This book is the third in the series of medal of honor recipients in the Army Air Force during World War II. The careers of nine aviators and details of the aircraft they used are profiled in this book:

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Introduction

1. William Lawley
2. Darrell Lindsey
3. Archibald Mathies & Walter Treumper
4. Jack Mathis
5. Thomas McGuire
6. Edward Michael
7. John Morgan
8. Harl Pease

• Index

Organization of chapters

Each chapter includes the flying record of the recipient, list of missions flown, the Medal of Honor citation, B&W photographs of missions, color profiles of aircraft, and the careers of the Medal of Honor aviators.

William Lawley

I was particularly interested in William Lawley of the 305th bomb group. I am familiar with his aircraft Cabin in the Sky from some work at the 390th bomb group Museum in Tucson, Arizona. He joined the 305th in November 1943 and flew 14 missions until June 1944. A brief summary of the missions and dates flown by Lawley provides background on his military career. A listing of the aircraft and brief description of his missions are also included.

The author provides a detailed description of Lawley’s participation in Big Week, Operation Argument, from February 20, 1944, through February 25, 1944. The 8th and 15th air forces would drop almost 4000 tons of ordinance on Luftwaffe facilities in Germany. The effect of Big Week was to seriously reduce Luftwaffe production and force decentralization of German aircraft production.

William Lawley’s Medal of Honor was earned during a mission to bomb the Messerschmidt factory at Leipzig on February 20, 1944 during Big Week. Lawley was flying the new B-17, Cabin in the Sky, when the bomb racks froze, preventing dropping his bomb load. As he started to return to England, the B-17 was badly damaged by German fighters and many of the crew injured, including Lawley. Lawley’s efforts to return the B-17 to England while injured, saving most of his crew, earned him the Medal of Honor. Lawley survived the war and returned to America.

The section on William Lawley also contains the text of his Medal of Honor citation. Profiles of one of the B-17’s he flew and a German fighter are also provided. The book includes B&W photos of the crew and color profile illustrations of Cabin in the Sky and a German Bf 109.

Edward Stanley Michael

Another pilot in the 305th, Edward Stanley Michael, had originally failed his Air Force test. He was stationed at Wheeler Field in Hawaii when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The next day he reapplied to the Air Force and was accepted for training.

Michael’s Medal of Honor was earned on an April 11, 1944 flight of the Bertie Lee to attack a ball bearing plant in Germany. His Medal of Honor was earned for returning his badly damaged B-17 to England with several crewman who were unable to bail out. The book provides a vivid description of the flight and Micheal’s efforts to return safely to England.

The subsequent chapters of the book provide similar information and details about the other Medal of Honor winners.

The book provides good background on the Medal of Honor winners, and the aircraft involved with the missions. The B&W photos are sharp and clear and provide good background for each of the aviators and their missions. I noticed a few punctuation errors and captions that didn’t seem to match the photos (p. 16), but the book reads easily and provides lots of detail on the aircraft, the medal recipients career, and the missions flown.

The book includes a detailed index for quick reference, listing aviators, missions, and aircraft mentioned in the book. The photos and aircraft profiles provide good information for modelers.

Thanks to Casemate for supporting the IPMS Review Programs and providing the review sample of the book.