Air Crew: Combat Crew, 1943/44 - The Engineer

"In my opinion an engineer has got more to learn in the next few months than any other man in the crew-if he's able to handle his job in a combat area." The lieutenant is wearing a shiny new pair of bars, but behind the bars are five hitches in this man's army, the last three as a crew chief.

"l went into combat with 15 years of service on my record. Before the ten months I put in the Solomons was over it called for every day's experience I had.

"You may not, as a matter of fact probably won't, have as many griefs as we ran into. We kept our planes in the air for five months before the ground echelon got there. Sometimes we were using baling wire and chewing gum-well, maybe the chewing gum is exaggeration. The baling wire is the truth. But the planes kept flying.

"In the long run, that is the engineer's responsibility in combat. To see that the ship keeps flying-regardless of difficulties. You've learned a lot by the time you reach here-you'll learn a lot more here.

"To give you a rough idea, before you pass out of the 2nd Air Force there will he a check on your ability to perform 69 different operations-fuel transfers-operation of automatic equipment-use of emergency and rescue apparatus-engine checks-controls-and 63 more jobs.

"You are going to live with your ship-learn what makes her tick. That means ground work. Nobody really knows a piece of machinery until they've worked on it. Know every gauge, switch, and fuse. A fuse is going to blow out some day when the ack-ack is tossing you around. That's a bad time to start trying to find out where it is.

"Get your pilot to give you some tips on flying. Any good engineer should know the controls. With a few hours' practice you should be able to handle the ship in the air-and even land her after a fashion.

"In your job of gunner you get a break. Most engineers man the upper turret gun-the best spot in the plane. You can see anything coming at you-and should be able to get a crack first. Learn your gunnery-and learn both engineering and gunnery at 30,000 feet.

"One last thing. Tech orders are an engineer's bible. Keep them handy-and use them."