Alfred F Anderegg
MilitaryAlfred F. Anderegg, B-17 Bombardier, USAAF, Eighth Air Force, 96th Bomb Group (U.K.), ex-POW, Stalag Luft III (100 miles SE of Berlin. Barracks 128, South Compound). The North Compound of Stalag Luft III was where The Great Escape took place.
Shot down on June 14, 1943 over the island of Pellwurm on the Frisian Coast while returning from a mission to bomb the submarine pens at Kiel, Germany using the "Javelin down" formation. Survived The Black March.
After liberation, Al was in Paris on VE day and had about 17 people on the Jeep he was riding through the city in. Most of the passengers were women. He returned to the States on a Liberty ship.
After the war Al became a Medical Doctor. Al gave a video recorded presentation to the 8th AFHS-MN on September 14, 2011 (See You Tube) Al hasn't written up his memories in a book, but he says that perhaps the best book to get an idea about what life was like in Stalag Luft III is the out-of-print book (but still available in libraries) 'POW Odyssey: Recollections of Center Compound, Stalag Luft III and the Secret German Peace Mission in World War II' by Major General Delmar T. Spivey, USAF. Al thought it was pretty accurate as a description of his POW experience.
Additional Bibliography: 'Snetterton Falcons' (Unit book about the 96th BG), 'Clipped Wings' (POW book with photos by the camp's official photographer), 'Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free' (POW book, author lived in the same barracks as Al), 'The Longest Mission' (a well done publication with photos).
Al's 8th AFHS-MN webpage is at
https://sites.google.com/site/8thafhsmn/pictures/al-anderegg-96th-bg
Additional info:
Shot down 13 June 1943 over Kiel, our sixth mission, in B-17 (serial number 42-29756). Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Luft III and VIIA. Liberated by US Army April 1945.
AM/ PH/ POW
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Big Chief II
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Station 138
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Menard, Texas | 15 October 1921 | |
Based |
Andrews Field | 13 May 1943 - 11 June 1943 | |
Based |
Snetterton Heath | 12 June 1943 - 13 June 1943 | |
Other Shot down over |
Pellworm, Germany | 13 June 1943 - 14 June 1943 | |
Other Celebrated VE Day |
Paris, France | 7 May 1945 - 8 May 1945 | |
Minnesota, USA | |||
Other Held as Prisoner of War |
Germany | Stalag Luft III, Barracks 128, South Compound. |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, MACR 15829; Snetterton Falcons, pg 31