Shot down 28 July 1943 in B-17 #42-29777 'Peck's Bad Boys'. Prisoner of War (POW). Arrived to the group on 20 May 1943. He was shot down on mission 8, Kassel. 2nd Lt. Stephen W. Peck was flying 'Peck's Bad Boys' on this mission and was hit by fighters when the formation loosened up in heavy weather before reaching the target. Both number 1 and number 2 engines were knocked out and on fire. Controls were gone so that the engines could not be feathered and when trouble began developing in the remaining two engines, Peck orderd his crew to bail out. 'Everyone got out,' says 2nd Lt Ben Irons, 'but most of us pulled our rip cords too soon and suffered in the 25,000 foot plus atmosphere.' Irons landed among a group of civilians near Detmold, GR and was quickly rescued by a young soldier. Within two hours the entire crew had been assembled; seven of the men required some medical treatment before being transferred to Oberursel and Dulag Luft. Officers were sent to Stalag Luft III, while EM were sent to another Stalag Luft. Stayed st Stalag Luft III until Jan/Feb 1945 at which time he was evacuated 'so the Russians couldn't liberate us', moved to Stalag 7A (Moosburg). The Force March from Sagan to Moosburg was by far the roughtest part of his Prisoner of War (POW) experience.



POW