"Lady Be Good"

Why We Are “2 the SEA”

The name 2 the SEA is dedicated to the courageous crew of the WWII B-24 bomber “Lady Be Good.”

One of those nine airmen was my uncle, Staff Sergeant Gunner Guy E. Shelley — my mother’s brother.

I think about their story nearly every day.

It is a story of courage, endurance, sacrifice — and brotherhood that did not end even in the face of death.

Their story will never be forgotten.

The Final Mission

The Lady Be Good departed Soluch Army Air Field in North Africa as part of a bomber formation assigned to strike targets in Naples Harbor. They took off into a sandstorm and became separated, continuing the mission alone.

After the bombing run, the aircraft flew the correct heading back across the Mediterranean. But unknowingly, they passed their base. The last transmission from the aircraft was the pilot requesting navigational assistance.

Believing they were still over water and dangerously low on fuel, the pilot gave the order to bail out — to jump “into the sea.”

But they were not over the Mediterranean.

They had flown deep into the Sahara, over the vast and unforgiving Libyan Sand Sea of Calanscio. In the darkness, wearing life vests meant for water survival, they parachuted into an endless ocean of sand.

They had, in fact, jumped “into the Sea” — a sea of dunes.

The Walk No One Should Survive

Eight of the nine crewmen survived the bailout and gathered at a rally point. Thinking they were near their airfield, they began walking.

They were, in fact, more than 400 miles away.

Daytime desert temperatures soared above 130°F, while nights dropped near freezing. Medical experts later estimated a man could survive two days and travel 25 miles without water.

These men, with only a half canteen among them, traveled 78 miles together.

Five men, too weak to continue, remained behind. Three pressed on for at least nine days with no shelter according to the two chilling diaries. 

What happened next defied human limits.

One airman was found 26 miles farther.
My uncle, Guy E. Shelley, was found another 37.5 miles beyond him — a total of 115.5 miles from the bailout point.

In his pockets were not only his own effects, but the wallet and papers of another airman — evidence he carried them so they could be returned to a fallen friend’s family.

The third man was never found.

Endurance Beyond Measure

The wreck of the Lady Be Good was discovered in 1958, seventeen years after it vanished. The crew’s remains were found in 1960, along with diaries that told of their struggle.

Their journey remains one of the greatest recorded feats of human endurance.

But more than endurance, it is a story of loyalty — men looking after one another until the very end.

In Their Honor

2 the SEA exists in honor of the valiant and courageous crew of the Lady Be Good.

Their story is one of countless stories — past and present — of those who venture into the unknown, face impossible conditions, and give everything in the pursuit of duty.

We honor them all.

17-year-old mystery of the “Lady Be Good”

The “Lady Be Good” was discovered in 1958 by geologists conducting an aerial survey of the desert, and the crew’s remains were recovered in 1960. The first major article about the discovery appeared in LIFE Magazine. Links below provide direct access to articles, books, and video coverage.

MAGAZINES

  • Air/Space Force  Feb 1, 2014 pp 70-75 by John Lowery

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/2014/February%202014/0214lady.pdf

  • LIFE Magazine, March 7, 1960, pp 20-27

https://books.google.com/books?id=cVUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

BOOKS HAVE BEEN AUTHORED:

 TV/VIDEO:

US Army Air Corps Crew of the "Lady Be Good"

Sergeant/Gunner Guy E. Shelley - 7th from front

 

Mystery of the "Lady Be Good" B-24 Liberator 64

Found 17 years later in the Sand Sea of Calanscio