Contents of the Collection The collection consists of an incident report and photographs of a B-17G crew, 490th Bomber Group, 850th Squadron, based in Eye, East Anglia, England with its aircraft that was damaged by enemy fire during a bombing mission on March 9, 1945. The two-page report by B-17 pilot Robert Mason describes that the crew came under flak fire en route to their bombing target: railroad yards in Frankfurt, Germany. A shell passed through the No. 2 engine in the left wing without exploding. After...

Contents of the Collection The Homer Rickman World War II Photographs is a small collection comprised of eight black-and-white photographs, presumably taken by Rickman and featuring several aircraft squadrons from the 490th Bomb Group. The photos were taken both during combat missions and on the ground at the squadron's home base at RAF Eye, near Mellis, England. The photos showcase several B-17 Flying Fortresses, including one where they are pursued by Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters. Also featured is a Hawker Hurricane...

Interview Summary U.S. Army Air Forces veteran Richard “Dick” Alan Nelms is interviewed about his service as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress copilot and pilot during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences with the 710th Bombardment Squadron of the 447th Bombardment Group and recounts notable events from his service in the European Theater. Topics discussed include his training and service history, bombing missions over Germany, his thoughts on handling fear in combat situations, and his involvement...