Heroic Courage: Part II of the Butler’s Bums Story

The dictionary definition of courage is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear.” Is it? Do courageous people really do those things that define them as heroes “without fear”? I think courage is best defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., IN SPITE OF FEAR.” Not many combat veterans will admit it, but fear is an ever-present companion on the battlefield. We wake up in the mornings afraid we’ve laid our head down in comfort for the last time. We go to sleep thankful for the opportunity to do so, but fearful of the day that follows.

If you look up the words “courage” or “hero” in an illustrated encyclopedia, you’ll see a picture of my grandfather, James A. Stuthers, Sr. He only served in the Army Air Corps for about two years, but he accomplished so much. He served as a togglier and ball gunner in the B-24 and B-17 bombers over Germany in 1945. At just 20 years old, he was thrust into a World War with on-the-go training and a will to survive. This is his story as told through his meticulous records and journals left behind after a life almost 82 years long.

Top row, left to right – Roy Reynolds, Jim Stuthers, Dick Scully;Middle row, left to right: Roy Reynolds and Dick Scully, Bill Swords, Dick Scully and Bob Butler; Bottom row, left to right: Dick Scully, Martin Kallinen, Bob Butler and Roy Reynolds. Photos taken at Mendelshem, England.

We left off with a mission over Frankfurt, Germany on February 17, 1945. Five days later, the Bums bombed the PFF (basically the Nazi Party) in Ansbach with no problems. Two days later, on February 24th, things wouldn’t be so easy. Bremen, Germany was a tough target. Bremen is the site of many historical conflicts dating from the 8th century when the troops of Charlemagne went in to christianise the tribes settling there. The city was also conquered by Swedish Viking Rurik in 859, Heinrich the Lion in the 12th century, and ending with the US occupation during WWII. Bremen was a key port city that American forces could use to resupply forces in the region. The Germans weren’t going without a fight.

“Heavy intense flak” carpeted the air the Bums were flying through. My grandfather’s plane suffered two holes during the run over the target. The prop wash from the close formation flyers made it a rough ride. Life in a B-17 is one of the most frightening experiences a man can ever face. It’s not like being a Soldier on the ground. If something is shooting at you on the ground, you just shoot back. When flak is exploding in the air above you, below you, beside you, in front of you, and behind you, you have no choice but to clinch your fists and pray that today isn’t your day.

This constant feeling of intense anxiety wears a man out and works on the very core of his being. In other words, you’re afraid. You fear for your life. You wonder if you’ll ever meet that special woman God has set aside for you. You ask yourself if your family knows how much they really mean to you. Through it all you tell yourself that if you live through this one event, you’ll never step foot back on that plane. The fear grips you and causes you to tremble. Your thoughts stammer; sweat seems to evaporate the moment it leaves your pores. It’s a fear you NEVER forget, even after 47 years when the sights and sounds of a B-17 landing at a nearby field during a demonstration invoke that shaking and nervousness. My grandfather was a proud man. He never spoke of this fear, even when confronted with it head on. There’s no need to look in a dictionary or study an encyclopedia to get the true meaning of courage or courageous people. I’m going to tell you what it is.

No matter how scared Tech Sergeant James A. Stuthers was, he forced himself back on that plane for mission after mission. He bullied himself through all the flak the Germans could throw at him. He didn’t run to Canada and he didn’t hide out in the sick bays seeking encouragement and excuses while the rest of the Bums sacrificed themselves at the alter of freedom. He climbed onto the plane, manned his gun, and bombed the town of Bremen into submission. The town was filled with smoke and fire. German fighters swarmed the airspace firing their guns at the planes as they unleashed their aerial hell. One B-17 didn’t make it back from that mission. Somehow, the Bums successfully navigated the 88mm flak, rockets, bullets and prop wash that presented a wall of steel 20,000 feet in the air. And the next day, he would have to do it again.

February 25, 1945 – Munich, Germany. The Bums switched from 500lb bombs to the increasingly popular M17 incendiary bomb. The M17 had better ballistics and a primecord release that could be set to give correct disbursement. This became the most favored and effective incendiary bomb among the Bomber Groups. It was a favorite of the 8th Air Force and the Bums carried six that day along with six 500 lb bombs, instead of the usual 10-12 500 pounders. My grandfather faithfully manned his nose gun scanning the skies for any sign of the Luftwaffe. As they approached their target, the skies lit up with “heavy intense flak”. Again, their aircraft only suffered one hole – a piece of shrapnel that penetrated the plexiglass of the nose gun and found its way high up into my grandpa’s leg. He only complained that there was a two-inch cut in his flak suit. This is probably due to the extremely cold nature of B-17 flight. That gash created a draft!

In Part III, I’ll close up his journal and relate my recent experiences and memories of my grandfather. I hope to also have an interview with the only surviving member of the Butler’s Bums, Richard Scully. He was a good friend to my grandfather and became like a brother. It’s a bond that death cannot break.