Genealogy Data Page 8 (Notes Pages)

Spiers Paul Robert [Male] b. 29 MAY 1918 Batavia, Genesee, New York, USA - d. 04 MAR 2009 Sodus, Wayne, New York, USA

Source
Title: Social Security Death Index

Educación: 1936

Evento: SSN issued

Source
Title: Social Security Death Index

I graduated from Cornell in 1941 majoring in agricultural economics. I signed -up for the draft one month before I graduated at Ithaca, NY. Went home and helped my Father in his farm operation and he tried to get me deferred to help him in the farming effort during WW II but the local draft board in our Genesee County, Batavia, NY were not decreeing anyone. So before they drafted me I joined the enlisted reserve corp to try to become an aviation cadet. They called me in Jan. '43 and I became a pilot aviation cadet. graduating in Nov '43. Wanted to be a B-25 pilot but they were looking for 4 engine bomber crews so all medium bomber desiree's were assigned as copilots on 4 engine bombers. I was assigned to a crew and we did our combat crew training in Dalhart, TX..."the only place in God's World where you could get knee deep in mud and dust in your eyes". We finished our training and were sent to Kearney, NE where we were assigned to a brand new B-17G Flying Fortress with a bill of lading on the copilots seat in the amount of $198,000. We flew this to Prestwick, Scotland getting there on March 1, 1944. We were later assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 545th Bomb Squadron located 75 miles north of London at a hamlet named Grafton Underwood. I flew about half of my missions with our crew and the pilot then was made an Air Commander and I then became pilot of my own crew. I was one of the fortunate ones to complete my Tour of Duty which was 32 missions. Was flown back to the good ole US of A and after R&R Atlantic City was assigned as an instructor pilot at a B-17 Combat Crew Training Base at Avon Park, FL and later became a Flight Commander in charge of training 14 combat crews at a time. Then became a member of the Base Pilot's Standardization Board checking out all base pilot's on the up-to-date standardized instruction. They tried their best to talk me into staying in the the Army Air Force, but I had had enough of Army Air Force life and my Dad wanted me home to get in partnership in his farm operation. So I was separated from the service in Sept. '45. Farmed it until 1957 and then became a Farm Credit Banks manager of their Sodus, NY office...retiring after 21 years in 1986. I have been Well-Blessed by our Good Lord in many, many ways. The B-17 Flying Fortress was a pilot's dream to fly. I loved flying it and found it as easy as driving a car after flying it the great number of hours I accumulated. I could write a book on it all. The combat flying was probably the hardest work I ever did. Flying formation in combat conditions was some exacting work. But our entire original crew all finished their Tour of Duty missions. Yes, we WERE WELL BLESSED!!!

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