[303rd-Talk] Re: Liquor Still

[Jim McCoy]

Bill,  

Sorry for the delayed response.  My Dad (Mel McCoy) was in Molesworth
from late '42 until after VE day.  He was what today we'd call
"permanent party" at an Air Force Base.  He was the chief engineering
officer of the 303rd, actually the head of the 444th Squadron
(Sub-Depot.)  He trained with the first guys to go over to England (in
Boise and El Paso) and opened the hangar doors for the first raids from
Molesworth.  Ran the "J Hangar" and did the heavy repair/maintenance
that the ground crews and crew chiefs alone (out on the pads) couldn't
handle alone.  Like taking pieces of 3 or 4 busted up B-17's and making
one "new" flyable one.  And cobbling up nose gun designs and
installations for aircrews that were screaming for more nose-on
firepower in E and F models.  He was very proud of his guys in the
444th.  In total they did major work on over 1000 B-17's.  They did a
lot of things fixing B-17's that Boeing thought were impossible.   

He roomed with Mel Schulstad, the chief pilot, or "Chief of Flight
Operations."  Brilliant of the 8th AF to put the chief BG pilot and the
chief BG engineer in the same quarters/room.  They became fast friends
and covered each other's backsides.  (Great stories...)

My Dad's brother, Charlie McCoy was bombardier on "Daddy's Delight" the
303rd B-17 who's tail gunner's view of Thunderbird is painted full
scale on the wall of the Smithsonian A&S Museum in DC.  I was with my
Dad when he first saw the painting.  A memory I'll never forget.  I
missed his visit back to Molesworth for a reunion in the late '80s (I'm
fuzzy on the exact date,) he was absolutely stunned by the ceremony and
reverence that the American and NATO troops manning Molesworth then
showed the guys who built the base and its history.  Maybe your Dad
went to that one.   

My Dad died in '97 (at 82,) he was a "old guy" at Molesworth--all of 27
when he first went to England.  Most guys were 4 or 5 years younger.  I
miss him a lot.  His roommate and life long friend Mel Schulstad is
just now (tomorrow I think) turning 90.  There will be a big 90th
birthday celebration for Mel S at the Seattle Museum of Flight March 29
if you're anywhere near the area he's worth meeting and there may be
more 303rd pilots and crew drop in too.  

Re the "stills":  My Dad always said there was occasionally beer made
under barrack bunks but working stills were very rare--if ever any guys
got one to work.  He thot there were some attempted but really not
functional.  More flights of fancy than reality.  But there was no
trouble getting just about any alcohol (except American beer) in
England.  Lotsa pubs and bars all over the countryside.  And plenty of
American nurses and British lasses to get in trouble with.  

He would have said that your Dad stepped into a hornets nest.  '43 was
chaos.  Early '44 only a little better.  Unless your Dad got in real
late in August, he may have experienced BOTH Schweinfurt raids.  Hell
in the air.  Tho many other raids were not much better.  Many of the
guys who came even in the last months of the war still didn't come back
(the Germans were always tough, respected foe) but at much lower rates
than the earlier crews.  They were inventing strategic bombing day by
day, sorta by braille, making lots of mistakes along the way.  If your
Dad made it to where you are a baby-boomer (like me--1946) he (and
YOU!) were/are very lucky...and blessed.

Please go onto the 303rd website, sign up for the NextGen org we're
trying to put together and come to the 8thAFHS and 303rd reunion in
Savannah in August this year.  Join the 8thAFHS, it's cheap and the
magazine alone is worth the $30/year.  There WILL BE a 303rd-only
"rendezvous dinner" and separate meeting in the midst of the all 8th
AFHS reunion stuff.  We hope to get all the veteran and later
generation 303rd-ers possible to attend.  Most logically an ongoing
303rd legacy org will have some kind of affiliation with the 8thAFHS
and Heritage Museum in Savannah, but we'll see how it all works out
based on the attendance at this reunion.  It's important we keep these
guys' legacy burning bright.     

Jim McCoy

--- Bill Twomey <twomey45 at msn.com> wrote:

> Hey  Jim: When  was  your  Dad  at  Molesworth? I'm  pretty  sure  my
>  father's  dates  of  service  there  were  8/1944 - 12/1944.
> The  old  fellow  had  a  rebellious  streak  in  him  until  the 
> day  he  died;  so,  I'M  SURE
> that  in  1944  he  was  Hell  to  recon  with.
>  
> Bill Twomey