For the Mechanically Minded

On this supporting episode of SERVICE, we take a quick dive into P-40 planes, foxholes, trenches, and hedgerows. Some major engineering advancements came about during World War II, helping our veterans in their missions around the globe. But they met agricultural challenges overseas, despite. Listen for a quick primer on military terms you’ll hear our veterans reference this season.

Find photos from this episode, an episode transcription, and more at www.ServicePodcast.org and on Instagram and Facebook, where you can also share your stories and leave messages for all of the veterans you hear on Service.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to a special supporting episode of Service Stories of
Hunger and War, a production from I Heart Radio and
Me your host, Jacqueline Reposo. I lived in k rations
and sea rations, and the sea rations they were like
extra lash cracker jack boxes. We want a childlike waiting
for the food, probably a mile long between all the
soldiers and sails. The military has a language all its own.

(00:31):
Over the course of this season, we'll progressively hear our
World War two veterans described k ration boxes, how they
loved or hated or simply tolerated their military meals, and
what they outsourced to fill in the gaps. Today, we're
going to detail out a few terms. You'll be hearing
our veterans voice. Early on this season, they had a
code name Vickey Mouse. If I said Mickey, you had

(00:53):
a same mouse they made at six and that was
a bigger cargo plant than the Sea forty selling the
most will flew into chairman as to buy wing plan.
The needs of World War Two encouraged major advancements in
technology in both the United States and abroad, and Allied
forces worked together before the United States joined in December.

(01:13):
By that time, the war had been raging in Britain
and Winston Churchill was never shy in praising technological advancement,
but all the adverse fact that I've described have sam
rather been canceled out development of our machinery and organization.
The first digital computers were breaking enemy code. Civilians filled

(01:35):
the SEMBL line state side, turning out nearly fifty thousand
m for Sherman tanks in only four years. And the
brand new development of radio navigation systems RADAR allowed pilots
to maneuver to and from targets safely, which aided the
Allies triumph against the Germans and the Battle of Britain,
a huge turning point in the war which inspired Churchill's

(01:56):
famous speech, The gratitude of every home in our island,
in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in
the abodes of the guilty, go back to the British Airman, who,
undaunted by odds and wearied in their constant challenge and
mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War

(02:17):
by their promise and by that devotion, never in the
field of human country was so much owed by so
many fledgling US Army Air Corps pilots were inspired by
such winds, and our veterans aren't shy in name dropping
the companies that made such things possible. Before he was drafted,

(02:38):
Harold bud Long was one of one hundred and eighty
thousand employees of Curtis Right, the largest aircraft manufacturer in
the United States at the time and second only to
General Motors when it came to employment. Curtis produced aircraft engines,
electric propellers, and airplanes like the P forty Fighter, a sleek,
light one man monoplane with an enclosed cockpit that made

(02:59):
it possible for pile it's to fly and inclement weather.
Here's George Hardy at just Skigi airman you'll hear from
the season, who flew fighter planes in Italy, explaining how
manufacturers from different companies worked together on advancements that could
make or break crucial missions. P fifty one type airplane
we built for the British when we got no war.
They came over here for us to build an airplane.

(03:20):
They wanted P forties, but Curtis couldn't build any more
than they were building, and they as North American to
put in a P forty production line in North Americans
said we can build a better airplanes faster than that.
So they built an airplane eight thirty six something like that.
P forty has had an Allison engine and built by
the Allison company here, but the Allison engine lost efficiency

(03:41):
above say fifteen thousand feet. It didn't have a good
supercharger on it. The English took the airplane and they
put the Rolls Royce engine in it, and that changed
the whole characteristic of the airplane. Is the best airplane
at any aplitude, and so we built over fourteen thousand
of them for ourselves after that. The Rolls Royce engine
and the engine was under licensed by the Pack and

(04:01):
Moda Company, So I had my roles at nineteen Yeah,
I remember flying at a forty feet an engine just
going beautifully over the cal of sam in Rome. Because
they were fast and could fly so high, pilots like
George were able to escort and defend bomber planes. You'll
hear details about that in his episode. But even with

(04:22):
such helpful technological advances, soldiers sometimes faced agricultural challenges when
they landed in foreign landscapes. After I got off on
the beach and I was looking for my sea company
guys come up into the hedgerows. When off of the
Normandy beaches after D Day, soldiers like bud An Army

(04:43):
private Jonda Strica then had to navigate hedgerows. I had
never heard of them, but veterans remember them clearly. Built
as early as the Roman era picture, these man made
hedgerows as tall earth fences topped with dense shrubbery, trees
and brambles. They closed ten acres of pasture around the
size of a football field, and as they had spread

(05:04):
over time to create meandering lanes with deep curves, they
made prime hiding spots. This meant soldiers had to learn
new maneuvering strategies to stay ahead of their foe. Here's
Bud Long, who landed in Normandy with the Air Corps
on D Day. It's tough to get through them because
they were thick farmers in our teams of horses, and
they farmed like five acres of land, just a small

(05:26):
plot and the hedgerows and Allays had a lane that
went into him, and I said, don't go through that
lane because the machine guns set up on the other
side just waiting for you to get through. So I said,
pick the thickest part of the hedge roll and go
through it and you'll catch them on by surprise. We
learned that right off the beach. Because tents and barnes
made easy enemy targets, finding a safe place to rest

(05:48):
at night was a treacherous task, and so as much
as the hedgerow's hindered movement, they also helped create shelter.
Here's John explaining the difference between slip trenches and foxholes
and how hedgerows could help. When we stopped before nightfall,
we were told, don't dig a slip churrench, dig foxhole.

(06:10):
A trench is just dig the hole the length of
your body and the thickness of your body dirt on
all sides. You'd be level with the ground. I f
a shell would hit close the sharp no would go
over your head. But if you like a foxhole, you
dug down maybe three ft in the ground, and you
made a seat in there, and your head had to

(06:30):
be below ground in case you had a tank attack,
the tank would go over and wouldn't hurt you. The
biggest head rows they released five ft high to maybe
three ft wide, so you didn't have to dig into
the ground so much. This season, you'll hear our veterans
referre to hedgerows and various kinds of ships, trucks, and planes.

(06:50):
If you find yourself not entirely sure of the what
and why, don't worry too hard on it. Soldiers and
sailors were once civilians too. Sons pride upon lich this
day upset upon the mighty Endeva that's struggle to preserve
our republic. You can see photos from this episode at

(07:11):
Service podcast dot org, where you can leave comments or
messages for our veterans. Connect with our community on social media.
We are at Service podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Service
as a production from I Heart Radio and Me. Jacqueline
Roposo MS Puetiger is the associate producer on this episode.
Jennie Ramikin engineered the on site interview with John. Our
supervising producer is Gabrielle Collins. Our executive producer is Christopher Hassiotis.

(07:35):
Our art is by Girl Friday. Thanks for listening, and
thank you those who are serving and those who have
served