolyN

[Felix/FFDS]

As a postscript, I would normally post this in the "History" forum but the timing is interesting:

May 17 1943
The Memphis Belle flies its 25th bombing mission


On this day in 1943, the Memphis Belle, one of a group of American bombers based in Britain, becomes the first B-17 to complete 25 missions over Europe.

The Memphis Belle performed its 25th and last mission, in a bombing raid against Lorient, a German submarine base. But before returning back home to the United States, film footage was shot of Belle's crew receiving combat medals. This was but one part of a longer documentary on a day in the life of an American bomber, which included dramatic footage of a bomber being shot out of the sky, with most of its crew parachuting out, one by one. Another film sequence showed a bomber returning to base with its tail fin missing. What looked like damage inflicted by the enemy was, in fact, the result of a collision with another American bomber."

(from the History Channel's "This Day in History")

[flyboy 28]

Very sad news. I met Colonel Morgan about two years ago at the airshow at NAS Willow Grove... I felt bad for the guy 'cause he was sitting with his books waiting to be sold right next to an FW-190... But I shook his hand, paid the $40 :-/ for the book and have great memories... Sorry to hear him pass on... But when your time is up, your time is up. No denying that...

[Sock]

I never met him, I just read his book.  It's sitting on a self next to me now.  I thought it was good, just didn't agree with some of the things he said.  Sad to hear him pass though.