Us Official Photographs

American Low Pressure Chamber at VIII Bomber Command

Top Photo - American Low Pressure Chamber at Combat Crew Replacement Center #1, VIII Bomber Command. This chamber is used for the indoctrination of flying personnel in the physiology of high altitude. Such a chamber is also used as a diagnostic aid in differentiating between organic and inorganic causes of failure of flying personnel where questions of tolerance to altitude are involved. This item of equipment has proven very valuable in that a considerable number of flying personnel have arrived in this Theatre to take up combat duty having never flown at the altitudes required in this Theatre and having never been subjected to simulated altitudes in a Low Pressure Chamber. Bottom Photo - Air-Sea Rescue Exhibit at Combat Crew Replacement Center #1, VIII Bomber Command. Since the beginning of aerial operations by the U.S. Army Air Forces in this Theatre hundreds of American flyers have been rescued from the English Channel, North Sea, and other surrounding waters. During the past year much work was done by the Medical Department of the 8th Air Force in developing our own Air-Sea Rescue Service and in collaborating with the Air-Sea Rescue Service of the Royal Air Force. The equipment used has been largely the same as that used by the Royal Air Force. At the C.C.R.C.'s bomber crews and fighter pilots are indoctrinated as thoroughly as possible in the ditching of aircraft at sea and other principles of Air-Sea Rescue, This exhibit shown in the photograph was prepared by the Medical Department of the C.C.R.C. The charts on the wall illustrate the correct methods of ditching aircraft of different types at sea. The Medical Department has a large part in the instruction of new crews in this life-saving procedure.