Palmer M. Bruland
From Mike Simpson, 445th Bomb Group Historian:
According to the crew loading lists, Palmer Bruland flew 19 missions as co-pilot for Harold Wolgang in the 701st Bomb Squadron. Palmer took on a new crew as 1st Pilot starting with 445th mission #160 on 09 Sept 44.
Wolgang crew, stateside training photo, above. Palmer Bruland standing 2nd from right. Harold Wolgang went on to fly another 10 missions after Bruland left to begin flying as a 1st Pilot.
Bruland’s missions as 1st Pilot were:
Written to German historian, Walter Hassenpflug, in 1987
After the war, Palmer Bruland obtained his civilian's private and commercial pilot's licenses.
After six weeks of basic training, Palmer Bruland tested to become a cadet in the Army Air Force. His training would have included nine weeks of pre-flight school, nine weeks of Primary, another nine weeks of Basic flight school, then nine weeks of Advanced training on dual engine planes. Finally, he would be shipped to Transition training, where he flew four-engine bombers. After that, he would meet his crew for crew training.
In primary training, cadet pilots flew fabric covered, open cockpit single engine planes. In basic flying school, they flew metal single-engine planes with closed cockpits. You can see the cadets flying in front of the instructors in the picture of four Vultee BT-13s (BT=Basic Trainer). The instructors yelled at the cadets through a tube connecting them to the cadets. Communication was one-way. There was no answering back. The cadets in the picture below are learning to fly formation, an flying strategy meant to protect them when under fire.
This is actually a post card Palmer sent to Myrtle. His writing on the flip side is below.
Palmer Bruland attended Advanced flying school at Luke Field in Phoenix, Arizona and graduated from that class in January of 1944.
"Dearest Myrtle, I don't know when or if this will get through to you but I'll write anyway. I was forced down over Germany and was captured immediately."
