26. The Men Who Managed to Escape Death Despite Falling Thousands of Feet From Airplanes Without Parachutes
For combat personnel of the Western Allies who served in Europe, few jobs were more dangerous than those of bomber crews. Especially in the days before Allied fighters secured aerial supremacy over Europe’s skies, when bomber losses were horrific. In 1943, for example, some American Eighth Air Force bomber groups recorded a 400 percent turnover in personnel in just three months. At the time, bomber crews were tasked with a 25-mission tour of duty, but most never made it past five missions.
Things were even more horrendous for those who served in British bombers. Out of a total of 125,000 airmen who flew for the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command, over 55,000 were killed – a 44.4% death rate. A further 8400 were wounded in action, and nearly 10,000 were taken prisoner, for a total loss rate of 58%. Amidst the carnage, there were some extraordinary survival stories – such as those of airmen who somehow survived falls without parachutes from miles up in the air.