A Rockin’ Response
Donald Lugers article
“A Rockin’ Tribute” (October-november 2019) pays homage to the B-29 Superfortress. In one of the pictures (right), Donald points to the tail guns of this plane. The sight of these tail guns immediately triggered a memory from an experience I had during the final days of World War II. I was living in Amsterdam; there was no food left and people were literally starving in the streets. It was called the Hunger Winter of 1944. The war was ending, much of the Netherlands was liberated but the western part was still in German hands. Permission was granted to the Allied Forces by the Germans for food drops at Schiphol Airport. “Operation Manna” was launched and many bombers took part. The first drop was done by Lancasters. These mighty planes also had rear guns,
similar to the B-29. It was the first time we saw these planes flying at such a low altitude. People moved to the flat roof tops of the many apartment buildings in Amsterdam to watch these low-flying planes. The streets were also filled with people. Everybody was waving at our liberators.
In Donald Lugers’s last paragraph, he wrote: “What an incredible sound! I give a final wave to Fifi the Flying Superfortress.” And instantly my memory was triggered not only because of the incredible sound of the planes, but explicitly because of the wave back to us from the rear gunner. He employed both guns and moved them up and down—that was his wave back at us! Unforgettable! Herman Mol, Ottawa