Theodore Drazkowski, diary part 3

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That was the Canadian front line – that’s where we came across - the Americans were on the other side of the mountain (the Naples side). (Did you have any problems with the guns before that mission?)

On the Naples job we were around 24,000. They talked about prebriefing and de-briefing- I never attended a single one of those - I was never called into a briefing. (Did you test fire your guns on the Naples raid for instance?) Nothing, that was top required and they didn't do that. All my life I have always blamed it on the sand from the desert - but now I find out different. (Jim mailed you a packet of stuff didn't he?) Your name was on the literature I got - you went to test fire the guns. (I heard from a West also on that mission who was flying with Norm Appold - he gave a report very similar to Appold’s that this Me109 was sitting right below them and to their left.) That’s the way it was with me too - he was to my left. We were flying very close formation although most of the time it was so cloudy and of course being busy trying to get the guns working you’re not looking around. I did happen to look up though and saw that Jerry down there. (I gave an explanation on the oil and the buffer assembly didn't I?) Yes I understand it perfectly now. I'd like to have the diagram and more information. My grandchildren would like all that stuff when I pass on. There was no test firing at all - ammunition was hard to come by. It seems that was not a ritual with the gang - the only ritual was that you weren’t allowed to sit in the tail position upon landing. That was enforced. One time Jerry followed us in and started blasting the heck out of us and everybody said we’ve got to sit in our positions when we land and they said no'. We had an advance airfield someplace near Bone, North Africa - in Egypt. It was an advanced hospital base also because I spent some time in the hospital recouperating. I was not injured in the fall - just starved that’s all. We did not come down near each other I think - I never saw Bob until that night we were in a civilian jail. They were waiting for me to land- civilian soldiers, carbiniere and what not. They took us to a filfthy slimy place - concrete floor full of pee and crap - I was tired - I fell asleep - I had to. We were the only two that bailed out.