re: Anyone related to any B-17s pilots or survivors on here?

quote:

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What was the survival rate of the bomber crew?
24%
The most dangerous were the first and last five trips. During the whole war, 51% of aircrew were killed on operations, 12% were killed or wounded in non-operational accidents and 13% became prisoners of war or evaders. Only 24% survived the war unscathed.

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My grandfather was a crew member on a bomber during WWII. His plane was shot down and he had to through a fire to jump out of the plane which blinded him for several months. He was captured by the Germans and held for the rest of the war in a POW camp. I've got the letter they sent to my grandmother saying that he was shot down and was most likely dead.