The most frightening intercom message...

[ArtKramr]

It was March 14, 1944. The mission was to the optical plants at Bad Kreuznach.
We were fully loaded with Eight 500 pound bombs. Suddenly the intercom came
alive and our waist (radio) gunner, Bo Taylor choked out....FIRE IN THE BOMB
BAY. FIRE IN THE BOMBAY. FIRE IN THE BOMB BAY.....I still hear his voice in my
dreams.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[Dav1936531]

>From: (ArtKramr)
>Date: 7/5/04 10:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>It was March 14, 1944. The mission was to the optical plants at Bad
>Kreuznach. We were fully loaded with Eight 500 pound bombs. Suddenly the
intercom came alive and our waist (radio) gunner, Bo Taylor choked out....FIRE
IN THE BOMB BAY. FIRE IN THE BOMBAY. FIRE IN THE BOMB BAY.....I still hear his
voice in my dreams.
>Arthur Kramer

And.....?? What's the rest of the story? Details...we want the details. Did the
plane explode and kill you all? :)
Dave

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

Dav1936531 wrote:
>
> And.....?? What's the rest of the story? Details...we want the details. Did
> the plane explode and kill you all? :)



There I was... a Fokker on the left; a Fokker on the right....




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN


http://www.mortimerschnerd.com

[ArtKramr]

>ubject: Re: The most frightening intercom message...
>From: (Dav1936531)
>Date: 7/6/2004 11:35 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>>From: (ArtKramr)
>>Date: 7/5/04 10:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>>Message-id: >
>>
>>It was March 14, 1944. The mission was to the optical plants at Bad
>>Kreuznach. We were fully loaded with Eight 500 pound bombs. Suddenly the
>intercom came alive and our waist (radio) gunner, Bo Taylor choked
>out....FIRE
>IN THE BOMB BAY. FIRE IN THE BOMBAY. FIRE IN THE BOMB BAY.....I still hear
>his
>voice in my dreams.
>>Arthur Kramer
>
>And.....?? What's the rest of the story? Details...we want the details. Did
>the
>plane explode and kill you all? :)
>Dave
>

I opened the door in the bomb bay bulkhead and was faced with a bomb bay full
of dense smoke. So dense I couldn't see a damn thing. I ordered the bomb bay
doors be opened to clear the smoke. It was opened and the smoke cleared. But
the 180 mph relative wind rushing through the bomb bay fanned a flame in some
electrical wiring, which is what I was looking for. I gave the flames a shot
from the fire extinguisher and waited to make sure it was extinguished. No
luck. It burst into flames again fanned by the relative wind. Gave it another
shot. No luck. The wind kept the flame alive. I ordered the bomb bay doors be
shut to block out the wind and as the bomb bay began to fill with smoke I gave
flame another hit. That did it. The fire was out. We flew the mission
successfully and returned home. Willie went into the shop for repairs. But for
years afterward every time I saw an open flame I thought of Bo calling out
"Fire in the Bomb bay" Even now as I fall asleep at night I can till hear Bo's
voice calling out, " Fire in the bomb bay". It has only been 60 years since
that day over Bad Kreuznach. Maybe in a few more years I'll have forgotten
about that incident altogether.

PS. Sorry for the slow response. I am no longer subscribed to this NG and only
look in every now and again.

Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[Mary Shafer]

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 12:48:01 GMT, "Mortimer Schnerd, RN"
> wrote:

> Dav1936531 wrote:
> >
> > And.....?? What's the rest of the story? Details...we want the details. Did
> > the plane explode and kill you all? :)
>
> There I was... a Fokker on the left; a Fokker on the right....

Those Fokkers were flying Messerschmidts.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

[Krztalizer]

>
>Those Fokkers were flying Messerschmidts.

hey, Mary. (LTNS!) I thought to be technically correct, they were supposed to
be referred to as

"Dose Fokkers in der Messerschmidts?"

yf
Gordon
PS, Lex says hi. Then asked that I not call him that any more. He says, Stop
typing what I ... ARRRGGHHH

[Mary Shafer]

On 07 Jul 2004 23:26:13 GMT, (Krztalizer) wrote:

> PS, Lex says hi. Then asked that I not call him that any more. He says, Stop
> typing what I ... ARRRGGHHH

Tell Alex Mary says Hi back. We sure were lucky for his sake that you
came to Dryden when you did. No public tours and it's very hard to
have guests. The facility is now all fenced in, although the SR-71 is
outside the fence. When you drive up, all you see is chain-link fence
with three strands of barbed wire on the top. Very dismal, actually.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

[Dav1936531]

>From: (ArtKramr)
>
>
>PS. Sorry for the slow response. I am no longer subscribed to this NG and only
look in every now and again.
>Arthur Kramer

No problem. Thanks for filling in the particulars. Luckily it wasn't a ruptured
gas line feeding an inferno aound all that HE, but I am sure the intercom call
raised some neck hairs.
Dave

[ArtKramr]

>Subject: Re: The most frightening intercom message...
>From: (Dav1936531)
>Date: 7/7/2004 10:29 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>>From: (ArtKramr)
>
>>
>>PS. Sorry for the slow response. I am no longer subscribed to this NG and
>only
>look in every now and again.
>>Arthur Kramer
>
>No problem. Thanks for filling in the particulars. Luckily it wasn't a
>ruptured
>gas line feeding an inferno aound all that HE, but I am sure the intercom
>call
>raised some neck hairs.
>Dave
>


I guess I'll always remember that intercom message. (sigh)


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

[Krztalizer]

>Tell Alex Mary says Hi back. We sure were lucky for his sake that you
>came to Dryden when you did. No public tours and it's very hard to
>have guests.

"Oh, her, cool! Tell her, no offense, but I had trouble remembering her." (he
was three years old after all LOL). He still remembers the simulators and
seeing the rocket planes - he got a big smile when we talked about it. "Oh,
dad, remember the lifting body?" Always interesting to see what sticks in his
memory...

take care, Mary.
yf
Gordon
<====(A+C====>
USN SAR

Its always better to lose -an- engine, not -the- engine.