Oral history interview with Erich E. Schleier, 2003 June 12.

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Oral history interview with Erich E. Schleier, 2003 June 12.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/428452934

Interview with Erich E. Schleier, an Army Air Forces veteran (436th Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group, 10th Air Force), concerning his experiences as a B-24 pilot in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. His prewar education through college at the University of Houston; Junior ROTC in high school; joining the Texas Air Guard (111th Observation Squadron) before World War II; flying lessons at Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas; participation in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the Citizen Military Training Camp; his commissioning as a 2nd lieutenant in the field artillery, August, 1941; his transfer to the Army Air Forces, December 17, 1942; physical training at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, 1942; primary flight training, Corsicana, Texas, 1942; basic flight training, Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas, 1942; advanced flight training in multi-engine planes, Ellington Field, Houston, Texas, 1942; B-17 training, Sebring, Florida, 1942; B-24 training, Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona, 1943; crew formation at Davis-Monthan; bomber transition training, Clovis, New Mexico, 1943; assignment to the CBI Theater; crash landing at McDewgwi, Nigeria, April 27, 1943; stationing at Bishnupur, India, 1943; base living conditions; various bombing missions to Rangoon, Burma; Japanese fighter and antiaircraft opposition; night missions against Japanese shipping; mining the Bangkok, Thailand, harbor; comments about Indian culture and living conditions; combat death of his co-pilot; his navigator's psychological problems; detailed descriptions of two raids on the Burma-Thailand "Death Railway," Spring, 1944, and the wounding of his arm on the second raid; recuperation; his return to combat eight weeks later; his reaction to the combat death of his brother in Europe; his return to the States, July, 1944; date with Judy Garland; his postwar career in commercial aviation and his later return to active duty in the Air Force. Appendix consists of an entry tilted "The Kwai and I," (four leaves).

190, [5] leaves : facsims. ; 29 cm.

University of North Texas Library, UNT

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SNAC Resource ID: 7480872

University of North Texas Library, UNT

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