Thanks for the Memories: a Novel of the SW Pacific Air War July-September 1942

No Merciful War #4

by Tom Burkhalter

The Flight So Far By July 1, 1942, the United States has been fighting in the Pacific for nearly seven months. The Japanese advance halted west of Australia at the island of Timor, and from Timor the Japanese stage bombing raids on Darwin. In the north, the Japanese hold the former Australian possessions of New Ireland and New Britain, including the town of Rabaul in the north of New Britain. Holding Rabaul gives the Japanese possession of Simpson Harbor, a deep-water port that the Japanese turn into a formidable forward base, swarming with Zeros and antiaircraft weapons. Rabaul begins to earn an evil reputation among the bomber crews of the USAAF and RAAF who fly there. In May the Japanese tried to take Port Moresby, the Allied base on the south coast of Papua New Guinea. They were turned back at the Battle of the Coral Sea. In June, the Japanese were soundly defeated at the Battle of Midway in the north Pacific. Both sides suffered losses but neither the Empire of Japan nor the Allies were close to being beaten. East of Salamaua and Lae on the western end of the Huon Gulf, the north coast of Papua New Guinea is a no-man’s land. Jack Davis has been sent home, and Jimmy Ardana takes his place as Boxcar Red Leader. Charlie Davis and his crew continue flying missions in their increasingly worn and patched B-17E, Bronco Buster II. Everywhere in the world there is savage fighting. The Japanese are fighting in Burma against the British and in China against the Chinese. The Germans are fighting the Soviets on a front from the Baltic to the Black Sea, and in Stalingrad the Wehrmacht and the Red Army slaughter each other for possession of a city being bombed and shelled into rubble. The Afrika Korps is fighting the British 8th Army in Libya. The British supply line to Malta and the eastern Mediterranean is under constant attack by the navy and air forces of Italy and Germany. In the North Atlantic the Kriegsmarine’s U-boats are sinking freighters and tankers at a rate that may choke off Great Britain’s war effort. In England, the fledgling US 8th Air Force flies its first mission on July 4, 1942, with airplanes borrowed from the RAF. In the United States the mobilization of the economy to produce tanks, airplanes, and warships is only beginning, as is the training of the men to take those weapons to war. In the South Pacific there is a lull, but in that lull the Japanese continue to stage air raids on Port Moresby and Seven-Mile Drome, and the Allies continue to bomb Rabaul and Simpson Harbor. Turn the page. Step back in time.

493 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2019

Reviews

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A TB. WW II. Aviation Action Adventure (TFTM) (ANOTSWPAWS42) (NMW)

TB. has penned a World War II aviation action adventure titled, "Thanks for the Memories", which is a historical/fictional account of the air war from Pearl Harbor into and thru the Islands from Guadalcanal to Tokoyo, with mention of the different types of aircraft and crews that flew for the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. This work is a very accurate account of the missions, the men, those that lived and died. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Robert W Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Developed

Characters from earlier books are further developed to where you believe you know them. Little profanity. Good illustration.of how poorly the SouthEast was supplied as everything went to the European theatre first so they fought in poorly maintained equipment that was inferior to Japanese equipment. Living conditions were poor, living in leaking tents and eating poor food.
The P39 had.poor range, poor climbing ability over 17000 feet, slower in the climb and could not turn as tightly as a zero. Only plus was ability to dive.

They did have armored seate an

[Robert J. Barr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who edits?

I've read all four books and am about to read the fifth. I think I gave the prior three 5 stars.
This one reads like one of those thousand monkeys tapping away on typewriters for a thousand years productions. In the middle of the book there was page after page where opening quotation marks were replaced by capital D's and apostrophes were replaced by space=space. It was so annoying I almost closed the book and moved on to something without an obstacle course.

PLEASE PULL THIS BOOK AND EDIT BEFORE SOME CRAZED READER GOES KAMIKAZE ON THE AUTHOR.

[Thomas D · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SERIES JUST GETS BETTER!!! This Story Covers The Shift From Defence to Offense in Army Air.

The air action gets more intense & is told in some detail. The challenges of small & large unit Leadership & Ligistics / Maintence are highlighted, as character & personalities are developed with understanding & skill. Action & Suspense are carried from Chapter to Chapter & Battle to Battle. It's a hard book to put down. Next book continues into growing the offensive phase & The Buildup as war production & new planes & pilots come into play. Lots of action to come.

[Vincent Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4, and like the other three I couldn't put it down

I started reading this series on recommendation of a blogger I read. Figured I'd get the first book and see what how it goes.. It was the first book I've read in years where I could honestly say I couldn't put it down. Blasted through to the end of book four, and about to grab book five to start tonight.

I very highly recommend this series.

[L. R. Hintonl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good, but leaves “To Many Questions!”

The novel is a very good read with a realistic plot, both technology and people actions! I was “a Navy Brat” and can remember while living in San Degio (‘47-50) the signs (Sailors and Dogs, Keep Off the Grass)! When is the next book in this series?

[Sidney Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent series covering a less know segment of WWII. The characters are realistic and well rounded. Good technical and personal knowledge of the early difficulties of the Air Corps in the South East Pacific campaign. This is a six book series with each one well tied together and many of the same characters referenced.

[Ernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book it appears to follow the history on WWII in and around New Guniea. Even though I was in New Guniea for a very short time I can attest to the heat and humidity. Have started reading the next book in the series.

[Dianne P. Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you want to strangle someone!

To read what our young men had to put up with in the beginning of the Pacific war is BEYOND comprehension. I think this book does a truly good job of telling that story.

[S. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for the Memories

This is another very entertaining and interesting volume in Tom Burkehalter’s excellent series about the air war in the southwest Pacific during the opening years of WW II.

[James DeRousse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly


action packed and really hard to put down. Easy transition to the next generation of cha chord. Seemed accurate as to the time and place of the action. Looking forward to the remaining books in series.

[D. Jane Akins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

A good way to learn about the fight in the Pacific Islands that I’ve never learned about before. Well written and edited. Makes for good reading and for wanting to continue the story.

[Thomas A. Doidge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Finale

This was a fitting wrap up of the series. It was a great read like the others but much more intense.

[Sandra Brezina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, horrible language

Except for the horrible language, this is an excellent book... good story line, plenty of action, very good, yes indeed.

[Robert Yearsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading. The series is great for its action

[Jim Earlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kind of story. Good characters and believable times.

[Warren Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hated for the story to end.

Very captivating story. The book shared numerous facets of the fighting in the Pacific. The action was constant and intriguing.

[Mac Bogert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun series

This is the fourth, and equally well done. Good mix of action, complex characters, and realistic development, both of people and combat.

[frank LaMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Human and exciting.

Loved this story looking forward to the next in the series. Any one who likes to read about flying warriors, this is one to chose.

[Robert W Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read

Liked the story and the action. Must have been another world then. I would have never liked to meet those fellows in real life. An exciting time for sure.

[Don Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A continuation.

Charley Davis, and Jimmy the kid, continue where they left off. There journey does not improve but remains strapped for spares, supplies and new planes.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny and Jimmy step to the fore in this episode as this gritty and good series continues to cover the early ugly days of WW2 in the Pacific.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A interesting storyline

The beginning of the war and all the assorted problems and add a new strange country most had never heard of before.