Captain Bob Booth

Big, Heavy, Tough, and Beautiful
jamesarthur
Airman Basic
Posts: 9
Joined: 03 Sep 2008, 08:53

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by jamesarthur »

jcblom - Downloaded WOP3 - Oily Boid from SIm-Outhouse. Just finiihed my first "Oily Boid" flight. Slid the canopy back and enjoyed flying over the eastern English countryside.
Thank you so much for the time you spent creating Bob's Bird. I will take screen shots and send them to family members. A great-grandson is very interested in his great-grandfather's war record.

Just a note: Your read-me file says to put the texture file in the WoP3_P47D-22 folder. I think you meant the WoP3_P47D-20 folder. I first tried the -22 folder and modified the cfg file but FS X said it couldn't load the flight model. The thumbnail said -20 so I moved everything to the WoP3_P47D-20 folder and it works fine.

Thank you-Thank-You Thank You!

jcblom
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1823
Joined: 26 Aug 2008, 14:53
Location: Hoeilaart, Belgium

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by jcblom »

jamesarthur wrote: Just a note: Your read-me file says to put the texture file in the WoP3_P47D-22 folder. I think you meant the WoP3_P47D-20 folder. I first tried the -22 folder and modified the cfg file but FS X said it couldn't load the flight model. The thumbnail said -20 so I moved everything to the WoP3_P47D-20 folder and it works fine.

Thank you-Thank-You Thank You!
Yes, stupid mistake, but I figured people would find out themselves, rather than post an update...

Anyway, glad you like it, tell me what his relatives think of it. If only he could have seen himself...
FS painter. You'll find most of my FS9/FSX/P3D paints here.

jamesarthur
Airman Basic
Posts: 9
Joined: 03 Sep 2008, 08:53

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by jamesarthur »

jcblom - No problem. Bob suffered from macular degeneration the last three years of his life. My AF son tried to set up FS9 for Bob but he just couldn't see well enough. Trying to focus on even a good-sized monitor was too difficult. Bob would have loved the idea that someone would care enough (Jan Klees) to recreate his "Oily Boid". It would have been great to have his commentary to add even more realism to such a historical airplane. I will certainly pass on any family comments.

bob_villia
Airman Basic
Posts: 1
Joined: 30 Mar 2011, 14:42

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by bob_villia »

He was my Dad's Brother (my uncle). I'm not sure where all the documentation is, but I recall seeing all the Western Union telegrams of his Missing In Action, then telegrams of his capture. I also remember the letters, the photograph of him by the Germans when he was first shot down. I have access to video of two of his Kills. I also have documentation of one of his post mission reports after a kill. When I talked with him a few years ago, I asked him about "Posty" but now can't recall what his answer was. When asked about "Oily Boid", he said he got that nickname because his plane would spew so much oil that his windshield would be awash with oil. I have a photo of him standing in a group of airmen while at East Wretham - the Air Base in England. There isn't much left of the base, just fields now.
I know he worked as a Sheriff along with my Aunt "Skip". They transported/flew prisoners to where ever they needed to be taken.
Bob was an avid golfer - when I was around age 10, he bought me an 8 iron to practice with out in the back field. His son "Johnny" was killed in Viet Nam. If I recall, it was from a helicopter crash. Where can I find a photo of the nose art?
Funeral was at Arlington National Cemetery at 3:00 PM, Friday 6 August 2010

Globalxrspilot
Airman Basic
Posts: 2
Joined: 19 Sep 2011, 21:41

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by Globalxrspilot »

Hello. I found this group through a google search for Robert "Posty" Booth. My Uncle was in the 359thFG and was a friend of Captain Booth. I have a letter written on Sept. 17, 1944 from my Uncle where he speaks very fondly of Captain Booth and and I though it would be nice to share it with his family. Please feel free to contact me and I will share it with you.
Sincerely,

Rick Regan
[email protected]

Globalxrspilot
Airman Basic
Posts: 2
Joined: 19 Sep 2011, 21:41

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by Globalxrspilot »

Hello. I found this group through a google search for Robert "Posty" Booth. My Uncle was in the 359thFG and was a friend of Captain Booth. I have a letter written on Sept. 17, 1944 from my Uncle where he speaks very fondly of Captain Booth and and I though it would be nice to share it with his family. Please feel free to contact me and I will share it with you.
Sincerely,

Rick Regan
[email protected]

JCWilcox
Airman Basic
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 Dec 2011, 10:20

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by JCWilcox »

Like Rick, I too found this page while searching for information on Capt. Bob. I worked as a lineman at the Visalia Airport in the mid 70's and met Capt. Bob while he was flying for Main's Flying Service Prisoner Transport. I remember meeting him, Skip and I believe Gary Zinger was also flying for them at the time. I fueled the Aero Commanders they flew and chatted with them often. I took some flight instruction from Capt. Bob in a Cessna 150, Tail # N45066 where he introduced me to the finer art of flying. I had been flying hang gliders prior to that and after flying with Capt. Bob, the hook was set. I went on to a career in aviation, flying helicopters starting out with training in a Robinson R-22, becoming a Flight Instructor myself, moved on to many adventures over the years and my last full time flying job was in a SPIFR NVG Eurocopter EC-135 for the PHI Emergency Medical Operation in Modesto. I'll always remember Capt. Bob as a very gentle, quiet man who never revealed the adversity he'd seen. I never knew he was an Ace until years later and never got to talk with him about any of his service years, sadly a missed opportunity on my part. Capt. Bob was a smart guy, I remember a friend telling me after my flight instruction with him, that he'd watch the student's face in the aircraft rear view mirror to see how big your eyes were bugged out when he put the plane in unusual attitudes. I remember one funny (now!) occurrence when Capt. Bob and I were doing stalls and I was getting a bit bored with them and asked if I could try putting in a little left rudder when the stall was about to break. Capt. Bob said sure and when I did so, the planed snapped over to the left and promptly entered a pretty quick spin. Capt. Bob surely saw my eyes bugged out then, but he calmly talked me through the recovery and as I remember, never grabbed the controls, but his powerful presence in the airplane almost allowed me to will the airplane out of that spin. I can safely say to date, that is the ONLY time I've spun an aircraft since and would only do it again with him at my side. He is missed and I hope these anecdotal stories I remember about that great man help with some memories of him that they weren't aware of. Hopefully others will find this site and relate more stories of this great American Hero!

Tracker
Airman Basic
Posts: 1
Joined: 10 Feb 2021, 23:07

Re: Captain Bob Booth

Post by Tracker »

Meggin Ayers
February 9 at 2:09 PM ·
Robert J. Booth eight airforce Ace and POW. 359th fighter group, 369thFighter squadron, Station 133. He flew P-47s and P-51s. He was flying a P_51 when he was shot down.
I knew Capt. Booth in the mid-eighties. I was working at the Visalia Airport. Mr. Booth was a corporate pilot for a company. He flew a bonanza for them. I drove a fuel truck and answered Visalia Unicom, so I saw him a great deal. My father was a top turret gunner on B17s, so we talked a lot. The P47 is Oily Boid.
One time we spoke about his time as a POW. He said when you were first captured you were held in solitary confinement until they were done interrogating you. He said because of all this time on his hands he looked over every inch of that cell. There was a small wooden ledge near the bottom of the cell. On the underside of the ledge a previous prisoner had written the Gettysburg Address all along the ledge. Something to make the time pass.
Another time I was getting off shift and he needed to fly some paperwork to San Francisco. Just a drop off and back. He asked me if I would ride along for company. Being an A&P student and nuts about planes I jumped at the chance. On the way there he plops the yoke to my side and said, “You fly”. After I got over the initial shock it was amazing. He was an excellent instructor calm and level. I really appreciated that.
After 2 years I went to Hemet to work on fire bombers and never saw Mr. Booth again. I will always remember him. He never said one word about being an ace. One of my coworkers told me. He was just a regular guy nice as could be. Really intelligent and loved golf!!!

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