SERVICE YEAR BOOK



Dear Steve;

Hi! Soldier.
I just read your letter to Dotty. I envy you in your branch of service. "Keep em flying kid"
All the luck in the world to you. I hope some day I'll fly along side of you.
Always,
Jules


Burton Steven Shiner
      "Steve" 1919.0813- 2000.0619

December 15, 1943       Boarded ship       Empress of Scotland - adv. party       54 in room
December 16, 1943       Loaded G.I.'s
December 17, 1943       Left U.S. 9:30 am
December 18, 1943       Submarine watch
December 25, 1943       Arrived Casablanca 1:00pm    Xmas dinner    Camp Marshall LeYoute
                                      Spam, pear, bread - coffee
December 27, 1943       Went to Casablanca
December 28, 1943       1st solo 8:15 Solo 15
December 29, 1943       Casablanca
December 31, 1943       Passed 10 hour check
January 5, 1944       Left Casablanca for Algiers       on train
January 6, 1944       Olives, mountains - oranges, Arabs
January 7, 1944       More mountains, hills, fields. Calif. oranges       Arabs and Spanish
January 8, 1944       Like Calif. Algiers
January 9, 1944       Arrived Telergma 21:00       Moved to LeCoure same night - tents
January 10, 1944       Entertainment Joe Calleia       Show at night
January 11, 1944       C-47 crashed
January 13, 1944       Left Africa for Italy in B-17F       10am - Arrived 14:00 A-36
January 14, 1944       Live in tobacco warehouse       522nd 27th Ftr Bomb. Gp.
January 15, 1944       Flew for first time (B/L)       1:25
January 16, 1944       Flew #3 with Major Kelly       1st man lost
January 18, 1944       Moving above Naples tomorrow       Party - Italians sang "Drop Your Socks" and Happy Birthday
January 19, 1944       Left 09:00 for Pomigliano. Past Pompeii Mt. Vesuvius. Naples.       Live in apartment. No lights
January 21, 1944       Entertainment by Yard Birds Stirling Holliway
January 22, 1944       1:50 Flew first mission. Dive bombed Fiorentino     Strafed on way home.     Invasion of Anzio Point. Lots of flak
January 24, 1944       Bombed town of Velletri       Flew on bad engine. Heaviest flak ever seen. 50 Cal.
January 25, 1944       Bombed Etri Flak
January 27, 1944       Bombed RR junction
January 28, 1944       Bombed town
January 30, 1944       Easy mission - landed Foggia (weather)
February 1, 1944       Sqd party
February 4, 1944       Flew mission - brought back bombs       Went to Pompeii - church
February 6, 1944       A.O. today Troxell missing       Plane crash
February 7, 1944       Bombed Pontecorvo       Movie "Johnny Come Lately"
February 8, 1944       Patrolled Rome
February 9, 1944       Came back with bombs - weather       Cassino fell
February 10, 1944       Bombed tanks
February 12, 1944       Bombed tanks trucks - army commander inside bomb line
February 14, 1944       Bombed gun position       Went to Naples
February 15, 1944       Bombed Rome (RR) June Clyde Louise Allbriton
February 16, 1944       Bombed Rome R.R. Good hits 1:40
February 17, 1944       Bombed RR underpass       Close to own troops. Good hits 1:20
February 18, 1944       Bombed tanks
February 19, 1944       Bombed tanks & troops
February 20, 1944       Bombed tanks & troops in valley Flak       Last mission in A-36
February 22, 1944       Flew P-40's into sqd.
February 23, 1944       Got more P-40;s
February 24, 1944       Formation       Rain
March 1, 1944       Ferried P-40 from Foggia
March 2, 1944       Bombed near Beachhead 1st in P-40
March 3, 1944       Flew to Rome - brought bombs back
March 11, 1944       Bombed guns with 1000 lbs.
March 15, 1944       3rd drive on Cassino
March 21, 1944       Went to see Vesuvius - lava Hail storm
March 22-24, 1944       Vesuvius still putting out.
March 26, 1944       Day off Went to Vesuvius - Naples
March 27, 1944       Flew two missions - Pelka - Spaletta killed by P-38 in Op. Building
April 2, 1944       Flew P-47 Went to beachhead to look for Raymond
April 13-20, 1944       Rest camp at Capri
April 11, 1944       Moved to Castle Volturno