World War II Pilot Tells a Brutal True Story

This is the second episode on Ed McNeff in my Saving History series Ed was a P-51 Mustang pilot in the 355th Fighter Group in 1944 and 1945. This video is about two difficult missions with his wingmen, Ben Johnston and Norm Olson. It also includes a run in with skilled German FW-190 ace Heinz Bar. If you want to watch the other videos from Ed's story, you can find them here!
Episode 1: • A P-51 Mustang Story Y...
Episode 3: • P-51 Pilot Recalls His...
Know a living veteran of the air war? Please fill this form out! forms.gle/E34N...
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[@The1trueJester]

In your effort to preserve history, this magnificent gentleman will live on forever as well. Love and respect what you do TJ, Stay Awesome!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@josecabezas6159]

eroe respetos a ti p0r america

[@LETOUR7TIMESFRANCE]

​@@TJ3Keep up the great work bud!!

[@mastathrash5609]

I really appreciate anyone who is trying to keep these memories from this generation.

[@MUSTANG_P51]

Thank you for another great story of the P51 and it’s pilot!! Hearing Ed’s story is truly incredible and I hope all this is taught to the future generations of American military aviators! Thank you for saving another piece of history!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@donnabonning5587]

Absolutely amazing!! What brave heros these men were. Supermen! Thankyou for giving Edward McNeff the means to tell his story!

[@331SVTCobra]

WW2 Vets rock. When I started working back in the 80s we had quite a few vets. One flew P-38s, one was on the Gambier Bay, my boss had been on a destroyer, cool stories. The Gambier Bay guy still had the thousand yard stare whenever he'd remember floating in the water for three days though.

[@LancelotChan]

Thank you very much for saving history. It was obviously hard for Ed to tell the story about those losses, even after all the years.

[@brianjschumer]

Alot of the surviving pilots of both countries, got together later after the war. I remember in a book, it might have been the number #2 ace in a P-47, who said after speaking with a few of the German aces about tactics, planes, kills, efforts, said.. and im quoting..im glad i didnt run into a few of those guys..i probably couldnt have taken them down..

[@patrickyoung3503]

The courage of the flyers was never doubt , they had to learn quickly & became skilled in double quick time . They are all hero's to me . Honour & Respect . Lest we forget .

[@jimc6687]

Once again, TJ..........superb reporting/storyline plus graphics along with this great personable WW II hero's interview with Ed McNeff!! Great work buddy!! Jim C.

[@TJ3]

Thanks Jim!

[@michaelharman9421]

After completing three tour on Lancaster bombers( 90 missions) my uncle Bill Winchester was given the choice of what he wanted to fly. He chose fighters . He said he came closest to being killed in the war when he did a ground attack . After all those missions in Lancs l think this really scared the crap out of him

[@petej.8676]

Just think..kids were flying these magnificent planes soon after high school..kids today can't drive a stick shift car...My respects ✌️

[@BullGator-kd6ge]

I’m 18 and I’d rather learn to fly a Mustang than any car, any day.

[@coolsurfer1785]

You say it as casual as they kids think nowadays and disrespectful to call that generation old guys

[@petej.8676]

@@coolsurfer1785 what?

[@timcullerton2392]

​​@@BullGator-kd6ge my Uncle, Bill Cullerton, was Lt. Olson's replacement in OS-X and in his later years drove a white Ford Mustang with the 355FG/357FS "Licking Dragon" logo...so, the best of both worlds. 😄

[@christosvoskresye]

These were not kids. These were MEN, and they had earned the respect of manhood. It is a shame of our society that perpetual childhood is now an option.

[@artawhirler]

Ed McNeff's story is fascinating! Thanks for bringing it to us!

[@TJ3]

Know a living veteran of the air war? Please fill out this form ASAP so we can tell their story! forms.gle/7ENUMDdC87uQ1pgy6 And if you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting my hard work here so I can continue to do this. Patreon.com/TJ3History If you want to watch the other videos from Ed's story, you can find them here! Episode 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWPbiKdsiKp2pLs Episode 3: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnOTaJZmm9Kblbc

[@brokenbridge6316]

Please keep up these video's. Because they show what a fighter pilot went through in WWII.

[@aprilgeneric8027]

Lt. Richard Berthiaume F4 pilot on a carrier in the pacific, passed away on August 30 2009, at age 86 from alzheimers. his business partner Capt. Wayne Reithermiller B-17 pilot G and K group lost 3 fortresses and 2 whole air crews, one ditched in the channel and 2 barely made it to landing before burning up, was run over by a grandmother while bicycling home from the grocery store May 16, 2006, at age 88....now that man had an interesting life, and his kids have his photo albums (Mary Lou) from the war that were some stunning photos, i scanned a few of the most shocking ones in the few hours i had access to one of the photo albums at his funeral, the most heart wrenching is his attempts to get some one to try and save his ball turret gunner who was badly wounded before he was burned alive due to hydraulic failure and turret damage from flak the photo he saved as just before the fire moved aft of the left win and was midway down the frame moving outward from the wings with the tail to the head winds as they parked on the taxiway to try and save many horrible wounded in the rear of the plane that was missing sections and panels from horrific flak damage that blew off most of the left tail and into the rudder. no idea who the camera man was but photos were spectacular in clarity and scope captured. herald-journal.com/obits/2006/riethmiller0506.html

[@Bambihunter1971]

Do you by chance know where this Ed McNeff was from and/or family info? I ask because my late fathers sisters married name is McNeff (From a small town in Nebraska) and they have kid(s) named Edward that age-wise (mid-60s I'd guess) and could be about grandson age. It isn't that common of a name and while not a 'dead ringer', he does kind of bear that family resemblance.

[@jonathanbair523]

Please link all the videos together... I only see 2 of 3 of his videos....

[@TJ3]

All links are now above!

[@scottzipse23]

Thank you for your service glad you made it

[@joevanseeters2873]

The Focke Wulf 190 "Butcher Bird" was not an aircraft to play around with. In the hands of a skilled pilot (which most German Pilot's were) it was a deadly machine. As good as the P-51's were, the Pilots knew when they engaged an FW190, they had to be at the very top of their game. What the FW190 had was durability and speed! It was very similar to a P-47 Thunderbolt in that respect, it could take a massive beating and still keep on flying. The FW-190 was the most advanced aircraft of that time having many "firsts in aviation" in regards to it's equipment and technology including it's revolutionary engine design and cooling system, and it was also the first fighter aircraft to employ rockets. The Pilots that converted over to the FW190 loved the aircraft and knew it was a stellar leap ahead in technology and aircraft design compared to that of the BF109's that most of them flew previously.

[@supercat4539]

These men were the best generation of America

[@ralphshelley9586]

They wanted out a depression America to do something good! Prove themselves!

[@timmycLA287]

One of the best WW 11 air war documentaries I've seen. Great Job!

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@scottmccloud9029]

Great series man. Keep em comin.

[@TJ3]

Thanks!

[@terrycook477]

These are valuable stories. When I was younger I heard many many WWII veterans tell remarkable stories of fear, fate, miracles and historical events. One of the most remarkable was a veteran from England that was with the Queens Coventry Guards that were the when Rudolph Hess was captured. He said something was very strange about that event that was secret.

[@oudude8770]

Could you elaborate more on that event?

[@abbottsplace8080]

Thanks for the great videos. Well done! Amazing true stories like these are valuable to preserve.

[@theminutemen1275]

You should put Part II in the description. After watching the first I almost gave up on finding the second. This one was 2 months old - so I made my best guess. Just want to see your channel do well. Anyone who watches the first will want to see the 2nd part!

[@TJ3]

Good idea!

[@xavidoc372]

Just amazing, great job 👏👏👏

[@Rhaman68]

For clarification, a flight is made up of a leader and a wingman. In flights of four, two elements, the flight leader and wingman. You mentioned wingman but referencing to the flight leader. In this case, the wingman lost sight of the leader. Ret USAF pilot Thanks.

[@davidharris7235]

Ed, I wish I could shake your hand and tell you how much I admire you for your braveness and heroics. God bless you.

[@edsims719]

Great story. Ed is an American hero. However Ben was not Ed's wingman. He was the leader. Ed was the wingman. Thanks TJ!

[@rjwohlman]

Man, that was great!

[@traxel14]

I speak German: The Ace's correct name was: Oskar-Heinrich Bär, pronounced as "bear" in English! The name of this animal, a bear, in German is also "Bär " (bear).

[@stevemaynards.g.t]

Great story TJ tho sad ed have good memories look forward to part 3.

[@Russellw.-rm5zb]

Quinten Anneson, in "A Fighter Pilots Story", gives a great account of the air war over Europe, in WW2, was like. Attacking enemy airfields, which were usually heavily protected by German Flak batteries, was extremely dangerous. Taking three passes over such a target was akin to a game of "Russian Roulette"!

[@mircogavagnin8375]

The german ace was Major Heinz Bär.

[@gar6446]

Strafing airfields with fighters wasn't really worth it . The losses were horrific, the mental anguish of facing the flak was debilitating, and Germany never had an aircraft shortage. It was fuel and pilots they lacked. Plus, the German flak gunners were well equipped,highly experienced, and skilled. They got a lot of practice. Going back for a second run was frowned upon, and three passes was foolhardy. Perhaps his previous experience with the P-47 had an effect. The P-47 was much more suitable for this sort of venture, not least because it could build up tremendous speed in a dive onto target. Plus it was far more rugged than a P-51

[@james8156]

God Bless you sir and from my heart I thank you and I owe my freedom to you and others who served❤️🙏🏻🇺🇸

[@memememe522]

Good story. Thanks for your work.

[@rikijett310]

Wow!!!! Thank you endlessly Ed!!! May God bless you always!!! ✝️🇺🇲✝️

[@KennethColeman-ke1mh]

Thanks ed for the sacrifice you and your friends made

[@woody3590]

My dad was a pilot during the second world war and he never talked about it.

[@kevinfraser573]

I spoke to a B17 pilot in the 80's. His family knew nothing post war. He kept everything to himself. He was shot down on March 6, 44 on his 17th mission to Berlin and became a pow. The captain bailed out and was never seen again. Some Germans would shoot you in the chute or locals would kill you upon landing

[@bluskytoo]

my dad was on B-24s as a nav, he had screaming nightmares every night when i was growing up.

[@jamesburns2232]

@@bluskytoo My Dad was a SSGT. Infantry Platoon Leader. He was in combat for 3 years in the 129th infantry division and 2nd Battalion. He had PTSD from being wounded 3 times, once in the head, once in the back, and once in the elbow. He told me that the "Fly Boys" had it easy and had he not been color blind, he would have liked to have been a pilot. 🤠

[@bluskytoo]

@@jamesburns2232 thats funny as my dad would say At least the ground pounders could get in a hole, lol

[@upside721]

What a great story and visual reenactment. Thank you. The story reminds me how evil war is. Good men on both sides conditioned to kill or be killed. Blood sacrifice, for the deceptive and highly manipulative ultra righteous, not pure human, who hate all of us and started all major wars in the last 200 years, and funded both sides to get their planned outcome. For us humans who love life, it is extra sad when our fighting men kill unarmed civilians.

[@morgan79347]

My aunt worked at the factory that made these P 51 mustang‘s during the war

[@ronald8673]

Thanks for the video of another true hero.

[@joelies3604]

Hell ya safe history! I love these videos!!

[@hariszark7396]

I want to see part 10 or more of Ed's story here.

[@HornetCinematics]

Great video TJ!

[@TJ3]

Thanks Hornet!

[@robertzedeker3234]

My father’ s B 24 (Flak Magnet) was Bar ‘s 200th kill.

[@walterbates1654]

Feeding the KZbin algorithm. Informative video. Thanks.

[@cmdrspidey0026]

Whoo! We get THREE parts to Ed’s story!

[@pascalchauvet4230]

A third pass on the German airfield wasn't just dangerous, it was clearly suicidal. The leader must have known, he also put the life of his wingman in jeopardy. Moreover it was tactical nonsense, if he hadn't done this he would not only have survived, but been able to strike German airfields many more times

[@Jaegertiger]

AGREED... How many times can one flick a match at a can of gasoline before it explodes? Same principle at play.

[@chrisdavis3642]

Fixation is a strange thing!!

[@johnshields9110]

Making a 3rd pass was at the least a poor decision. The wing men and other tailend planes usually catch Hell as the gunners are ready. One tale as told by an Allied pilot that when strafing a certain air feild they broke out over the bordering woods regualrly. On a re-visit as he peeled into the woods he heard 'LOOL DOWN" --a seperate new machine gun placement had been setup to shoot them down on the out route! He called it out, pulled a tight 90-90-90 upward turn and then dove straight down on them burning them to bits with all 8 50 cals roaring full. He then flanked out low and made another pas striaight down the road way the guns had been driven out into the woods, and empitied his guns into the entrance o the woods, and last full vollies into the remants of the guns. He said God called that one break out to him!

[@stlrockn]

Powerful story. Good post.

[@billcotton1551]

This a great series about Ed!

[@moonshineofthemoon8054]

Please do a story on about Saburo Sakai please!

[@williamromine5715]

Having lossy his lead two days running, I'll bet there were a number of pilots who really didn't want him for a wingman. The problem with the Mustang doing ground strafing was that it couldn't take much punishment from enemy fire. The P47 would take numerous hits, and still get home. The P51 was a very pretty plane, but when it came a brawl, the Jug was the plane you wanted to be flying.

[@drgondog]

Slippery logic. If you mean 'air to air' brawl the P-47 lost a higher % of pilots to LW in ETO by nearly 50% on a credit vs loss basis. (10:1 P-51 vs 7:1 P-47). If you look at airfield strafing the ratios are about to same (5.6:1 for P-51 strafing credits vs losses vs 3.7:1 for P-47 ratio). The TOTAL number of aircraft lost in boh categories belong to the P-51 because they flew so many more sorties than the P-47 and they were strafing airfields east of Berlin and Czechslovakia while P-47s were strafing from France to western Germany. The loss per sortie rate of the P51 vs F4U were only very slightly higher for the Mustang. A major factor in both wars is the the Mustang had to fly twice as far to return with damaged airplane.

[@Anonymous_Gentleman]

This is what gives me hope in grinding war thunder

[@electron4784]

that was really good thanks

[@eddiehaskell1957]

First time on your channel. I enjoyed the video and your narration was excellent. I had to shush my wife because i was enthralled by your unique voice.

[@TJ3]

Thank you!

[@XHollisWood]

❤❤❤Thank you for your service 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍

[@RichardMartin-wk3gy]

I saw the Movie maid from Ed's story... Thanks Ed!...

[@plunkervillerr1529]

Outstanding job .

[@soundknight]

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[@davidgrossman9859]

This is a great story- I'm confused, who is the wingman and who is the Flight Leader?

[@Wadaryu1000]

Lest we forget, Respect.

[@poppaset]

IOoooo-rah. Well done.

[@henryvanderbeek2973]

I'm no pilot and no expert on air combat, but when Ed said that his wingman wanted to do just the 2nd pass on an airfield, I thought...that's crazy...that's just asking for trouble....and if you get into trouble at low altitude, you can't bail out....make one pass and be done with it....catch them off guard....run and gun.....

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Well done. Thanks

[@EnterpriseXI]

With experience can also come over confidence

[@chriseidam7319]

Have you done a feature on Bruce Sunlun yet? His story would make a great movie.

[@davidharris7235]

I worked briefly for the company in which he was the CEO. Also a Governor to my state.

[@chriseidam7319]

@@davidharris7235 I live in PVD. I think he is the best, most-honest guv we have had in my lifetime. People resented him closing the credit unions, but it had to be done. I guess it cost him re-election. Either way, his WWll pilot story is remarkable and certainly worthy of a feature.

[@Ser_Redshirt]

Optimistic to think his wingman was still alive when he went in.

[@chipsawdust5816]

Ed was the wingman, Ben was the leader. You got that backwards in the narration. Other than that, good vid. :)

[@zillsburyy1]

thanks TJ3

[@Wonderwhoopin]

I still don’t know how the planes even maneuvered carrying balls that big big. I mean seriously

[@aussie6910]

You should look at WW1 when they did it without parachutes & the gun they carried was for shooting themselves in the head when the plane caught fire.

[@jugbywellington1134]

@@aussie6910 These Americans were very brave men. My grandfather flew in the RFC in WW1 after being wounded twice in the trenches. Anybody who flies for his country, knowing a horrible death is stalking them, is brave. Mind you, those trenches were vile. My grandfather didn't hate the Germans, by the way. That generation was different.

[@aussie6910]

@@jugbywellington1134 Yes they were. My uncle was a gunner in Bristol Blenheim's. Aircrew had the highest casualty rate of the services. I'm just saying there was no way out of a burning/busted aeroplane in WW1 like their was in WW2. War was more "sporting" or "the great adventure" in WW1. The two sides even celebrated Christmas 1914 together. We were more innocent.

[@MrHuggybear62]

My respect goes to the men who flew in the best plane the US had

[@nolanbowen8800]

That's a great story! It's too bad Olsen strafed one time too many and it's too bad they didn't get behind Bar and take him out. How do I find the first episode on Mr. McNeff?

[@TJ3]

Check my channel! It's called a P51 Story You Won't Believe

[@stedyone1090]

Very nice 👌 👍

[@franken-aye1177]

God Bless you sir.

[@allencadora1808]

Hey I just was curious about what sim you use. Is it DCS or something else?

[@dylanbulinsky5637]

amazing we need the rest noooow

[@iztheterribleable]

Please find the last mission of bombers in ww2. My father in law flew b29s out of Guam and was told his plane happened to drop the last bombs on japan.

[@ronbyers9912]

The classic pilot saying of WWII was "one pass, hall ass."

[@krukpolny8505]

Mustang P-51 D III FX 878 Siwek Kazimierz Pilot 315 Oficer RAF Kill 3 German FW 190 in 1 Flying.

[@MrSebfrench76]

Question: weren't the P 51 Bs equiped with drop tanks while escorting the bombers?

[@ericreynolds9944]

What game are you using for footage il2?

[@usmilitarykid.7625]

I would of done my great grandpa he died 3 years ago he was a bottom ball turret gunner

[@rastapopoulos7870]

Fascism had to be defeated at all costs, but still what Olsen did as his last action was not an "ultimate sacrifice" but a serious war crime, trying to murder as many civilians as he could with his stricken plane.

[@timf6916]

Good job

[@johnkidd1226]

My golfing buddy was piloting a Lancaster 4 engine bomber over Germany at 18 years old. He wasnt yet 21 when the war was over but he'd done his missions, lost a lot of friends and was an instructor by 1945. He still wasnt old enough to vote or drink as a civilian when he got home.

[@robertbowers9856]

The story begins, my birth month and year!

[@T_bone]

Wow!

[@VaderGhost124]

Did not realise the old types of P51 were still flying as late as ‘44

[@warbuzzard7167]

The B model was actually faster than the D model. Pilots were happy to trade their B models for D models because the frameless "bubble" canopies more than offset the speed advantage - there were no cockpit frames or high turtledecks to get in the way of a pilot seeing an enemy fighter sneaking up on them.

[@drpoundsign]

"Sheldon, I DRINK. And, when my Wingman is The Green Lantern...I drink a LOT!" -Koothrappali "The Big Bang Theory. Couldn't Resist.

[@kahuna210]

how about a video on joe foss marine ace in Guadalcanal

[@TJ3]

On my list

[@ariveitz1941]

The only guy I know who flew WW2 was my Dad 34 Squadron SAAF Liberators

[@jamiepool1612]

Hello my name is Jamie pool I know a pilot who has a gun at first I went to Waze gun gun gun to Waze gun and then fried gun and a B-17 bomber and crash learned it in Germany and was in the hospital and body cast for a year before the war was over

[@haroldmclean3755]

Never a Dull moment

[@ksman9087]

When you are a wingman the other plane is your leader. The narrator seems to get this mixed up in this video.

[@aprilgeneric8027]

north dakotans, renowned for pheasant hunting, if you can shot down a pheasant, you can shoot down anything.

[@mikemckenzie8230]

Which book was McNeff referring to?

[@MrJubbey]

That B model sure wasn't as beautiful as the D model .

[@cjn585]

How could Ed be a wingman then lose his lead and then return home without his wingman…what am I missing

[@johneyon5257]

the narrator seems to be confused - rookie Ed McNeff would have been the wingman to his leader Ben Johnston - but the narrator kept referring to them both as wingman - resulting in a very confusing narration

[@CorePathway]

He’s using wingman like ‘partner’. Get over it.

[@johneyon5257]

@@CorePathway - no one should get over it - "wingman" has a precise meaning in the aeronautics community - it's sloppiness to misuse it without first clarifying it as an ad hoc usage

[@icosthop9998]

I want to be a *"**#Patron_Member**"* to this channel, but *"Patron"* is not allowing me to "Decouple" from being a *"**#Patron_Member**"* to, "Wide World of Trains" . 🤷🏼‍♀️ I want to drop "WWoT" first. Any suggestions ?❔️

[@janiceduke1205]

🫡 Thank you for your service! 💯✨‼

[@oceanhome2023]

We asked a lot from these young men and they came through for us in spades !!!!

[@alanv7464]

The old crusty guy just didn't care anymore...I bet he was just done.

[@edward8841]

Norm Olsen pushing his luck with 3 passes on a airfield. Bad karma shooting down a defenseless pilot attempting to land his plane.