Wings Of Morning: The Story Of The Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany In World War II [Paperback]

Thomas Childers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 1996

On April 21, 1945, the twelve-member crew of the Black Cat set off on one of the last air missions in the European theater of World War II. Ten never came back. This is the story of that crew—where they came from, how they trained, what it was like to fly a B-24 through enemy flak, and who was waiting for them to come home.Historian Thomas Childers, nephew of the Black Cat’s radio operator, has reconstructed the lives and tragic deaths of these men through their letters home and through in-depth interviews, both with their families and with German villagers who lived near the crash site. In so doing he unearths confusion about the exact number of crash survivors and ugly rumors of their fate at the hands of the German villagers. His search to determine what really happened leads him to the crash site outside of Regensburg to lay the mystery to rest.In the tradition of Young Men and Fire, Wings of Morning is history as commemoration-an evocation of people and events that brings to life a story of love, loss, and a family’s quest for truth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Childers, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania, recounts the haunting story of one 12-man U.S. bomber crew during WWII. On a bombing run over Regensburg, on the eve of the German surrender, their B-24 Liberator was downed so swiftly by flak that only two crewmen could parachute to safety. One of those who perished was the author's uncle, Howard Goodner. This account is the product of his family's curiosity about Sgt. Goodner's tour of duty. Childers's detective work and reconstruction is impressive, covering training in the States, life on and off the base in England and the bombing missions over enemy territory. The narrative has extra depth and dimension from the focus on worried families of the airmen and the different ways each coped with the loss of its son. The book reads like a novel. One of the more interesting "subplots" concerns the demoralization of one crewman, as Childers evokes this man's dread between flights. Childers visited the crash site and interviewed German villagers, who provided details about the bomber's destruction and the disposition of the crewmens' bodies.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Childers, a nephew of one of the 12-member crew of the Black Cat, the last American bomber shot down in World War II, tells the painful story of the two survivors and the ten (including his uncle) who never returned. Childers (history, Univ. of Pennsylvania) pieces together the bewildering puzzle by way of letters and interviews, including those with German villagers near the crash site. Some of the evidence is painful to read. The bomber was directed off course into unnecessary ground flak. Two men may or may not have been tortured by the German civilians. A parachute opened too close to the ground. An airman could have been trapped inside the plane as it crashed. Childers knows his subject well, having written three other books about German politics, culture, and resistance. This work, a poignant tale of the airmen who almost made it home and those who waited for and loved them, is a heartfelt story. Although it has been done before, it captures the intense feelings of wartime and, as such, deserves to be read.?Ralph DeLucia, Willoughby Wallace Lib., Branford, Ct.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (April 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201407221
• ISBN-13: 978-0201407228
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

THOMAS CHILDERS is the Sheldon and Lucy Hackney Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of five previous books on the Third Reich and World War II, most recently, Wings of Morning and In the Shadows of War.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional book; insightful and moving..., June 21, 2001

By 

Dennis Tkacs (Greensburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wings Of Morning: The Story Of The Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany In World War II (Paperback)

Having heard all of Dr. Childer's excellent audio courses available from the Teaching Company, I had very high expectations for this book. I was not disappointed; Wings of Morning is an exceptional book that details the war time experiences of a B-24 bomber crew from their initial induction and training, to their deployment to England as part of the 8th Air Force, through their fateful final mission in the closing days of Word War II. A final mission, incidentally, that the reader can not help but conclude should have never been flown.

Based on hundreds of crewmember letters home, Wings of Morning provides insights that go far beyond the usual combat narrative. The combat experience is here to be sure, but so is the training, off-duty hours, weekend leaves, camaraderie, devotion to duty, exhilaration, boredom, bravery, fear, hope for the future, and the families back home. This book, more than any I've ever read, gave me an appreciation for the near constant tension that these men must have felt. I repeatedly found myself asking what I would have done in similar situations and realizing anew why those who fought World War II are rightly called the "Greatest Generation".

Wings of Morning does not end with the loss of a B-24 crew over Regensburg, Germany, in April of 1945 nor with the War Department notifications to the families waiting at home. Professor Childer's uncle was a crew member on that tragic flight and the final chapters of this extraordinary book detail his quest to reconstruct the final mission of a B-24 known as the Black Cat.

I've read and own many good books about World War II but none has had the impact of Wings of Morning. Thank you, Dr. Childers, for this insightful and thought provoking work...

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What it must of been like...., October 27, 2001

By 

odanny (Peoria, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wings Of Morning: The Story Of The Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany In World War II (Paperback)

The writing style of this author is as vivid as any. He reconstructs the life of not only his uncle Howard but also of the crewman of "The Black Cat". You will feel intimately close to all these men, and it can leave you with a sinking feeling as you know of the fate of this aircraft. This is not a Hollywood ending, nor is it exceptionally sad, it is just the realities of WWII, told in a frank and descriptive style that will allow the reader to fully grasp the camaraderie and cohesion that goes on among the crew of a B-24. Even this is not without difficulty as one crewmember becomes increasingly withdrawn and violent, eventually leading to his removal from the crew. A searing and unforgettable book that will allow you into world of a bomber crew based in England. This book goes far beyond the scope of just bombing missions over Germany, but explores the childhoods and recreation time of these soldiers before their fateful mission.

I sent this book to a pilot of 35 missions over Germany in WWII, and he told me via E-mail that the writing was great and the research excellent. From the voice of experience. A wonderful book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aircrew in the Attic - excellent read, June 18, 1999

By 

T. Whigham (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wings Of Morning: The Story Of The Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany In World War II (Paperback)

Quite possibly one of the best books about the final months of the life of an airplane and its crew I've ever read (and I've read a few). Based on letters, pictures, and accounts written by the doomed airmen, their families, friends, and associates, and interviews with the only surviving member of the crew (who was so shaken by the tragedy that he avoided reunions and interviews for several years), Childers takes you through the crew's basic training and service in England up to the final mission. From there, he explains his adventures in researching his family history and enlisting the help of an amateur German historian in piecing together the final moments of the airplane. Yes, you may even cry as Childers puts a name to a face and a spirit to a body that perished long before its time. Get this book. You won't be disappointed.