Merlin H Dyvig

Military
media-30765.jpeg UPL 30765 Corporal Merlin H Dyvig, Tail Gunner, 95th Bomb Group. Charles D Taylor collection

"Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 22 "Biographies", by Charles D Taylor.

Object Number - UPL 30765 - Corporal Merlin H Dyvig, Tail Gunner, 95th Bomb Group.

Merlin Dyvig served as a tail gunner with the Bomb Squadron of the 95th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Horham, England. On his 10th mission over Wilhelmshaven in November 1944 one engine caught fire and he was instructed to bail out from 26,000 ft. He landed among a hostile group of German soldiers; he passed around packets of cigarettes and the situation improved somewhat...He ended up at Stalag Luft 1V where two men would share one bowl and one knife and the food always contained worms. Red Cross parcels saved them. As the Russians advanced the men were evacuated and forced marched to Mooseburg where they were liberated by Patton April 29 1945. He later said ' The best thing that ever happened to me was being captured and in a POW camp. No matter how bad things may get in life it will never be as bad as that'.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: No No Nannette : Cadet Nurse the 2nd
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Humboldt, Iowa

Other

Lives in

Webster County, IA, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorHelen
Changes
Sources

Iowans of the Mighty 8th

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia ;
- http://95thbg.org/95th_db_pages/left_formation_code/gethonoroll.php

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

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