Clark Gable during aerial gunnery training at Tyndall field in Florida in 1942

[hw97karbine]

Gable spent most of 1943 in England at RAF Polebrook with the 351st Bomb Group. Gable flew five combat missions, including one to Germany, as an observer-gunner in B-17 Flying Fortresses between May 4 and September 23, 1943, earning the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. During one of the missions, Gable's aircraft was damaged by flak and attacked by fighters, which knocked out one of the engines and shot up the stabilizer. In the raid on Germany, one crewman was killed and two others were wounded, and flak went through Gable's boot and narrowly missed his head.

When word of this reached MGM, studio executives began to badger the Army Air Forces to reassign its most valuable screen actor to noncombat duty. Many of the men he served with, such as former Tech. Sgt. Ralph Cowley, said Gable actually unofficially joined other missions and the above five were only a fraction of the total. Adolf Hitler favored Gable above all other actors. During World War II, Hitler offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed.

 

[Sabrejet]

Gable was in the UK for around six months:

12 August 1942 – enlisted at Los Angeles CA as private
August 1942 – Officer Candidate School, Miami Beach FL as corporal (temp)
27 October 1942 – discharged to accept commission as 2nd​ Lieutenant
November 1942 – Gunnery School, Tyndall Field FL as 1st​ Lieutenant
January 1943 – Advanced Gunnery School, Ft George Wright WA
February 1943 – 351st​ Bombardment Group, Pueblo Field CO
April 1943 – 351st​ Bombardment Group, 8th​ Air Force (508th​ BS)
October 1943 – First Motion Picture Unit, Culver City CA
12 June 1944 – relieved from active duty; resigned commission 16 September 1947

Not sure on his promotion dates to Captain and Major.

 

[Mannheim]

View attachment 827927

Gable spent most of 1943 in England at RAF Polebrook with the 351st Bomb Group. Gable flew five combat missions, including one to Germany, as an observer-gunner in B-17 Flying Fortresses between May 4 and September 23, 1943, earning the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. During one of the missions, Gable's aircraft was damaged by flak and attacked by fighters, which knocked out one of the engines and shot up the stabilizer. In the raid on Germany, one crewman was killed and two others were wounded, and flak went through Gable's boot and narrowly missed his head.

When word of this reached MGM, studio executives began to badger the Army Air Forces to reassign its most valuable screen actor to noncombat duty. Many of the men he served with, such as former Tech. Sgt. Ralph Cowley, said Gable actually unofficially joined other missions and the above five were only a fraction of the total. Adolf Hitler favored Gable above all other actors. During World War II, Hitler offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed.

"Hitler offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed" What is your source for this?

 

[hw97karbine]

"Hitler offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed" What is your source for this?

Harris, Warren G. (2002). Clark Gable: A Biography. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-609-60495-3

 

[Mannheim]

Harris, Warren G. (2002). Clark Gable: A Biography. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-609-60495-3

Thanks! Do you have a copy? Can you find his source? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Gnomey]

Good one!