Air Crew: 25 Missions. The Story of the Memphis Belle - Waist Gunner.

STAFF SGT. CASIMER A. NASTAL
Waist Gunner

He is the baby of the crew. At 19, he has two confirmed fighter kills to his credit, thinks he has knocked down others "but never had time to watch whether they went down." Used to have a job repairing washing machines in Detroit. Entered Army December 24, 1941.

HIS STORY

MY first advice to gunners is to take good care of their guns. This is important. They shouldn't depend on anybody else to do it for them. Every gunner should see that his oil buffer is set right. He should check his electrical equipment before taking off, because it gets cold up there and if his equipment isn't right he'll suffer.

The Germans will try to fool you. They'll come in and attack, and then as they pass they'll let out a streak of smoke as if they are going down. Then they'll come back. Also, they try to imitate our escorts. They get where you can hardly see them and unless you watch closely you might think they are your own fighters. Then suddenly they'll break in fast as hell and start shooting. If you have escort you're likely to be less alert than when you don't have them. But if you'll keep alert you'll be okeh.

Always watch the other gunners if you can. If you are a waist gunner, watch the other waist gunner. If he needs help, give it to him. He may have attacks coming in and be short of ammunition. If he is, give him some of yours.

Combat crews should never go into combat with the idea that they are not coming back. Those who have that in their minds are the least likely to get through.

IT's always a great thrill to get a fighter in your sights and let him have it. I don't know how many I have hit, but I have two confirmed. I'll never forget the day one came in shooting from 5 o'clock. I let him have it and saw my tracers go into his gas tank. He went down. I didn't see the pilot get out.

The Germans are a wild bunch sometimes. On our Bremen raid, the fighters came in bunches of 20 or 30. At the target, the flak started. It was bursting outside the waist windows. I could have reached out and grabbed it. I kept thinking, "Let's get the hell out of here." I saw two or three fighters hit by their own flak. It was so thick you could hardly see the ground. The Focke-Wulfs were even bursting through our formation.

You can see the effects of our missions. In England, they used to call St. Nazaire "Flak City." The raids have softened it up.

At the waist gun position, you can see what's going on just about anywhere. It's cold, but when you're in flak you warm up. You don't have time to think about being cold. You don't have time to think about being scared either. You might be scared on the way over. You think of all the things that could happen. A lot of funny things run through your mind.

I want to go back as a pilot. I put in for fighter pilot, but if they give me a B-17 I'll take it. I guess it just gets in your blood.