Oral history interview with Elmer Homburg, 2001.

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Oral history interview with Elmer Homburg, 2001.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53042822

Elmer L. Homburg, a Cottage Grove, Wisconsin native, discusses his World War II service as a navigator and bombardier in the Army Air Corps with the 466th Bomb Group in Europe. Homburg relates joining the Reserve Officers Training Corps while attending the University of Wisconsin, being activated as a sergeant in the infantry, and basic training at Camp Wolters (Texas). He talks about being separated from a great group of trainees due to hospitalization for an infected lung and a recovery furlough, so he decided to transfer to the Air Force. After preflight school at San Antonio and navigation training at San Marcos, Homburg discusses combat training on B-24s at Casper (Wyoming) and being airsick on training flights. Shipped overseas to Attlebridge Air Force Base (Norwich, England) in February of 1945, he touches on assignment to the 785th Squadron. He describes his missions, including dropping napalm around Bordeaux (France) and bombing the German general staff headquarters at Zossen (Germany). He comments on having bombardier duties as well as doing navigation, wearing glasses on combat missions, and convincing command there was anti-aircraft fire at Nienburg. Homburg recalls seeing one of his friends' planes get shot down and characterizes his own crew. Assigned to practice at a radio range in Wales on V-E Day, he tells how his crew flew to London (England) instead to watch the celebrations from the air. After V-E Day, Homburg speaks of taking ground crews on low-altitude sight-seeing flights over Germany. He touches upon his flight back to the United States through bad weather, using dead reckoning, living conditions on the air base, and the efforts of a colonel from Milwaukee to get the Bomb Group to always stay in formation. When the base was to be disbanded, Homburg talks about how the money tied up in the officer's club was spent. He comments on the presence of the Red Cross, lack of formal entertainment on the base, availability of alcohol, and having limited time off base in England. Homburg addresses his use of the GI Bill, his homecoming on a train, and a career teaching at Madison East High School.

Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Videorecording : 1 videocassette (ca. 50 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 50 min.) : analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 23 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

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SNAC Resource ID: 7663602

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

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