Gunny456 said:
My mom and dad were best of friends with Captain Edward "Ski" York who was the pilot of plane number 8 of the Raiders. He became city manager of Olmos Park ( suburb in San Antonio) and my mom worked for him.
I got to spend some quality time with him and attended some functions with him.
He took three paintings of the Doolittle Raiders B-25's with him for me and had all the Raiders signed them for me. Lots of them were still alive then. (1970's).
Those signed paintings are some of my most prized possessions.
Plane number 8 went to Russia instead of trying to go to China. Captain York and his crew were interned as POW's by Russia for 13 months I believe…. And they were our allies. Lots of controversy over that.
Crew of 8th Aircraft Plane # 40-2242 - Crew from 95th Squadron, 17th Group - (Landed and Interned in Russia)
Captain York's B25 had suffered engine problems prior to the loading of the aircraft on the Hornet, and the flight to Japan compounded this. Despite heavy fuel consumption by both engines, York continued on course to drop his bombs on their assigned targets. Throughout the run the aircraft was defenseless with a top turret that failed to work. Without enough fuel to reach China, Cpt. York elected to fly the shorter distance to Russia where he landed at a field near Vladivostok in hopes of refueling to reach China. Instead, the still neutral Soviets confiscated the bomber and interred the crew for thirteen months. The crew returned home in May 1943 after escaping into Persia.
Pilot Capt. E.J. York
Co-Pilot Lt. R.G. Emmens
Navigator Lt. N.A. Herndon
Bombardier SSgt. T.H. Laban
Engineer Gunner Sgt. D.W. Pohl
https://childrenofthedoolittleraiders.com/crew-members/doolittle-raider-crews/crew-8/