Bombs Away: A B-17 Pilot's 'Small' Part in a Big War

Hans P Smith

Book cover for Bombs Away: A B-17 Pilot's 'Small' Part in a Big War
Book cover for Bombs Away: A B-17 Pilot's 'Small' Part in a Big War

Bombs Away: A B-17 Pilot's 'Small' Part in a Big War

Bombs Away: A B-17 Pilot's 'Small' Part in a Big War

Hans P Smith

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Description

Bombs Away follows the story of a World War II B-17 bomber pilot from his humble upbringing in rural Western Massachusetts to Army Air Force training and finally into combat in the skies over Europe.

Herbert Small was born to Scottish and Irish immigrants and lived a simple, small-town life before he and his brother volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Force, the precursor to the modern U.S. Air Force.

His story walks step-by-step through the training process for air cadets and provides an in-depth look at the U.S. Air Base at Grafton-Underwood, England. It details life on the base, preparation for missions and the excitement and terror of flying bombing missions over enemy territory.

Bombs Away tells the stories of the men of the 384th Bombardment Group in their own words, from Mission Briefings to take-off to forming up to "bombs away." Some men completed their missions and came home. Some men were shot down and captured, and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners, before returning home to their families. Others never made it home.

Critical Reviews

"Bombs Away is an engaging and well-told account of one man's journey as a B-17 co-pilot and pilot during WWII. What I appreciated most was how the book balances the personal story with the broader context of the American bombing campaign in Europe. It's filled with real details about real crews-never abstract-so the experiences feel immediate and authentic."

"Loved the insight of how important each person was in WWII. Enjoyed getting insight of what the B-17 pilots and crews."

"This is a compelling story, insightfully told by a gifted author.

The book is well structured, well researched, and well written in a clear and engaging style."

Publishing Information

Publisher: HP Wordsmith Publishing
Pub date: 2024-12-20
Length: 254 pages

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