Bombardier's Oath

25Kingman49 said:

Hi Bill,

I should have started my post #18 above with these questions but missed that opportunity.

In reviewing your "memories" page this detail was not found. Where did you receive your bombardier training, and also your combat crew training in the ZI? What were your bombsight procedures during these different aspects of your training? Were you ever required to use one of these vault type buildings to secure your bombsight, if so was there a sign out and in procedure? You noted earlier that the bombsight remained in the plane once in the UK and I'm wondering if this was also true while in the ZI at this time during the war.

Thank you,
Scott

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25Kingman49 said:

Thank you, Bill.

From this we can likely assume bombsight security was somewhat relaxed from at least mid-1944 onward.

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Gnomey said:

Great stuff Bill!

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billrunnels said:

The Norden Bombsight was still considered top secret in 1944. Therefore, the Bombardier's Oath was administered to us the first week at Bombardier School............................

"Mindful of the secret trust about to be placed in me by my Commander in Chief, the President of The United States, by whose direction I have been chosen for bombardier training, and mindful of the fact that I am to become guardian of one of my country's most priceless military assets, the American bombsight, I do here, in the presence of Almighty God, swear by the Bombardier's Code of Honor to keep inviolate the secrecy of any and all confidential information revealed to me, and further to uphold the honor and integrity of the Army Air Forces, if need be, with my life itself."

Serious business at the time.

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billrunnels said:

Thanks for sharing the link. Interesting reading.

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billrunnels said:

No mention of a thermite grenade was made during my time at Bombardier School.

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stona said:

Hi Bill

The US did develop the 'Mark 15 Mod.1 Demolition Unit' as a bomb sight destroyer. As far as I can tell it was only issued to the USN, so you probably never saw one.

It was an 18" cylinder 51/2" in diametre packed with magnesium and an oxidiser which acted like a blow torch, directed at the sight.This might be confused with a thermite device. It may have been effective, but sounds rather dangerous and might well have brought down the entire aircraft. Having said that the .45 calibre solution seems to ignore the dangers of richocheing bullets, at least to the fellow tasked with firing the weapon.

The first intact Norden sight which the Germans definitely got a good look at was that on board a B-24 flying from Tobruk to Oran which ran low on fuel, landing in Spanish Morocco. Franco's officials allowed the Germans to examine the aircraft and all its contents before permitting it to continue its flight.This was on February 25/26 1942.

The US was very paranoid about the security of the Norden sight, but in reality it would have been difficult for the Germans to copy (had they wished to). Furthermore, they would have been obliged to change their air power doctrine, training systems and even the aircraft its industries were producing to make use of the sight.

I have seen US documents which substitute all sorts of odd words for 'bombsight'. A list I made included siding, latent, telescope, mickey, dusty and talon.

Cheers

Steve

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