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TVK: Correct, I had no idea about the details of our new mission. But you originally had no knowledge of such a project. He was greeted with news on „Project Mantattan”. PW: In his memoirs, Paul Tibbets precisely describes the conversation he had had in September 1944 with one of his superiors. We were to be stationed in Wendover Field air base in Utah. He wanted me to become the nawigator of a special crew that he was forming. TVK: Paul called me then with a proposition. But it is in November 1944 that you have received a strange telephone call from him.
ENOLA GAY PILOTS REGRET PROFESSIONAL
In the meantime you and Paul Tibbets went your own professional ways. We wanted to stop the war as soon as possible and that was yet another mission that brought us closer to this target. At the time, the presence of such a passenger did not really ruffle any feathers. He was to lead the Operation „Torch”, troop landing of the Allies in Northern Africa. In November 1942 on board of „Red Gremlin” (B-17 bomber piloted by Paul Tibbets, where Van Kirk was the nawigator) we took general Dwight D.
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Even when you were still stationed in Europe, together with Paul Tibbets (who later became the captian of Enola Gay) you took part in one very important flight. PW: Atomic mission over Hiroshima was not the only important one in your career.
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Next time, when I fight in another war, I will most certainly want to be on your side again! (laughter) To cut the story short – Poles were simply incredible. I swear, the gap between the tarmac and the tips of the propellers was not larger than 30 cm. They performed a special show, by flying really low above the airport apron. At one stage several planes appeared above the airport, and they were piloted by your compatriots. We had once organized a party at our base and invited other pilots that we worked with, and that included Poles. PW: Do you have any distinctive memory connected with our pilots? Event then, I fully understood where their determination came from. Polish pilots took revenge for what happened down there, on the ground, in Poland. As crazy they pounced at Luftwaffe planes. From my perspective it seemed they did not care at all for their lives. TVK: You have to take my expression with a pinch of salt. As a matter of fact I could even describe them as crazy. Polish pilots deserve the credit, especially for their effectiveness, as they intercepted virtually every enemy plane. I had pleasure to fly alongside them in numerous bomb missions against III Reich. TVK: Yes, I genuinely loved it when Poles were the part of our bombers’ protection. I hear that you have very fond memories from the time you served in American 97th Bomb Group in Great Britain… PW: Before we discuss probably the most important mission in the history of aviation, I have to ask you about Polish pilots.