Barbers Point NAS

Rained hard most of the night and all day today. Wally and I had a bad time starting up the “Brown Chariot” for the return trip this morning. No brakes made driving in the heavy rain an added strain. Churned along the highway trying our best to see out the misty water-laden windshield (no wiper!) All went well till we hit a tremendous puddle going full tilt. The resulting deluge of red-brown liquid mud drowned our engine. Which immediately gave up the ghost. There we sat, with the rain dripping in through the leaks in the roof, and admired the view of the sodden canefields. Finally a car came along and pushed us 2 or 3 miles. After mile-long pushes from two other cars we finally reached the BOQ in a very bedraggled condition. Everything is inundated. Waded around in the rain for the rest of the day. Two new planes arrive from the states for us. That now gives us a total of six B-24s, three new, and three worn out.

My back is very stiff and sore. The “doc,” (Barney Silvers) says I may have broken it but that it will take several days to tell. If it is not better by then he’s going to send me to the hospital for x-rays. Heigh ho.