Frank Baker Crawford Jr.
2nd Lieutenant
756th Squadron - 459th Heavy Bombardment Group - 15th Air Force
Navigators
The mix of the raging conflict overseas and the patriotic spirit brought on by the legacy of the revolution felt on July 4th, 1942, helped drive many young men into the service. In the Pittsburgh area alone, some 150 proud Americans signed up on Independence Day (1). A 20-year-old New Kensington man, Frank Crawford Jr., among those eager volunteers (1). Yet this was no easy decision for the bright young academic as signing his name on the form meant he was leaving his studies at the University of Alabama with only one year left. His father had been a foreman in the local steel mill and no doubt hoped his son would go on to complete college, yet Frank's loyalty to the nation took precedence over his studies.
Frank spent what should have been his senior year of university studying navigation in the training rooms at an airfield in Hondo, Texas. His classes were rigorous as the fresh air cadets were taught how to proficiently read maps and to perform complex calculations. They all knew that their future crews would rely on their ability to keep them on course and to guide them home safely. Attention to detail and intensive focus were critical attributes for a navigator, both of which he had fortunately developed during his previous studies. Upon completion of his courses, he proudly wore a uniform instead of donning a graduation cap as he was given his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant and presented with a navigator badge, which he had worked incredibly hard to earn. Yet for all the training, the army could never truly prepare him for what laid ahead. |
"The Flying Coffin"
The sharp dressed 2nd Lieutenant joined the other 9 airmen in his B-24 crew of the 756th Squadron, 459th Heavy Bombardment Group in early 1944. The sleek looking and attractively named B-24 “liberator” gave off the impression of American ingenuity and invincibility. Yet the looks were very much deceiving for the 10 airmen who crammed themselves into the steel hulk of this machine. Frank’s post consisted of a less then luxurious seat with a small table on which he was to track their progress and perform any needed calculations. There was hardly room to breath and the metal radiated heat from the bright Mediterranean sun. Yet for all its unpleasantries, he still had an affection for the plane on which their survival relied.
The name “liberator” was quickly replaced with the nickname “the flying coffin” due to its tight quarters and relative vulnerability which made it a death trap for the crew. Yet fortune seemed to be on Frank’s side as he flew an endless list of missions over continental Europe in the B-24. Any country under axis control was a target and he guided their plane over a swath of nations to an equally lengthy list of targets. The crews of the 756th became known for their fearlessness, earning distinction in April of 1944 when they spearheaded a bombing raid on an aircraft assembly plant in Austria (2). Frank managed to keep the plane on course as they came under heavy flak fire and were attacked by enemy fighters (2). Yet despite the dangers of this notorious mission, it was far from the crew’s closest call.
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Within Inches of Death
The large engines of the B-24 hummed as the wall of bombers made its way to the dreaded Polesti Oil Refineries in Romania. This target had been hit before and was well guarded, but Frank paid no head to thoughts of what laid ahead and instead concentrated on getting them there. Ever so slowly their metal craft cut its way through the sky without incident, bringing them within range of the oil refineries. As always, the sky was quickly covered with thick endless flak, which seemed to cloak everything around them in a impenetrable haze. Yet the navigator stayed focused on his task as did the other crewmen.
Within 5 minutes of their target, all hell broke loose as German aircraft screamed through the cloak of flak. The turret gunners immediately jumped into action and unleashed a hail of bullets at the oncoming ME-109s. Meanwhile, the bombardier worked on setting his sights as they came up on the target, releasing the payload at the exact right moment. Despite intense enemy fire, the plane remained on course and dropped its bombs. The pilots quickly trying to maneuver out of the combat zone to regroup with the rest of the squadron once the last bomb had left the bay. Yet the flak and enemy fighters continued to harass them. In a split moment, an ME-109 made a pass directly on their front and sprayed their B-24 with bullets. A single round passed through the windshield, between the pilots, and made its ways out the bomb bay. Frank sitting in his navigator’s seat was rather stunned, the bullet having missed him by only 3 inches. Yet he gathered himself and focused in on getting them home as the plane took several more hits. By the end of the 40 minutes of fighter harassment, their aircraft had taken a direct hit to the fuel tank and lost its hydraulic system. On top of that, it was now defenseless as the gunners had eaten through all their ammunition. Frank became increasingly anxious that they would have to bail out as the plane slowly limped back home. Yet the metal coffin didn’t give out and by a miracle the pilots set it down safely on the runway back in allied controlled Italy. It made for a close encounter with death that he would never forget.
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The crew continued to fly missions and beat the odds as other B-24s in the squadron were sent down in flaming wrecks. Among their greatest feats included hitting railroads to help in the Anzio offensive and softening up the defenses in Southern France for operation dragoon (2). During these often chaotic missions, he always managed to keep his crew on the right path and guided them home every time. For such a feat he was well recognized, being awarded 5 Air Medals and a Distinguished Flying Cross during his tenure. Yet these medals were merely bits of ribbon, and he was content with having survived all his required missions and being able to return to his sweetheart, Jean Cameron, back in New Kensington.
Sources:
(1) "140 More Men Volunteer For Armed Forces." Pittsburgh Press, 5 July 1942.
(2) Air Force Combat Units-Groups https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/101-150/AFD-090529-056.pdf
(1) "140 More Men Volunteer For Armed Forces." Pittsburgh Press, 5 July 1942.
(2) Air Force Combat Units-Groups https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/101-150/AFD-090529-056.pdf