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Our Czech museum, which is dedicated to one
of the most tragic missions of the 100th BG, actu-
ally brings a sequel to Masters of the Air, about
a year later, related to the period when the ma-
jority of Don Miller’s book and thus the series
takes place.
The master template book and series focus
mainly on the early period of the 100th BG, in the
second half of 1943 and early 1944. Here, we will
encounter mainly the B-17 in its F version. How-
ever, the stories of some men go up to 1945, so
olive green and natural metal B-17Gs will also
appear in the series. Although the story focuses
on the 100th BG, it is a tribute to all the airmen
who took part in the terrible enterprise called
the Bombing Offensive in Europe. By intertwin-
ing the fates of pilots from different areas of
the air war over Europe, the series also touches
on stories from POW camps and the sister unit
Robert Rosenthal during his service in the 100th Bomb
Group, 1943-45.
Robert Rosenthal with the article’s author at the
100th BG Reunion in Pittsburgh, 2005.
Robert and Phillis Rosenthal with the article’s author at the Museum of Air Battle over
the Ore Mountains on September 11th, 1944, in Kovarska, Czech Republic, July 2005.
Rosenthal crew with their B-17F-120-BO s/n 42-30758 “Rosie’s
Riveters,” 418th BS, 100th Bomb Group.
Below left: Meeting of the generations from the 100th BG Family
– youngest volunteers of the Museum of Air Battle over the Ore
Mountains Vít and Pavel Zdiarský, with the “Masters of the Air”
author Don Miller in Thorpe Abbotts, the former base of the
100th BG, July 2002.
On the right: Title of the first edition of “Masters of the Air,” 2007.
INFO Eduard
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January 2024