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Oral History

https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/d4bf3ab7-7211-4b19-9a9e-263898041370

Collection: Oral History Collection

Object ID: OH 2004 003

Collection: Oral History Collection

Description: Watt, David S.; World War II veteran; 00:02:00 Introduction; 00:16:03 Watt born in India; 00:24:07 Parents were missionaries from Lancaster; 00:31:00 Presbytarian; 00:39:00 Born in northern India; 01:17:00 Student at F & M.; 01:33:00 Studied Business Administration at F & M.; 01:43:00 Enlisted; 01:47:00 Pilot experience; 01:55:00 Had an aircraft; 02:06:00 Learned to fly before enlistment; 02:13:00 Training at Lancaster Airport; 02:32:00 Interviewed Jessie and Howard Eckhart; 03:20:00 Primary training in Oklahoma (Air force); 03:45:00 San Antonio (West Point of the Air); 04:07:00 Married current wife four years ago; 04:18:00 Attended flight school as officer; 04:23:00 flew B-24 Liberator bombers; 04:36:00 Transition from small plane to large bomber; 05:04:00 Ten people on B-24; 05:32:00 Range of a B-24; 05:46:00 Targets mostly in southern Europe; 05:56:00 Targeted mostly harbors; 06:23:00 Mission to hold Suez Canal against Rommel; 06:54:00 B-24 against German anti-aircraft gunners; 07:08:00 German fighters worst hazard; 07:18:00 Watt flew twenty-seven missions; 07:48:00 Memorable mission a disaster.; 07:51:00 Attack on Ploesti oil refineries; 08:05:00 Old organization and old planes; 08:19:00 never announced that job was to eliminate air force; 08:25:00 mission was low level attack; 08:37:00 Not many people and planes survived; 09:22:00 Attack was end of air force; 09:28:00 Part of design but no one said so; 09:55:00 Thirty-six planes sent out on Ploesti raid; 10:17:00 No indication before hand; 10:25:00 had done job assigned to unit; 11:10:00 Making friends. Stationed in Palestine; 11:42:00 Moved to Little Bitter Lake in Egypt; 12:01:00 Relaxed between missions; 12:14:00 Considered "assigned pilots"; 12:43:00 Played poker for entertainment; 13:21:00 Flew about every three weeks; 13:47:00 Believed in performance not good luck; 14:07:00 Became second in command of squadron; 14:32:00 Medals brought by David Watt; 16:05:00 Important document to service member; 16:52:00 Medals awarded while in service; 17:27:00 campaign medal; 17:57:00 Bracelet he made for his first wife; 18:27:00 also has frat pin from F & M; 18:53:00 Silver Star; 19:01:00 Silver Star, second highest medal; 19:53:00 Received Silver Star in 2000; 20:51:00 mission through bad fog; 22:40:00 Watt was operations officer; 22:44:00 Broke on top of cloud bank.; 23:00:00 Attacked target with other bombers; 23:02:00 Was attacked by German fighters; 23:38:00 Status of war; 24:30:00 Watt's Veterans Day Rememberance talk starts; 31:45:00 Worked at Watt and Shand (3rd generation Watt); 32:27:00 Worked in Toy, Jewelry, Candy Departments; 32:39:00 First Floor Manager; 33:06:00 No problem with transition to civilian life; 33:17:00 Family did not have a background in flying; 34:49:00 Any thoughts to pass on to future military and current; 35:09:00 Keep head up. And NOT up ….