My friend Oscar

[chuteless 1]

This is just a story which may or may not interest you.

I turned 12 yrs old on Oct 31st 1944, and 2 months later, on Jan 1st 1945, my country's enemy was making its last big attempt to control the skies over Holland, France and Belgium.

As this 12 yr old slept, in Holland Oscar Boesch was flying his FW 190 in a low level straffing attack on the airport at Eindhoven, in Holland. He shot up Spitfires and Typhoons, and the big gas trucks, which filled the sky with smoke and fire.

The Canadian pilots couldnt get their Spitfires and Typhoons off the ground to battle in the air and everything was crazy.

Oscar screamed across the airfield, and 1/2 second earlier, and he would have had a broadside collision with another FW 190 who crossed in front of him. Very close call.

Later that afternoon, Oscar was flying back to his home base. His two wingmen had been killed, and he was alone, and coming right at him, were 7 Spitfires from another canadian Sqdn.

One of the pilots was Joe Doak, from Toronto, who had shot a FW 190 down earlier that day.

They opened up their guns at Oscar, and he back at them, but just before they passed each other, Joe Doak pulled up.

Oscar knew that the Spitfire was going to come down froma loop to get his FW190 from behind, so Oscar swung off to the side and back at an angle, and he caught the Spitfire with cannon fire and spun it into the tall pine trees.

Later that day, Oscar went back to the scene of the Spitfire impaled on the pine tree, and picked up a two foot piece of the propeller.

A few years ago, I introduced Oscar to the nephew of that Spitfire, and after three hours of talking about the war, Oscar said to Grant Doak, a young lawyer from Toronto,
"I have no words to say to your family, except I am deeply sorry....I sure wish Joe had managed to parchute from the Spitfire....I truly am sorry."

He later took Grant Doak out to his car as we left, and showed Grant his uncle's propeller.

I have known Oscar for about 35 years.He has performed with his sailplane at most airshows throughout Canada and the USA . We did the air show circuit together, and often had lunch, just as we did a few days ago. He always greets me the same way.""BEEELL....How good to see you" as he almost shakes my hand off.


Oscar is 81 years old next April, and
as we sat at the table in the restaurant, Oscar's hands were telling me about "he flew this way, I came in from behind,, etc etc" and people would have no problem knowing we were talking aviation.

He had crash landed four times, and bailed out 4 times, once during the Battle of the bulge. He said he came through the trees and his chute got caught, and stopped him about 30 feet above the ground. He undid his harness and dropped to the ground.

His last flight was a head on collision with a Russian Yak 19. The Rusky was killed and Oscar's chute opened seconds before he hit the ground and was taken prisoner.

He truly is a great friend, and it saddens me to think of the incredibly high number of "real good men" that died on both sides. How many otherss could I have known like this, how many others could have share stories with me.

War is such a shameful way for men to treat other men, isnt it?

Bill Cole D-41

[jonstark 8]

You're so right about the shameless way we treat each other.

I have recently made the acquaintance of two German Luftwaffe fighter pilots recently myself. One flew ME163 rockets against our bombers. He survived 7 flights in them and this is his proudest aviation accomplishment. The other flew ME109s and was an ace. Wonderful fellows the both of them. I treasure the chance to "shoot the breeze" with them.

My biggest regret of my 30+ year aviation carreer is that I didn't appreciate the old timers more when there were more of them alive. It's been wonderful to pick their brains. Given teh right questions you should see these guys light up. It'll be a great loss to have them slip away.

jon

[chuteless 1]

War is such a waste of humans and their potential.

[airtwardo 6]

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I have known Oscar for about 35 years.He has performed with his sailplane at most airshows throughout Canada and the USA .

***


Bill~

I too have met Oscar...and worked with him on the circuit.

The best Glider act going, and always there to try to help other performers.

Because of his background, he seems to relate to the jumpers
more that the other pilots in the air show industry....

I love the stories he tells, and that little wink he gives you...

Saying; 'He knows, and he knows that you know...'



~Jim

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[airgord 1]

There is an interstesting story about Oscar and his days in a Sturmstaffel squadron (bomber ramming).
I saw it in a Flight Journal magazine specil issue on Luftwaffe fighter aircraft in WWII. In the story there was a picture of Oscar and the other pilots in his unit sometime in late 1944, of the 15 pictured Oscar was the only one to survive the war. Did not know that he was captured.

[JohnRich 4]

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War is such a waste of humans and their potential.

To have *not* fought WWII would have been an even greater waste.

When bad men start wars, good men have to stop them.

[murrays 0]

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Quote

War is such a waste of humans and their potential.

To have *not* fought WWII would have been an even greater waste.

When bad men start wars, good men have to stop them.

As Sir Winston Churchill said, "War is horrible. But not as horrible as slavery."

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[skypuppy 1]

As Sir Winston Churchill said, "War is horrible. But not as horrible as slavery."
__________________________________________________

Yeah, and winston liked to drink... Once a lady said to him 'If you were my husband I'd give you poison...'

And Winston replied ' Madam, if you were my wife, I'd drink it..."

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[chuteless 1]

I know the photo you are referring to. Yes Oscar and one other survived the war, and that is Oscar's FW190 that they are standing in front of.

I love him very much, a real true aviator, and the greatest gliderpilot Ive ever seen. He once flew from Toropnto to Montreal (350 miles) in his glider.

There is an IMAX film called The Silent Sky, and much of it was filmed with a chase plane piloted by Frank Tallman, the greatest stunt pilot ever.

Oscar told me he was flying the glider and Frank was chasing him, and when Oscar did a hammerhead, he came face to face with Frank, and shot right past the side of his aircraft. a close call.

Yes war is HELL< and sometimes it is necessary, but still a waste of a lot of "good people".

Bill Cole

[steve1 5]

Thanks for the great story Bill!

This story reminds me of another one told by Mac Bledsoe. Mack's son is Drew Bledsoe who is a professional football player. Mack lives in Montana and spends his time working as an inspirational speaker for educators. He travels all over the country and many call him a master story teller. When I heard this story I about started bawlling. It supposedly is a true story.

Mack's Dad enlisted during WW-II with his best friend. They went thru training together and they both became fighter pilots in the same squadron. They ended up flying missions together over Germany. One day they ended up in a dog fight with a large group of German fighters. Mack's Dad was about to be shot down, with a fighter on his tail. His buddy came in to save him and get the plane off his tail.

Then suddenly his friends plane took on fire and burst into flames. He had no choice but to bail out. He cleared the plane okay, but he had a streamer on his emergency parachute. This brought him upright, but there was no way to clear it.

Mack's Dad dove his plane down and he passed very close to his friend as he was falling to his death. As he passed close he saw his buddy's face, and he noticed his friend was pointing at the American flag on his chest. He spiraled down and watched his buddy impact with the ground and die.

When Mack was teaching school he said he often told this story to his students to encourage them to have respect for those who served their country during a time of war.

If you ever get a chance to hear Mack Bledsoe speak, I'd sure recommend it.....Steve1

[chuteless 1]

Again, such a waste of good men isnt it?

Thanks

Bill Cole

[steve1 5]

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Again, such a waste of good men isnt it?

Thanks

Bill Cole

I agree totally. Some wars we had no choice, but other military conflicts, I wonder why. Even when we win a war there are huge numbers of great people being slaughtered on both sides. Most of them are young men with everything to live for. And then there are the innocent civilians who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wish there was a better way.

I've jumped at Perris and Elsinore a little. There you meet people from all over the world. I've jumped with English, French, Germans, Japanese, and jumpers from many other places. All were great people, yet at one time many of these countries were considered the enemy of America. It kind of gets you thinking. Too bad more politicians (on both sides) don't do more thinking before getting us into another war....Steve1

[chuteless 1]

Maybe someone should suggest giving Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and others a single shot rifle each, and turn them loose in Baghdad, and let all the great guys come home.

Bill Cole

[markd_nscr986 0]

***Maybe someone should suggest giving Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and others a single shot rifle each, and turn them loose in Baghdad, and let all the great guys come home.



Hey,in all fairness,we need to make sure al-Zarqawi,Bin laden,Zawahiri are there too with trap-door Springfields.........may the best team win

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004