American Bomber Crewman 1941-45

Warrior #119
By Gregory Fremont-Barnes
Illustrated by Seán Ó’Brógáin
Osprey Publishing, ©2008
ISBN 978-1-84603-125-0
Softbound, 64 Pages

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The latest Warrior series examines a side of American World War Two aviation not often covered: that of the bomber crewman. While the fighter pilots received lots of attention, both then and now, the bomber crew was often overlooked or simply referred to in loss records. With around ten crewmen per bomber, though, these aviators far outnumbered their fighter pilot brethren, and likewise their losses far outnumbered those of single-pilot aircraft. With the loss of a single bomber, ten aviators were gone, a fact that weighed heavily on those that made it back.

This title examines the attire and equipment of the American bomber crewman during the Second World War. Sealed inside an aluminum tube at 30,000 feet, the bomber crewman had an incredible array of issues to deal with, of which combat was only one. The development of clothing aimed at protecting the crew at those altitudes, where the temperature could be significantly below zero, is a fascinating story, and the author does an excellent job of detailing it. At the time of the war, aviator clothing was still in flux, with experiments and adjustments ongoing. Just finding a proper inner lining that trapped warmth without shedding was a challenge, and the military went through several different options including reindeer and nutria before settling on sheep shearling. Other issues included balancing warmth with flexibility, a serious challenge as a warm suit that did not allow mobility meant that the aviators could not fly or fight.

In addition to the development of the aviator’s clothing, this book also examines some of the equipment used by the crewmen. This includes oxygen systems, flak jackets, first aid and survival equipment, and some of the combat equipment such as the Norden bombsight. All of this material is complemented by many photos, including several in color, as well as some excellent illustrations. All together, these few dozen pages tell an interesting story, one which is often overlooked in standard aviation history texts. My thanks to Osprey for the review copy.