Physiological Problems of Bomber Crews in the Eighth Air Force during WWII by Major James J. Carroll

Author:Major James J. Carroll
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-07-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 3 — The Physiological Problems In The Bomber Force

Technological warfare imposed an abnormal load on the physiological and psychological motivations of human spirit.{21} The Flight Doctors and Physiologists had to deal with the fact that the aeronautical engineer had carried the mechanical performance of the aircraft far beyond the physiological limits of the human body. The unique environment of aerial combat put extraordinary strains on Allied airmen during the strategic bombing offensive against Germany. The young aviators who flew with the Eighth Air Force were required to adapt to startlingly new experiences of combat. The environment was often life threatening, the physical challenges often intolerable and the pressure to perform enormous. The only real reward for most crew members was to survive, and yet the statistics frequently showed this to be unlikely. The maintenance of the health and efficiency of the crew members in the face of enormous stresses and strains was the task of military aviation medicine. It was not an easy task in the early forties, since the knowledge of high altitude flight was in its infancy and the “experts” were still learning.

The biggest problem was with the flight environment itself. Trainers had to prepare a man, whose body is adapted to function at ground level and whose mind is conditioned to seek peace and security, and prepare him for a life of flying and fighting. The only alternatives the early flight doctors had were to select and train the individuals best fitted physically and mentally for flight duty. He then provided them with devices and methods for protection against their own human limitations.

Once selected, the flight doctors had to train the individuals on physiological effects of flight. They taught the crew members how to protect themselves against the forces of barometric pressure, temperature, centrifugal force and gravity. Any one of these forces is sufficient to kill a flier if he makes any serious mistake or loses control in the operation of a technological maze of instruments. The initial training of fliers in the high altitude environment was left up to the Flight Surgeons of 1939-1941. The knowledge they had was limited and the training facilities and techniques were still emerging.

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