Flying Fortress Gunner

The biography of Bob Harper, aB-17 ball turret gunnerwith the 8th Air Force whosurvived 35 combat missions over Germany in WWII, and was shot down twice. At 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing just 110 pounds, Bob Harper wasbelow the minimum size requirements for US military service. As thedemand for manpower increased, rules were bent, Harper’s defermentwas retracted, and he was drafted into the Army. Harper was deployed tothe European front and survived 35 combat missions as a B-17 ball turretgunner. Based at airfields in England, Bob and the 381st Bomb Groupflew brutal missions over heavily defended industrial centers in Germany.Harper was shot down twice and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Through his letters home, combat reports, and extensive interviews withauthor Bill Cullen, Harper describes his harrowing experiences on boardthe Flying Fortresses of the Eighth Air Force. Cullen’s interviews withHarper took placeover a period of years, and it is the anecdotes from the interviews thatdrive the majority of the narrative. The ball turret was located underneaththe aircraft and was a confined, intense, and unique environment fromwhich to experience combat during the Second World War. Readers willfind Harper, who went on to a successful business career after the war, tobe an insightful, witty, and engaging storyteller.

The biography of Bob Harper, a B-17 ball turret gunner with the 8th Air Force who survived 35 combat missions over Germany in WWII, and was shot down twice. At 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing just 110 pounds, Bob Harper was below the minimum size requirements for US military service. As the demand for manpower increased, rules were bent, Harper’s deferment was retracted, and he was drafted into the Army. Harper was deployed to the European front and survived 35 combat missions as a B-17 ball turret gunner. Based at airfields in England, Bob and the 381st Bomb Group flew brutal missions over heavily defended industrial centers in Germany. Harper was shot down twice and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Through his letters home, combat reports, and extensive interviews with author Bill Cullen, Harper describes his harrowing experiences on board the Flying Fortresses of the Eighth Air Force. Cullen’s interviews with Harper took place over a period of years, and it is the anecdotes from the interviews that drive the majority of the narrative. The ball turret was located underneath the aircraft and was a confined, intense, and unique environment from which to experience combat during the Second World War. Readers will find Harper, who went on to a successful business career after the war, to be an insightful, witty, and engaging storyteller.