They Never Had It So Good

Book excerpt: They Never Had It So Good, first published in 1946, is a first-hand account of the activities—both in the air and on the ground—of a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber Squadron during nearly three years of World War Two. The Squadron, based at an airfield in southern England, took part in over 300 missions, including bombing runs in support of the D-day landings in Normandy and the embattled allied forces at the Battle of the Bulge, to wide-ranging, hazardous missions over Germany, Norway, Belgium, and Romania. The book, written as a unit history by a member of the ground-crew, details the daily activities of the Squadron but adds many stories of the men while at work or on leave, beginning with the group's formation and training at various bases in the U.S. until the time they reach New York city following the war's end. They Never Had It So Good provides an insightful, inside look at an American airbase in England during the Second World War.