IHRA

[AMC]

Wonder how this Publisher is doing! now that Lawrence Hickey is deceased.
Will we ever see Vol.2 of “Harvest Of The Grim Reapers”……

[Edward]

I can certainly guarantee that volume 2 of Harvest of the Grim Reapers will be published in the very near future.

As of this week about 95% of the text, photos and color profiles are complete but a fair amount of layout work needs to be undertaken. New material (photos, diaries, MIA updates) arrives almost every week and all of this is being incorporated to some degree while keeping an eye on publishing soon rather than a year or two down the line.

The narrative of volume 2 will cover "Pappy" Gunn & Jack Fox's B-25 strafer project, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, early low level B-25 missions, the shootdown of Gen. Bill Webster's B-25 from the perspective of Webster and the JAAF fighter pilot (plus a post-war reunion between the two combatants), the surprise raid against the Japanese airdromes at Wewak (17-18 Aug 1943), strikes at the Japanese base at Rabaul (12 Oct - 2 Nov 1943) and the award (posthumous) of the Medal of Honor to 8th Sqdn CO Maj. Raymond Wilkins. The air campaigns (1944-1945) over Dutch New Guinea, the Philippines, Formosa and Japan follow.

The text is based upon dozens of WWII diaries & memoirs of pilots, navigators, gunners, photographers and crew chiefs of the 8th, 13th, 89th and 90th Squadrons as well as interviews with the surviving veterans. About 85% of the photography has not previously been published. Pictures of all of the shark-mouth (90th Sq) B-25 strafers and many of the skull-nose (13th Sq) planes are included. Japanese records of corresponding combats with the 3rd Attack Group have been matched, translated and incorporated. Forward by Major General John P. Henebry (219 combat missions).

Volume 2 will serve as the definitive history of the 3rd Bombardment / Attack Group for the years 1943-1945.

I am optimistic that the two 38th Bomb Group volumes will also be published. The "Sun Setters" have the most spectacular photo record of any unit of the Fifth Air Force.

Edward Rogers
author of Harvest of the Grim Reapers volume I

[edwest2]

Thank you for the update.


Best,
Ed West