Diary of William Peter Dortch, 351st BG, 508th BS, Polebrook, UK

Hi Scott,
 
My great Uncle -1st LT. Charles L. Gempel, kept one,  They came back to his parents after the war when his personal affects were returned.  NO documents moving via mail were allowed to contain location information for fear that they might fall into enemy hands.  This is why APO/FPO were set up  ---The most I can recall in his letters was somewhere in Great Britain.  He new this before he left so divulging it to family was not really compromising.  I am writing a book based on the 23 or 25 missions I have logs for.  Some of his store can be viewed at one of the following links:
 
http://charlesgempelameri.nhero.blogspot.com  or
http://thoughtsbygempel.wordpress.com.
 
I hope this information helps.  He was pretty diligent in writing down his log after his missions.  I have in these documents the bombing location, the target, the altitude, the time ,the day, the speed, the bomb load and what happened during and after the bombs were released.  He was the co-pilot on the Bentcliff Crew,  SN 44-10523 MACR 10139 and went down with the aircraft-  A B24J with no name and a call sign of BAR T that  flew out of Shipdham Field in Suffolk or Norfolk, Great Britain.

Scott,
Diaries were discouraged in the 8TH Air Corps while stationed in the UK but there was no enforcement of the rule.

Scott,
In our Group, and time, it was common to keep a mission log/diary.  This practice was legally not to be practiced, but everyone did it.  When we returned to the US after our tour, we hid this log so it wouldn't be found when our baggage was examined.
My mission log became the backbone, along with official information from my squadron, for the book "The View From The Bottom Up".  Reading the words as written by the 18/19 years old me help to make the formal records alive as I experienced it to write this book.

Thanks to all of you gentlemen for your input and insights with regard to your experiences with combat diaries. I also believe these are a critical link to the war experience at the individual level that could be captured in no other way. I for one am happy so many survived even if they had to be smuggled back into the States after the war. As you have all pointed out this practice may have been discouraged, but was seldom enforced as it was such a common practice.
 
On the China side of my question I’m now wondering if the Fourteenth Air Force had a stronger prohibition on this activity, due to the fluid nature of the battle field in China. My thought here being; the rapid ground advance of the Japanese requiring the abandonment of many of our airfields could render these documents subject to capture on the ground.
 
I know for a fact that CBI diaries were kept and in one instance from activity in China. The aforementioned veteran has insinuated that not only were the diaries illegal, but that having them in your possession even now is a form of harboring a crime. I believe this claim to be preposterous, without merit and unenforceable unless the diary police start knocking on the doors of every veteran’s family in the United States.
 
Any additional thoughts on owning this supposed “contraband material?” some six decades after the fact would be helpful.
 
Thanks,
Scott           

Hi PA Dutchman,
 
I think we can all understand the reasoning for this and in addition My great uncle 1st  Lt Charles L. Gempel-- (44--10523-MIA/KIA -MACR 10139) had a camera and those were supposed to be against policy.  What is even worse about this is he lost it somewhere between the States and Shipdham Field where he eventually flew out of.  His wife gave it to him as a going away present.  He had it stowed in his baggage.  To this day I wonder if inspectors confiscated it and kept the "ball" rolling rather than make an incident about it.  He and therefore we did not have many photos of his crew after that point.  However, a survivor of his crew(Lester Griffin) had a son-Clifford Griffin and his son gave us a crew photo which is on my blog site. http://thoughtsbygempel.wordpress.com    (Admins of this site can capture it from there if they want a copy or let me know if this is not possible and I can upload one. )  I have many items that had to be searched for in order to gain the knowledge that I have.  One thing is for certain, companies now are selling these artifacts and it makes me sick that some are profiting from the histories of "the greatest generation".  It is one thing to sell information for charity and its another thing entirely to make a buck off of someone's misery and sacrifice.    The profiteering for personal or corporate gain should be against the law.   Thanks to all VETS PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE! for my Freedoms and Liberties .... you have sacrificed so others can live .... Thank you thank you thank you!

25Kingman49
-- <snipped> --
I was told second hand that a CBI veteran had stated that diaries were illegal to have in China. I’ve never heard of a regulation prohibiting them in the past, so I’m trying to confirm this statement from a CBI veteran.

 
Scott,
 
I think previous posts have established that diaries were definitely discouraged, if not prohibited, in all/most theaters, most of the time.  I remember Dad saying the words of discouragement began during his crew training at Greenville, SC (April 44).
 
From experiences with 341st Bm Gp veterans, many of which served while assigned to 10th and then 14th Air Force, I don't believe 14th AF had more or less emphasis on banning diaries, certainly not more so than 10th AF.  However, during many conversations with at annual conventions, very few admitted to keeping a diary.  Among the 400+ 341st Bomb Group veterans I have communicated with only eight had kept logs of their missions, and three others had actual diaries.  Eight others, pilots, had copies of the forms which logged their flying time and had annotated the mission next to the time.

Tony,
Regarding the eight pilots having forms showing flight times (mission or local), these forms were part of their personal files which they carried from station to station and were given to them on separation. I have my files reflecting the same information. These files were maintained by squadron personnel at their base of operation.

Thanks again gentlemen for your continued enlightenment on the subject of combat diaries in all theaters.
 
Thanks Tony for your thoughts, I was hoping that you might find this thread as I am aware of your vast knowledge of CBI and China in general. I believe I now have a clearer picture of why combat diaries were perhaps more strongly discouraged in this theater over others. It would appear that the training indoctrination for aircrews destined for this theater had a lasting impact on self censorship for these warriors. The few that were kept and survived make them very special and rare documents from this theater of war.
 
PA.Dutchman; Thanks for your vivid examples of why this practice was discouraged in the war with the Japanese.    
 
Again, many thanks to all,
 
Scott   

Hi Scott,
 
My Father, William P. Dortch, also kept one.  He was a tailgunner on a B-17 stationed in Polebrook, England.  He entered information for each mission he was on.  He included the name of the city for the bomb run, crew members, date, ship, time they took off and landed, altitude, bomb load and the temperature.  He also wrote a description of the bomb run.  His first entry was November 3, 1943, Wilhelmshaven.  He writes "Our target was the North Sea Naval base of Wilhelmshaven.  We had heard rumors that the german battleships "Tirpitz", and "Admiral Scheer" were docked there, but we never saw them.  Today was the record breaker for forts, there being about 850 attacking the target.  P38's were being used as escorts for the first time in this theatre.  We also had Thunderbolts with us."  He goes on to write quite a bit more but I won't take up your time with the details here.  If you'd like to hear more please ask.  I'm so very glad that he did keep the diary because now his grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to live the experience through his words.  Sorry I veered off from your question, but if they were illegal, I'm glad he was a rebel and wrote everything down anyway!
 
Wendy Dortch Williams
Daughter of William P. Dortch
Tailgunner, 351st Bomb Group
Polebrook, England
11/3/43 to 5/27/44

Wendy,
 
I believe my initial quarry in this thread has been captured. If this thread is to continue it will be through compelling stories like yours and you father’s that kept a diary of their time and service to our country. Every serviceman during WW II had a story to tell, regardless of branch of service, but few shared these experiences with family or friends.
 
You have a unique document “your father’s diary” in your possession, not only for your family, but from a USAAF history standpoint. I’m a soft sell when it comes to records and details like your father’s diary. Please, by all means share whatever detail you would like about your father’s diary as it sounds to me to be very complete and detailed regarding mission histories that I’m positive other forum members, particularly the veterans would love to hear.
 
I offer this thread to you and any other veterans or family members that wish to share USAAF diary content with the members of this forum. I would consider it a great privilege to learn more about your father’s experiences in the 351st Bomb Group.
 
Respectfully,
Scott