As Fred Boswell told it to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force:

"Was a Sergeant clerk in original cadre of the 8th Air Force stationed with 6th Pursuit Wing in Charleston. Left for England on HMS Andes from Boston Harbor in April 1942."



"April 1943 accepted for RAF Flying Control School. Commissioned Second Lieutenant on 8 Jul 43. Assigned to 78 Fighter Group as Flying Control Officer in December 1943. Was transferred as Senior Flying Control Officer with 361st Fighter Group at Bottisham. Moved to Little Walden right after D-Day and had real concrete runways instead of grass and pierced steel planking."



"Around Christmas '44 outfit moved to St. Dizier, France and in January on to Chievres. After the Bulge moved back to England and when the war in Europe was over, we got Alert Orders to go to the Pacific. The Atomic Bomb ended that war and the unit was 'de-mobbed'."



"In the Fall of 45 was sent back to Duxford and Spring of 46 to Burtonwood and then home for good in June 46 (48 months of overseas service). While enlisted tried to be an aerial gunner, but couldn't transfer out of Fighter Command to Bomber Command. The first year or more of commissioned service was not allowed to fly combat missions due to shortage of trained Flying Control Officers."