• Combat Crew

  • The Story of 25 Combat Missions over Europe from the Daily Journal of a B-17 Gunner
  • By: John Comer
  • Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
  • Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (341 ratings)

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Combat Crew  By  cover art

Combat Crew

By: John Comer
Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
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Publisher's summary

John Comer kept a journal of the 25 missions he flew in 1943, when the casualty rate on his base was close to 80 percent. His book is handwritten history, recorded within hours after the battles occurred. Comer vividly creates his experiences as top-turret gunner/flight engineer in a B-17 squadron that was thrown against the best pilots the Luftwaffe could offer. In 1943 the army air force had no long-range fighters to protect the B-17s as they flew deep into enemy territory. Immediate, straightforward, and compelling, Combat Crew is a classic of aerial warfare.

©1988 John Comer (P)2015 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Combat Crew

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great details behind the flying

being an air plane nut and an airplane mechanic by trade this book covers a part of the story that I had never read before. instead of following a pilot through the missions, you get to see it from the view of a crewman. and not just any crew, the guy who kept track of the mechanical details while also fighting off attacking fighters. the crew battles with oxygen systems, electrical failures, gun jams, hung up bombs and frostbite, bringing the incredible challenge each mission was, even if fighters and flack hadn't been there.
the odds these men faced are brought out in a easy to understand way, without being boring or repetitive.
other than some odd musing in the writers mind , the book has a good flow and story, bringing home exactly why 25 missions was such an almost impossible goal in the those days.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Absorbing

I enjoy reading biographies of famous World War One and World War Two generals. I also enjoy reading the memoirs of the average soldier from these two Wars. These firsthand accounts by the ordinary soldier are great ways to understand these two Wars better.

Many of these memoirs are weak and fragmented trying to paste together memories from long ago. Therefore, I always am looking for those stores that are taken from a day to day diary. This is such a book; it provides us with the day to day viewpoint of a B-17 turret gunner/mechanic. Comer tells the story of his 25 mission in the early days of the American campaign against the Nazis. Comer tells us about his crew members and ground crews. I had the feeling that I was riding right beside Comer on his missions. Comer did a tour flying mission in Italy for a total of 80 combat missions. Comer died in 2005 in Texas.

I understand that with the help of his son he first self published the book in 1985. It was then bought by the William Morrow publishing company and was published internationally quite successfully. Recently it has been published as an e-book and an audiobook again with great success. Patrick Lawler did a good job narrating the story. The book is of average length of about eleven hours.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite WW II book!

Would you listen to Combat Crew again? Why?

Yes, I love the book and the narrator did a fantastic job.

What did you like best about this story?

The story line is gripping from beginning to end.

Any additional comments?

I've read this book twice in book form and was so excited to see it on Audible. This is so well written from the perspective of the perfect position on the crew. The Flight Engineer had his hands in everything on the aircraft and it's nice to get the story from his point of view rather than the usual pilot point of view.

I don't write many reviews but I would highly recommend this book to anyone I know.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Personal Diary

What did you love best about Combat Crew?

The first person narrative, based on Comer's diary and experiences. The story was therefore about a young man and the thrills, the shocks, the challenges, the pain and the memories. It was not about generals and strategy and logistics. As such it offered yet another valuable perspective on what war is really like.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed it

A really good first hand account of a bomber crew member in WWII. Will be likely to purchase more titles by the narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a wonderful first-hand account

I've read many books about World War II, including many books of first-hand experiences. I can easily say this is one of the most gut-wrenching yet enjoyable books I've read so far. Highly recommended reading, especially for Aviation enthusiasts

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Worthy listen.

Good narration and story. I learned a few thing on this listen I wasn't aware of. The cold and oxygen problems were surprising.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great snapshot

Great snapshot of B17 crew during WW2. Personal story of how these heroes did it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • G
  • 12-21-23

True story, loved these guys

He painted a story that made me feel as if I was there, I loved every minute

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very insightful

The story really shed light on just how dangerous it was being up there, with high altitude and low temperatures were as dangerous as the enemy.

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