They might, though, differ from one region to another, depending on what a particular culture considered lucky or unlucky. Were superstitious beliefs limited to Allied aircrews, or do you think German and Japanese pilots also shared them?Įvery nation’s combat fliers seem to have had such beliefs. I know of a case where a crewman walked half a mile through a field to avoid the possibility of an ebony feline crossing his path. The rest of the squadron was brought to a halt, but the bomber pilot ignored all signals to move until this vital act of safety was completed and the gunner hauled back aboard.ĭid any superstitious behavior involve black cats?Īnything that was traditionally thought to bring bad luck-the number 13 or a black cat-was commonly avoided like the plague. The pilot hit the brakes and insisted that the man climb out and spit on the tailfin. What was the funniest act of superstition you came across?Īs he was about to begin his takeoff roll, a heavy bomber pilot suddenly realized his rear gunner hadn’t performed his usual ritual. This must have taken at least five minutes to complete and looked very odd. What is the strangest example of superstition you discovered?įor me, it has to be a rather complicated ritual involving dancing on the wing with an open umbrella before getting down and entering the fuselage of a heavy bomber. These ranged from dressing in a particular order to urinating on a specific tire before boarding. These were often small objects: lucky coins or soft toys like teddy bears that could be stuffed into flight clothing. ![]() What was the most common superstitious practice?Ī lot of combat fliers carried personal charms of one sort or another. A few were even taken on bombing missions. Living mascots, especially dogs, but also everything from a donkey to a crow, were very common. Were there any instances of air crews keeping animal mascots to bring good luck? Even if they themselves were not personally superstitious, men like Jimmy Doolittle, when commanding the Fifteenth Air Force, tacitly understood that magical thinking was as good a way as any to lift aircrew spirits in the face of bad odds. George Kenney, for instance, while commanding the Fifth Air Force, always carried a pair of lucky dice. Often they held their own magical beliefs. Yet it’s clear that irrational beliefs were very widespread.ĭid higher-ranking officers ever try to ban superstitious practices?Īctually, most commanders seem to have turned a blind eye to superstitious practices. Given their educational background and level of intelligence, these young men ought to have been less likely than average to be superstitious. ![]() MacKenzie: Just how common magical thinking of various kinds was among combat fliers. He recently spoke with Senior Associate Editor Diane Tedeschi.Īir & Space: What is the chief surprise your research uncovered? MacKenzie explores the myriad, often amusing ways a belief in superstition governed the actions of World War II flight crews hoping to avoid bad luck. ![]() In his new book, Flying Against Fate, S.P.
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