B17s and Bullet holes: A US Airforce Bomber
Warfare
History Hit
4.5 • 943 Ratings
🗓️ 7 January 2022
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Chuck Richardson is a former member of the United States Airforce, serving across Europe in his B17 bomber during World War 2. He, and co-author of their new book Emily Wilson, join James this week to talk about Chuck's remarkable achievements, life, and extraordinary tales from the War. From flying a plane with over 600 bullet holes in, landing in Icelandic storms, to seeking refuge in Madame Tussauds during a bombing raid, Chuck's truly astounding life is full of stories that won't be forgotten.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello everyone welcome back to the history hit warfare podcast I'm your host |
| 0:04.3 | James Rogers and I can barely contain my excitement for this one it is truly an honor |
| 0:10.4 | and a pleasure to welcome Chuck Richardson and his co-author Emily Wilson onto the |
| 0:17.2 | podcast. Now Chuck was a radio operator, a gunner and a trained medic on B17's during the Second World War. |
| 0:27.6 | He was engaged in the precision bombing campaign of the 8th Air Force. |
| 0:31.8 | Specifically, he was in the 390th bomb group and he was based in Norfolk. |
| 0:38.0 | He's just written an amazing new book. |
| 0:41.0 | 35 missions to Hell and back, a mighty 8th Air Force history. |
| 0:45.0 | And it is a truly, truly amazing book. |
| 0:48.0 | A penned first-hand account from a veteran who served in that period that is dedicated in memory to all the brave people |
| 0:56.7 | who served with him on the good old Yank, the name of his plane, and of course all of those who serve their country with bravery and courage during |
| 1:06.6 | the Second World War. |
| 1:08.6 | I don't want to give too much away in this episode. |
| 1:10.4 | We go through so much what it was like to live in the UK during the |
| 1:13.9 | bombing by the luffwaffe some of the near escapes from v1s and v2s that Chuck had |
| 1:18.9 | during the Blitz all the way through to some of his most dangerous missions. |
| 1:23.6 | What I would say is one of the worst missions I've actually ever heard |
| 1:26.9 | in the history of the Second World War and as long as I've been doing |
| 1:31.0 | this podcast. I mean a sneak peak here but well the |
| 1:35.7 | plane had 600 holes in it. Let's just say that. So here is Chuck Richardson and |
| 1:41.7 | Emily Wilson on Chuck's 35 missions to Hellenbach. Chuck Emily welcome to the history hit warfare podcast it is an absolute pleasure and an |
| 2:07.2 | honor to have you here how are you both doing today? Very well thank you very well. Thanks. Now it's great to hear you both doing well. Where are you speaking to us from in the world? From Charlotte, North Carolina. Wonderful. Now, Chuck, I came across your book, 35 missions to hell and back, a first-hand history of the |
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