457th Bomb Group Message Board

[ 457th Bomb Group Message Board ]

Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/18/2003, 2:11 pm
24.47.48.50

Hello- I ordered the books from Mr Bass and they arrived yesterday. They are fantastic! I urge anyone who does not have them to order them from Mr Bass while they are still available.
Also, can anyone tell me how to look up a mission narrative? I don't seem to be having any luck. Thanks!-Diane

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Willard Reese on 12/18/2003, 7:14 pm, in reply to "Fait Accompli Trilogy"
209.208.120.68

Diane,
If you mean the Mission Narratives on the 457th website, there are several ways:

1. You can go to the "Search" box on the home page and enter the mission target (i.e. Berlin ) and follow the link to the "Honor Role 457th BG (H), Mission xxx".
2. You can bring up the Aircraft Database by clicking on the button on the home page. Clicking on any link in the "Fate" column will take you to the narrative.
3. If there were lives lost, then click on the "457th Honor Roll" button on the home page and select any link in the "Aircraft " column and that will take you to the narrative for that mission.
4. In the "Search" box on the home page, enter the word "Narrative" (without the quotes). This will bring up the links to all the narratives on the website. (plus a couple other things) Those links labeled Mission 0 are instances where the aircraft was lost on the continent but the crew returned to the field with no loss, or a mission where the aircraft and sometimes the crew were lost over friendly terrority (England). (i.e. mid air accidents.)
There are some other ways also but these should help you find what you are looking for.
Note also: We do not have a narrative for each mission flown only those where an aircraft was lost. Where more than one aircraft was lost on the same mission there is a narrative for each aircraft lost.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/18/2003, 7:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Thank you Hap! I think # 4 is really what I was looking for. I just tried it. Earlier in the day I had typed in "mission 128" and I got "no results found". I understand there aren't narratives for each mission.
Regarding the books by James Bass, I thought I had read somewhere that he was a member of the 457th. Is that correct?
Diane

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Willard Reese on 12/18/2003, 7:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
209.208.120.68

Yes, Diane, Jim is presently Vice President of the 457th Association.
If you need help with anything on the website don't hesitate to ask me.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/18/2003, 9:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Thank you Hap!
I'll probably become your worst nitemare!

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by craig harris on 12/18/2003, 8:58 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
66.26.70.81

Diane: You better believe James Bass was a member of the 457th, 748th Sq., to be exact. He was the radio operator on the crew of Lt. Don Sellon. I don't remember how many missions he flew, but it had to have been at least 30. Today, he is still a practicing attorney (don't worry - some of my best friends are lawyers) and is still engaged in the research task of determining the final resting places of our KIAs. He is very active, and one on whom the leadership of the 457th BG Association has come to depend, for a lot of good things. Cheers! craig harris

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/18/2003, 9:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Thanks Craig! I thought I had seen that info someplace. One thing that pleased me tremendously was that the 2 written books had a larger print than I expected. My father's vision is not so good these days & since these are his Christmas gift I was very concerned that he wouldn't be able to see the print. The fact that Mr Bass signed each one just made them all the more special.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Jerry Sale on 12/19/2003, 7:26 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
134.244.179.232

Was there a reason you picked mission 128? That was the mission on which my father's original crew perished.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/19/2003, 11:38 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Jerry,
I just used that one as an example. The grandson of Charles Darnell had contacted me because he had seen our earlier discussion. His grandfather also perished on that one & he had sent me the mission narrative. He told me that 2 had survived so I immediatly thought of you. However I didn't see your fathers name listed with the others so now I'm confused. In the earlier discussion you said it might have been mission 110 & I think you said you weren't quite sure, but I was having a REAL hard time finding any mission narratives except for the landing accident between the Skunk Hollow & the Queen Bea..
Diane

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Jerry Sale on 12/19/2003, 12:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
134.244.179.232

It was mission 120 when my dad bailed out because of a midair collision. The other plane had only 2 survivors.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/19/2003, 5:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Ohhh, ok. I understand now, Do you know if there was a mission narrative for # 120? I guess there would be if it was a collision. With any luck I'll be able to find it.
Thanks Jerry

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/21/2003, 7:58 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Hi Jerry,
I found that narrative for 120 by going to the "Honor Roll". I thought that you had told me a while back that your father bailed out twice & one of those times there were only 2 survivors, your dad being one of them. Did I misunderstand that?
btw, I ordered the B-17 calendar that was advertised in the last news letter. It came yesterday & it's very nice. No pics from the 457th but a lot of others.
Diane

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Jerry Sale on 12/22/2003, 7:20 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
134.244.179.232

My father only had to bail out once on, which was on Mission 120 flying with his original crew headed by Harold Gay. Sometime between mission 120 and 128, my father accepted an assignment as second lead navigator and flew in one of the lead planes each mission after he accepted the assignment. What I may have said was he was one of only two surviviors of the original Harold Gay crew who were all killed on mission 128 with the exception of my father, who was flying with other crews then and one other guy who couldn't fly because of a broken arm.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/22/2003, 9:49 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Thanks Jerry. I guess I was confused. I was looking for his name on some of those lists as a survivor.
Those books are very interesting. The calendar is pretty neat too.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Todd Darnell on 12/20/2003, 12:13 pm, in reply to "Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.211.207.231

Hey Diane, it's me. Go to this web site's home page and type in "Mission narrative" along with the number, such as "Mission Narrative 128". if there is a narrative in the database it should pop up from there. let me know if you need any help. The book I told you about, Black Puff Polly, also has a narrative of all the missions.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 12/21/2003, 8:06 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Hi Todd!
I'm not having too much luck researching that way so now that I have the 3 books I'm looking them up in there. It's not the entire narrative or plane names but it mentions the date & who the pilot was. That way I can look through the "Honor Roll" for the dates & click on a link from there.
Do you know if "Black Puff Polly" is still in print or orderable?
Diane

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Marcy Adams on 12/23/2003, 11:09 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
162.39.161.74

Diane,
I also ordered my Brothers each a set of
"Fait Accompli" for Christmas. We had our Family Christmas Saturday, they were really excited about
them. On the book "Black Puff Polly" I could not find this book. So I contacted the author (Mr. Byers) He's a great guy too, just like Mr. Bass
The book "Black Puff Polly" is out of print. I have checked on amazon.com and ebay. But I have not had any luck. My Father was the tail Gunner on "Black Puff Polly" and I also wanted to purchase this book for my Brothers. Actually, I really needed five copies. So now I have my Family and Friends trying to find the book. So with a little luck maybe we can find a couple of copies by next Christmas.
Marcy Adams
Daughter of Sgt. Charles L Stewart
749th Bomb Squad
Tail Gunner "Black Puff Polly"
shot down 5/29/44 POW Stalag Luft IV

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane on 12/23/2003, 12:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Hi Marcy,
Thanks for the info. I had thought I was on a roll being able to get the 3 books. I'll keep my eyes open for Black Puff Polly. I thought the calendar advertised in the last news letter was excellent too. Did you see that?
Actually by next Christmas I'm hoping to find someone to make a model of a B-17 with the markings of the "Queen Bea". That's the plane that my father named after my mother. Do you know anyone who does things like that?
Diane Noon
daughter of Lt M Jaraslow USAF Ret
Pilot of the Queen Bea
751st Sq

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Wm.C.Goldsborough on 3/6/2004, 10:05 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
207.19.142.237

Hello! Diane
I am Bill. Goldsborough. I was the Ball Turret gunner on Local Mission shot down June 14,1944
and luckey enough to escape capture. In 1995 I ordered a model of the B-17 from Pacific Aircraft
in Scottsdale Az. (800)950-9944 or (602) 991-1841
the cost at that time was $140.00 + S/H $10.00.
My model has Sentimental Journey with triangle (U)
on the tail. Give it a try nothing to lose.

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Diane Noon on 3/6/2004, 11:42 am, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
24.47.48.50

Bill,
Thanks for the information! I definitly will look into it. I had seen some listed for sale once before but I don't remember where.
Diane

Post a Response

Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy

Posted by Willard Reese on 12/23/2003, 1:33 pm, in reply to "Re: Fait Accompli Trilogy"
209.208.117.184

Diane,
You might try these sites that have Black Puff Polly listed for sale.
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookSearch
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=146973594
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BookDetails?bi=55311663
Hope you find something there.
Willard

Post a Response

«Back to thread

[ 457th Bomb Group Message Board ]