THE COFFIN CORNER BOYS
1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast
Jon Hagadorn
4.5 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 23 September 2018
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The "Coffin Corner Boys" was the nickname given to the B-17 crews of WWII that flew in the most vulnerable corner of the bomber formations. In 1943 and 44 any member of a B-17 crew had a 0% chance of surviving 25 missions over Germany without being shot down. When the Luftwaffe was finally defeated and fighter escorts were provided their chances went up, but only slightly. Author Carole Avriett tells the story of one crew that was shot down over France- telling of their courage, their harrowing adventures, and of the French people and French resistance who risked their lives to save downed allied airmen.
The Coffin Corner Boys by Carole Avriett is available wherever fine books are sold.
SUPPORT OUR SHOW MONTHLY AT PATREON
Become an Assistant Producer at 1001 Stories Network ( a great resume enhancement) and support us at Patreon today! Here;s the link: https://www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork\
YOUR REVIEWS AT APPLE/ITUNES ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED!
Catch RADIO DAYS now at Apple iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-days/id1405045413?mt=2
Catch 1001 HEROES now at Apple iTunes Podcast App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-heroes-legends-histories-mysteries-podcast/id956154836?mt=2
Catch 1001 CLASSIC SHORT STORIES at iTunes/apple Podcast App Now: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-classic-short-stories-tales/id1078098622?mt=2
Catch 1001 Stories for the Road at iTunes/Apple Podcast now: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-for-the-road/id1227478901?mt=2
ANDROID USERS- CATCH OUR SHOWS AT WWW.CASTBOX.FM SUBSCRIBE FREE THEN SHARE THANK YOU
1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales: https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Classic-Short-Stories-%26-Tales-id381734?country=us
1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries: https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Heroes%2C-Legends%2C-Histories-%26-Mysteries-Podcast-id1114843?country=us
1001 Stories for the Road: https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Stories-For-The-Road-id1324757?country=us
Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to www.1001storiesnetwork.com- our home website with Megaphone.
Website For 1001 Heroes is still www.1001storiespodcast.com (we redirected that one to www.1001storiesnetwork.com)
Website For 1001 Classic Short Stories is still www.1001classicshortstories.com ( we redirected that as well)
Website for 1001 Stories For The Road is still www.1001storiesfortheroad (we redirected that one, too)
Website for 1001 Radio Days is www.1001radiodays.com
Links:
Our Twitter: @1001podcast
Our Facebook: www.Facebook.com/1001Heroes
Our Email: 1001storiespodcast@gmail.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This Winter, memberships will never be the same again. |
| 0:03.4 | Amazon Prime presents Eddie Murphy's new Christmas movie Candy Kane Lane and Fast Delivery, |
| 0:09.0 | all for 899 a month. |
| 0:10.8 | I've got to sign up now. |
| 0:12.2 | Get great entertainment and fast delivery, |
| 0:15.0 | all for 899 a month. |
| 0:17.0 | It's on prime. |
| 0:18.0 | Geographic restrictions and teas and sees apply 18 plus. The Oh, We've got a fantastic story to talk about today. It's called The Coffin Corner Boys. |
| 0:53.0 | Definitely a unique name, which the crews of World War II B-17s |
| 0:58.0 | had come up with to describe the most exposed position in the American bomber |
| 1:02.0 | formations that were flying from England over France to deliver their payloads on strategic German positions. |
| 1:10.0 | But first they had to survive German anti-aircraft and attacks from German fighter planes. |
| 1:15.0 | Over 22,000 American planes were shot down in combat in World War II. |
| 1:21.0 | It was a dangerous and deadly business. On March 16, 1944, a young |
| 1:27.3 | pilot, Lieutenant George Starks and the nine-man crew of his flying fortress were |
| 1:32.0 | occupying the coffin corner of a flying |
| 1:34.2 | formation when they were shot down, forcing he and his crewman to bail out over |
| 1:38.8 | German occupied French countryside. Author Carol Engel Avery spent three years interviewing surviving pilot George Starks and surviving crew members, |
| 1:49.0 | speaking with their families, and gaining access to diaries and accounts, including the return trips Stark had made to meet the French people who had risked their lives to save him and his crew. |
| 1:59.5 | And she shares it all in her well-researched saga, The Coffin Corner Boys, by Reginary History Publishing. |
| 2:06.1 | 1001 Heroes is very fortunate to have her with us today to give us some insight to the risks |
| 2:11.2 | made by Allied pilots and ordinary French citizens |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jon Hagadorn, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jon Hagadorn and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.