Harry Crosby - "30 Missions Over Europe in B-17s"

A DISCUSSION WITH National Authors on Tour Episode #40 - 1993
Author of A WING AND A PRAYER, an account of the "Bloody 100th" group's bombing missions in WWII; interviewed by Tom O'Neill of Hennepin County Library. (29:00)

[@toddmcclellan979]

This man was my father's cousin. I had the privilege of meeting him when I was 16 years old at my grandmother's house.

[@francescodizazzo]

"At twenty-two we were becoming people that were destroying cities." What a line.

[@delvictor7570]

In reality they were ushering in peace for billions of people for at least the next 80 years.

[@piranhaattack4836]

Damn that’s how old I am rn

[@michaelmclaren7373]

Before Miller’s “Masters of the Air,” there was Col. Crosby’s “Wing and a Prayer.” ALL of the 100th stories in Masters came originally from Harry’s book, which is simply not getting the recognition it deserved. This was the OG humanized history and story of the 100th.

[@AJohnSmith]

Reading about what each branch’s unique theatre and experience, shows a great sublime of fighting an enemy and understanding their culture/how they approach battle. The Japanese would fight to the last man, Russians would shoot their own in the back if they retreated. Thankfully, these men were able to write the stories. With the mass censorship campaigns worldwide, it’s best we all know our past.

[@sambarone981]

Thank you Hennepin County Library for preserving this. "Lest we forget..." the heroes now gone.

[@LudiCrust.]

Yessir! Lest we forget that highfalutin Vladimir Putin & his dastardly band of chaos creating bots recking havoc 😤

[@paddy.7784]

' Wing and a Prayer ' One of the best books ever written about serving in 'The Mighty Eighth ' flying from England in WW 2.

[@PL-rf4hy]

Um, it's about the Bloody 100th, not the Mighty Eighth. Crosby wasn't in the Mighty Eighth.

[@Haurdead123]

Absolutely wild story at the end making the other navigator jump out just to get rid of him.

[@Ulyssestnt]

Haha,I loved that story..the air force version of fragging the fresh LT who cant read a map right there:p

[@princehector2266]

I love how Harry says, "the guy was fine, he became a POW". LOL! I am not sure "the guy" was fine with that.

[@zefallafez]

26:00

[@dmarshy]

It would have been great IMO for Hanks and Spielberg to get the rights to some of these interviews and put them in the “Masters of The Air” series. The whole production lacked the historical tie to the real-life characters that made BOB so enthralling.

[@Shadowdoc26]

Because unfortunately by the time masters of the air was finally developed, most of these guys were dead. Damn shame the millions of heroes of that generation are now down to a few thousand.

[@McNasty_101]

​@@Shadowdoc26that's not even the only reasons it was because production was during covid BS and Writers strike and as well as many 100th Bomb Group vets were died only 3 are left and one of which is a Co-Pilot all thr reasons why the show was a disappointing

[@joziroguszka2865]

holy heck he's just like I expected him to be from watching Masters of the Air. Anthony Boyle is so similar in his mannerisms, the way he talks an' all.

[@Frostie3672]

When they were talking about the Memphis belle movie it made me think what Harry would of thought of masters of the air.

[@stevenwatsham5973]

Absolute Legend..

[@user-gh1fu6yc4f]

Great interview. It felt like Harry wanted to keep talking (and I wanted to keep listening)

[@curlywurly1797ify]

Ohh me too! I didn't want the interview to end and could listen to him talk about his service for days. Such an accomplished and articulate man.

[@CheshireCatJW]

Great interview of one of the living heroes of WWII.

[@gh87716]

Not a hero. Murderer.

[@oceantree5000]

This video is an amazing artifact. Thank y’all so much for preserving it.

[@bruceerwin5430]

Fabulous interview. Thanks so much for posting it.

[@seanohare5488]

Harry Crosby a true american hero a salute you for your service in wwtwo

[@FatTonyCologino]

Harry Crosby from masters of the air??????!?!?

[@user-wk9wq8yq5u]

Yes

[@jamesstewartwilliams]

This is a very important interview that is now becoming more relevant than ever. Thank you for posting this.

[@mabbrey]

great stuff

[@richardsimms251]

Great discussion. Thank you. RS. Canada

[@Hawaiian80882]

Thankyou for posting this...

[@sisuriffs]

Man, I miss this generation. They put Humpty together again, for us, and I’m not sure we’re doing right by them.

[@Seafariireland]

What a cool dude!

[@Hauntcast]

I recently finished this book and highly recommend. There a few men today that could do what these men did? If we had a world war today, we would be in deep shit.

[@wmsd45]

It would have also been great if Hanks and Spielberg would have at least mentioned the B-24 at some point in the series, like Mr. Crosby did in this interview. Admittedly I'm biased as my uncle was a radio operator on libs with the 404th Bomb Squadron in the Aleutians.

[@curlywurly1797ify]

An accomplished and articulate man, thank God he was on our side. An absolute legend. Keep sleeping peacefully Mr Crosby and thank you to you and your colleagues for your outstanding military service. UBIQUE from the granddaughter and great granddaughter of passed WWl & WWll British Army and Navy veterans 🥀🥀

[@quincymitchell160]

I dunno to others, but I felt that the way Harry Crosby talks is somewhat having similar vibes the way Movie Director Martin Scorsese talks 😅

[@jaychristianson]

What a guy what a book!

[@sgs1262]

When was this filmed?

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

Yeah. I read _On a Wing and a Prayer_ 30 or 40 years ago. So - I was aware of Harry and the Bucky's. One thing he mentioned was that when the Bucky's got shot down the nature of the group changed and it became more by the book and less wild. (IIRC). .

[@fredkruse9444]

What year was this filmed?

[@spennykcn]

1993 according to the info posted along with the video.

[@fredkruse9444]

@@spennykcn Thanks.

[@princehector2266]

This must have been after his memoirs were just published. Part of his book is quite an eye opener especially since what he did during WWII which is brought up surprisingly in Masters of the Air.

[@johnwriter8234]

General LeMay was an Aaaaa-hole to send the 100th ouut alone!

[@mercuryredstone2235]

He said if America lost the war he said he'd of been tried for war crimes.

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

What was the alternative? Leadership still had to prove the viability of Daylight Precision Bombing.

[@princehector2266]

The problem is even the Brits said that if you have to bomb during the daytime, you needed fighter escorts all the way to the target and back. Even the Germans learned that the hard way during the Battle of Britain. What made it worse in 1943 was the lack of strong protection on the front of the B-17s where the German fighters would attack which wasn't remedied till they added twin chin guns for the B-17G.@@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

@@princehector2266 This was determined without brits advice.

[@RedStarRogue]

I like how he says "It's not right to blow cities off the map" and then "I was surprised he said I was an outstanding officer because on three occasions I said some things that displeased him..." which makes sense considering the kind of general LeMay was lol.

[@rodbutler4054]

The word “Bloody” in England had a major connotation similar to the F word in the US.

[@tinamotherofpete]

The English invented the F word and bloody was never seen as equivalent, it’s always been a much milder swear word that even old ladies would use. “You bloody kids!” would be like saying “you damn kids” or even “darn” depending on how relaxed your parents were about such things. “Fred, the bloody cow got out again!” And it still always also referred to being bloody, as in covered in blood or a “bloody battle”. In fact, you could use it both ways in one sentence straight after each other. “That battle was bloody bloody!”

[@norlockv]

It was a bigger profanity back when the term “Christ’s blood” carried a worry of damnation.