Willard S Thomas

Military

Object Number - UPL 72465 - 2nd Lt Willard S. Thomas

Assigned to 526BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 29-May-43 in B-17 42-29773 'Up & At Them', Prisoner of War (POW). 
 

"On the day of the Saint-Nazaire raid we were up early to eat and get the plane and ourselves ready. We had our briefing at 6.00 a.m., then, we took our crew out to the plane; we made sure

everyone understood what they were supposed to do, that the chutes fit everyone, that guns would operate. I was the pilot and Captain John O. Hall, the Squadron Commander, was the co-pilot. We circled over England for a long time. This was the largest raid up to that time, 169 x B-17’s, so it took a long time to make the formation. I was leading the low squadron.

We were hit over Guernsey Island and lost our no.2 motor but could still fly and were able to stay in formation. Our fighter planes could not go past the coast of France because of fuel shortage so the Germans jumped us before the target. They greeted us with flak when we reached Saint-Nazaire We had to fly straight and level for one minute so the bombardier could set his sights and drop the bombs. We dropped the bombs on the sub pens and turned at 45° for one minute and then back on the original course to photograph the results. That is when our plane was hit by flak. It blew a large hole in the plane where the waist guns were so I had no control. The plane was bucking, diving and climbing. Five men were killed in the plane and five bailed out. Of the five that bailed out one was killed.

As I floated down under my parachute, I saw two German fighter planes, when I descended to their altitude I figured they would shoot me. The planes drew close but instead of firing the pilots waved and smiled. It seemed like hours that I was floating down. People saw me coming and left their fields running to where I was going down. I landed by a road and a river, about 100 French people were waiting but three German soldiers stepped out the crowd with submachine guns and I was captured. They took me to jail in Vannes. Then, for two weeks I was at the Dulag Luft, near Frankfurt being interrogated. From there they took me to Stalag Luft III, Sagan on 13 June 1943. The next day British prisoners made a birthday cake for me from cracker crumbs and saccharine and found a candle to stick on the top, I'll never forget that. We stayed there until 27 January 1945. The Germans moved the prisoners because the Russians were coming, we marched four days and nights to Spremberg. There we caught a train (box cars) to Moosburg. Our treatment was not too bad but we were hungry. The camp was liberated by General Patton’s Third Army on 29 April 1945. When the prisoners saw the American flag waving there wasn't a dry eye in the camp."


Awards: AM, POW, EAME, WWII Victory

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-734338
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Up & At Them
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

29 May 1943 Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11)

Born

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Deleted an extra "Enlisted" event.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added POW camp info to the POW event and a S/N from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorMthomas
Changes
Sources

Melody Thomas

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Corrected, rank, role & POB in accordance with information provided by Melody Thomas (Granddaughter)

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1370 / MACR 1370; The 379th Bombardier Group Anthology, pg 261 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Willard S Thomas: Gallery (3 items)