Under Construction
Voyagers - Nico Alkemade, Alan Magee, Eugene Paul Moran, and James Andrew Raley - Tailgunners
Tail gunner, ball turret, bombardier, they're all dead. - Condor's Nest
Index
- Nico Alkemade's background
- What makes Nico Alkemade such a great example?
- Alan Magee's background
- What makes Alan Magee such a great example?
- Eugene Paul Moran's background
- What makes Eugene Paul Moran such a great example?
- James Andrew Raley's background
- What makes James Andrew Raley such a great example?
See also the truly amazing story of Juliane Koepckelink
whose plane was struck by lightening over the
Amazon jungle. Also, Vesna Vulovic
, whose plane was brought down by a terrorist bomb at 33,333 feet.
Nico Alkemade's background
Nico Alkemade was an RAF rear gunner during WWII. He survived a dramatic fall, without a parachute, from a burning Lancaster bomber after it was hit by enemy fire. He landed in a pine forest, sustaining only minor injuries, and was later captured by German forces. He was born in North Walsham, Norfolk, England, on December 10, 1922.
What makes Nico Alkemade such a great example?
19221210 Birth of Nico Alkemade

What is particularly notable is that Nico Alkemade was born with just a lot of auspicious aspects in their birth chart.
The aspects on the day of Nico Alkemade's birth were
- Sun sextile Nico Alkemade's Saturn
- Sun trine Nico Alkemade's Neptune
- Mercury sextile Nico Alkemade's Saturn
- Mercury trine Nico Alkemade's Neptune
- Jupiter trine Nico Alkemade's Uranus

- Jupiter trine Nico Alkemade's Pluto

- Saturn sextile Nico Alkemade's Neptune
- Uranus trine Nico Alkemade's Pluto
The chart shown is Nico Alkemade's birthchart, both inside and out, so the aspect lines [traditional] are between the planets in his birthchart.
19440324 Birth of Nico Alkemade and the time he was shot down over Germany

What is particularly notable is that not only was Nico Alkemade born with auspicious aspects, but when his plane was shot down the transits were largely beneficial as well.
The transits at the time of Nico Alkemade's aircrash were
- Transiting Mercury square Nico Alkemade's Pluto
- Transiting Mercury conjunct Nico Alkemade's Chiron

- Transiting Venus trine Nico Alkemade's Jupiter

- Transiting Venus conjunct Nico Alkemade's Uranus

- Transiting Venus trine Nico Alkemade's Pluto

- Transiting Mars trine Nico Alkemade's Mars
- Transiting Jupiter trine Nico Alkemade's Sun

- Transiting Jupiter sextile Nico Alkemade's Saturn
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Nico Alkemade's Neptune

- Transiting Saturn opposite Nico Alkemade's Mercury
- Transiting Chiron sextile Nico Alkemade's Jupiter
- Transiting Chiron opposite Nico Alkemade's Uranus

- Transiting Chiron sextile Nico Alkemade's Pluto
The chart shown is Nico Alkemade's birthchart, together with transits for the approximate time of his Lancaster bomber being shot down, guessed at 11:00pm, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
Alan Magee's background
Alan Magee was a gunner in a US Flying Fortress during WWII, and shot down over St Nazaire, France. Flak damage meant he had no serviceable parachute, but luck had it that he fell through the glass roof of the train station, and survived.
What makes Alan Magee such a great example?
19430103 Birth of Alan Magee and the time his Flying Fortress was shot down and he fell through the glass roof of St Nazaire station.

What is particularly notable is that Alan Magee was born with no unusual features in his birth chart, yet he was still the recipient of great good fortune following bailing out without a parachute.
Alan certainly had Lady Luck on his side, in the form of benefic Venus, and King of the gods, the great benefic, Jupiter.
The transits at the time of Alan Magee's shooting down were
- Transiting Mercury sextile Alan Magee's Chiron
- Transiting Venus conjunct Alan Magee's Sun

- Transiting Jupiter opposite Alan Magee's Sun

- Transiting Saturn trine Alan Magee's Venus

- Transiting Uranus sextile Alan Magee's Chiron
- Transiting Pluto opposite Alan Magee's Venus

- Transiting Pluto conjunct Alan Magee's Neptune

- Transiting Chiron trine Alan Magee's Mercury
- Transiting Chiron conjunct Alan Magee's Saturn

The chart shown is Alan Magee's birthchart, together with transits for the approximate time of his Flying Fortress being shot down, guessed at midday, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
Eugene Paul Moran's background
Eugene Paul Moran was a tail gunner in a US Flying Fortress during WWII, and shot down over Bremen, Germany. Wounds meant he was unable to exit the tailpiece of the B17, which had become detached when the plane was shot down, but luck had it that his fall from 19,000 feet was broken by trees.
Gene was rescued by German soldiers and put back together by Serbian doctors in a German POW hospital. He spent the next two years in four different POW camps, survived a death ship and a six-hundred-mile death march, and was rescued by American forces at the end of the war. His story was recounted in the book Tailspin, by John Armbruster.
What makes Eugene Paul Moran such a great example?
19431129 Birth of Eugene Paul Moran and the time his Flying Fortress was shot down over Bremen

What is particularly notable is that Eugene Paul Moran was born with no unusual features in his birth chart, except the notable T-square to his natal Sun from the opposition of natal Saturn and Chiron.
We must think it lucky that Gene survived, yet perhaps unlucky to have been shot down in the first place. What this chart shows is the confrontation with reality, together with questioning death, that is the long-term transit of Pluto conjunct his Mercury.
The transits at the time of Eugene Paul Moran's shooting down were
- Transiting Sun trine Eugene Paul Moran's Mercury
- Transiting Sun square Eugene Paul Moran's Mars
- Transiting Moon opposite Eugene Paul Moran's Venus
- Transiting Moon sextile Eugene Paul Moran's Mars
- Transiting Venus sextile Eugene Paul Moran's Neptune
- Transiting Jupiter sextile Eugene Paul Moran's Saturn
- Transiting Saturn trine Eugene Paul Moran's Saturn
- Transiting Saturn sextile Eugene Paul Moran's Chiron
- Transiting Uranus sextile Eugene Paul Moran's Mercury
- Transiting Uranus square Eugene Paul Moran's Mars
- Transiting Pluto conjunct Eugene Paul Moran's Mercury

The chart shown is Eugene Paul Moran's birthchart, together with transits for the approximate time of his Flying Fortress being shot down, guessed at midday, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
James Andrew Raley's background
Text quoted from Find A Grave
James Andrew Raley of Henderson, KY, served as a tail gunner in the 353rd Bomb Squadron, 301st Bomb Group, Fifteenth Air Force. He was on a bombing mission to Piraeus, Greece, on January 11, 1944, when his aircraft collided mid-air with another B-17 in heavy cloud cover. The tail section was severed, and Raley was caught in the wreckage. In a 1944 newspaper interview, Raley said, 'When the crash occurred 19,000 feet in the air, there was a terrific impact, and I was thrown face down on the floor toward the rear of the fort. I had an immediate sensation of falling as the plane spiraled downward, twisting to the right in a tight circle. My first thought was to grab my parachute and get out of the plane, but the spinning made it impossible for me to move.'
Raley recited prayers during the descent. 'I must have been spiraling downward for 10 to 15 minutes', he said. The tail came to rest in a clump of treetops. Raley realized he had just survived a fall from 19,000 feet. He was worried the aircraft might catch fire or explode and was anxious to clear the wreckage. He made his way to the bulkhead door, but the rest of the aircraft was gone when he opened it. Eight members of the crew died in the tragic accident.
Raley suffered back injuries and a small cut on the chin but miraculously survived. He was awarded an Air Medal and a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster. Despite his near-death experience, Raley continued to serve in the military. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of Lt. Col. in the US Air Force.
What makes James Andrew Raley such a great example?
19440111 Birth of James Andrew Raley and the time his Flying Fortress crashed

What is particularly notable is that James Andrew Raley was born with Venus conjunct Saturn
in his birth chart, yet he was still the
recipient of great good fortune following the mid-air collision.
James certainly had Lady Luck on his side, in the form of .
The transits at the time of James Andrew Raley's shooting down were
- Transiting Moon perhaps conjunct 's Neptune
- Transiting Mercury opposite 's Venus
- Transiting Mercury opposite 's Saturn
- Transiting Mars conjunct 's Sun

- Transiting Jupiter trine 's Jupiter
- Transiting Saturn conjunct 's Mercury
- Transiting Saturn trine 's Uranus

- Transiting Chiron sextile 's Venus
- Transiting Chiron sextile 's Saturn
- Transiting Uranus conjunct 's Sun

- Transiting Neptune trine 's Sun

The chart shown is James Andrew Raley's birthchart, together with transits for the approximate time of his Flying Fortress's collision, guessed at midday, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
Leave a Comment
Thank you!
Your comment has been submitted and is awaiting moderation.
Comments
No comments yet.
Go Home
To encourage the rapid completion of this content, please feel free to donate on
Patreon
This page is /menu/examples/voyagers/tailgunners.php and it was last updated on Saturday 1st of November 2025 02:08:44 PM