Blood, Sweat & Flak! Zine, Issue #5

🔗 QR codes as links:

Theme Tune > https://bit.ly/3Zop3Ci

Light Ascending by Luke Howard > https://bit.ly/3MHwhtu

Blog Post > https://bit.ly/3YWvsEC

B-24 Pilot Roger Leister & Janet Rush meeting for first time in 1998 (home movie) > https://bit.ly/4hj9tyt

About me

"Dad, why do you like aeroplanes so much?!"

Growing up in the 1990s we had a big, hard-backed book about the RAF with 2-page illustrations that were cutaways of the most common British aeroplanes from the war. I suppose aviation has always captured my imagination. We sometimes went to airshows and even now, If I hear the sound of an aircraft overhead I have to look.

Ghost Fields of East Anglia

I moved to Norwich in 1999 and sometime in the early 2000s I got in touch with a local 8th Air Force historian. At the time I didn't know that the region of the UK I had moved to was home to the U.S 8th Air Force or that they flew Liberators and Fortresses and more from East Anglia against targets in Europe.

Research & Reunions 

In 2007 I got the chance to attend the 448th Bomb Group Reunion in Orlando, Florida. My friend Ray funded the trip. At the time I was working in broadcast TV production so I asked to borrow some video recording equipment and flew out to Florida to meet veterans and record as many interviews as I could with Ray manning the camera and me asking the questions. I think we were there for 3 nights? I flew straight back to the UK afterward. I have never been so tired in my life. I looked like hell! I have videotaped interviews with B-24 veterans and I've been using bits and pieces in projects over the years. So, I'm putting a bunch of that material into the zine. My intention at the time was to make a documentary film but it never happened. You can find three of the interviews here.

 Support my work

If you'd like to support with a small donation, whatever you think is appropriate - that's great. I will use donations to buy supplies and pay for printing costs. You can donate via Ko-Fi or Patreon.

Let's connect

• Donate or buy a printed zine. 8-page story zines come with a free micro-mini zine, too. https://ko-fi.com/bloodsweatflak
• Support me via Patreon https://patreon.com/bloodsweatflak