"Krztalizer" wrote in message
...
Hi, Tom.

Sir, My father flew nightfighters during WW2 in the European theater,
(Beaufighters, then P-61's)

Soo, he was in the 415th or 422nd NFS, stationed in the Med and later
England/Belgium...? There is a small organization for P-61 crews that he
may
already know about. If not, I can put you/him in touch with the guys.

though I'm not familiar with either of those
books,I wonder if they could shed some light on his service to our
country.

You have to buy a book called "Queen of the Midnight Skies", about early
US
nightfighter efforts, particularly in the theater of war that your dad
experienced. Although the book is skewed toward the P-61 (*Badly*), the
authors interviewed dozens of survivors and give a great insider's view of
the
US entry into this new field of combat.

I've got a few medals but have no idea what he did to deserve them.

We can find out - sure about that.

I'm not
even sure what they are, one says DFC or something like that on the back,
the other is a silver star and two purple hearts. (I know what the Hearts
are for, duh!) Is there any way that you know of where I could "actually"
find out. He's been gone for over thirty years and I always wondered what
he
did to get them. Sorry if this comes off a little lame but I saw the
nightfighter thread and got interested...

Not lame at all - this is what most of us are "here" for.

BTW- As an xPanAm crew chief, you're completely correct, not the engine
is
"way better", though I've seen a few that did just that.

As a sidelight to the other thread (Extremis Intercomm), the worst thing I
heard on the radio out at sea was an A-7 gent announcing to the world,
"I'm
passing through 3,000 feet and I'm in a #$^$#ing GLIDER!"

My advice is to ALWAYS bring a second engine - you never know when it will
become your *only* engine.

Pleasure to meet you, Tom. Hope we can help you.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR

Its always better to lose -an- engine, not -the- engine.

Thanks, I really appreciate your help. IIRC, my Dad flew Beaufighters for 6
or 7 months then was switched to P-61's. I do remember him telling me he was
shot down once returning to base by allied AAA! and he was in Belgium. The
415th sounds really familiar,if my Mom ever gets off the web I'll call her
and find out the particulars. ( I should have never given her that
computer!!) Oh, one thing else I remember, his flight jacket had an emblem
of an owl(bird of some kind) holding a tommygun looking around in the dark
with a flashlight or a candle. I know I still have it packed away somewhere,
I'll look and see if I can find it. Once again, Thanks.

Tom

BTW- doing an Amazon on the book right now...