My Dad was a radar operator on a B-24 in the SW Pacific. On his 13th mission (he had flown antisub patrols out of Langley earlier), they had a "runaway supercharger", and had to go back for another plane. This one later went down, my Dad doesn't know what happened, in the ocean. He thinks the heavy radar dome hit the water first and tore the fuselage in half and he floated out, he was unconscious and hurt. The copilot went through the windscreen, and the flight engineer followed, the only three to survive.
They were picked up by a US destroyer in the morning. My Dad and the copilot badly hurt, the flight engineer, a Lt. Lamica, kept them afloat during the night. I met the copilot once, his forehead was at a strange angle. My Dad was finally awarded a Purple Heart in 1970 something. So, now I have two in my possession.
