Dominions of Corrosion Jimmy Boom Semtex

Tondelayo

And so there...

There high above us was the High Squadron.

Their contrails were visible for miles.

Enemy Nazi fighters could, would, hide there.

We in the Middle Squadron watched them, they stalked us, out of 50 Cal range.

They waited...

We flew on in our B-17, named Tondelayo.

Little did we know that we would be attacked, soon.

And again on other flights.

20MM cannon shells would be found, unexploded, in our wing fuel tanks.

Inside one shell was not high explosive but a note; it said:

This is all we can do for now...

Later, they hit us.

Tondelayo ended up under the sea.

We barely survived.

We flew for the Mighty Eighth.

Don't ask our names...

Just remember what we did.

For Elmer Bendiner, his crewmates and their plane Tondelayo, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Elmer wrote a stunning book. I read it in the 80s...