Shot down 10 February 1944 in B-17 #42-37971, Prisoner of War (POW).



Immediately after completing our training, several of us navigators were sent to England as replacements because of the heavy casualties in the 8th bomber command. We arrived in England early in December, 1943 and I was assigned to the 95th BG/336th BS located at Horham, Suffolk, and to the crew of Jim Conley, whose navigator was in the hospital. On 2/10/44 my fourth mission I was assigned to fly with a crew from another squadron piloted by Mike Tuberose. The target was a ball bearing factory in Brunsiwck. Terrible weather caused long delays and fouled up the schedule for the B-17s and our fighter escorts. We were attacked by German fighters as we entered German air space and were shot down near Osnabruck, Germany, before reaching the target. (We had been assigned to fly in 'coffin corner' and were probably the first casualties of the mission. Our tail gunner and one waist gunner were killed and the other waist gunner and Eng/TTG were wounded in the dog-fight. The result of the mission was 'poor' and the 95th lost 1/3 (seven of the 21) B-17s that participated in that mission. About 20-25 air crew members and fighter pilots were rounded up near Osnabruck and were transported to Dulag Luft in Frankfurt, Germany, and after solitary confinement and interrogation, a large group of officers were sent to Stalag Luft 1. We 'Opened' the North Compound 1 and remained there for the next 15 months until liberation by the Russians.



POW