Lt. Frank Burgmeier Laon/Athies Airfiled around December 16, 1944. Lt. Foster took this photograph of his good friend and tent buddy, "Burgmeier", just before Lt. Foster left Laon to head home. Lt. Burgmeier still needed one more mission. The two had shared a tent in perfect accord since arriving at Lessay in August. Although both attended Syracuse University immediately following their return to the States, both earning their degrees (Frank-Jounalism and Walt-Accounting) in three years, they never saw each other again. They reconnected through correspondence in 2008. Putting their war lives behind them was difficult as they tried to adjust to civilian, peacetime life. LT. Foster had a new bride and expectant mother to support, and Frank was tring to become reacquainted with his bride, Tedi. Their existence had been a struggle for survival in Laon during a bitterly cold winter with meager supplies and scavenged wood for heaitng fuel. . Much of their time was spent cutting wood , preparing for scrubbed mostly missions or training other officers in a hectic schedule. The food at Laon was lousy---they cut up turnips and onions acquirred locally to give it flavor. The two shared the unique, dry and very funny 456th sense of humor,. They had a great deal of respect for each other, both having carried the burden of significant responsibility flying box leads after they had become experienced and proven their leadership. As leads, both were required to serve as "floaters" and flew with most of the lead pilots, who were highly skilled. Both flew several missions with with Helton and Stirling. The Foster/Burgmeier tent was always set up next to the Guldemond tent and the Lt. Robert Smith's tent. At Laon, Frank and Walt had a tent mate named Sam, who apparently never said much, preferring to read quietly on his own. Their pets, Pat and Oscar were a source of love and warmth during a cold, wet winter.

Lt. Frank Burgmeier-Lead Navigator (Left) and Lt. Walt Foster-Lead Bombardier (Right) outside of their tent near Lessay, France August-September 1944. To pass time, they played Gin Rummy (Frank usually won), read and built furniture. They also rode bikes and went to the Red Cross for movies and coffee and donuts.

Lt. Owens and Lt. Frank Burgmeier outside of Officers' Mess Earls Colne Airfield, Essex Feb. - July 1944.

December 2, 1944, the morning after Lt. Foster's Final Mission Party. Note the at least 18 empty champagne bottles lined up near them and their slightly grim or peaked expressions. (L -R) Lt. Donald Parker -Bombardier, Lt. Erwin, Lt. Robert Smith-Pilot, and Lt. John Guldemond -Pilot. They are in front of either the Foster/Burgmeier Tent or the Guldemond tent. Laon/Athies Afield, France. Sadly, Lt. Parker was killed in action about 12 weeks later.

Lessay, France August -September 1944 (L - R) Lt. Walt Foster-B, Lt. Robert Smith-P, Lt. Frank Burgmeier-N, Lt. Erwin.

Lr. Frank Burgmeier taken sometime after November 1943 and before May 20, 1944

1st Lt. Leo Dale Rush, Jr. taken between December 1943 and May 20, 1944 in Quarters Area No. 13, Earls Colne Airfield

Earls Colne Airfield Nissen Huts in what appears to be Site No. 13, Buildings 501 (foreground) and 500 on the right. In the chapter of his book "Brave Men"entitled "The Flying Wedge ", Ernie Pyle, the famous war correspondent that brought the war home to anxious families and friends, describes a Nissen hut with wooden signs outside of its door. Each of the signs, he wrote, represented one of the occupants of the Officers' Quarters. Pyle noted that because dogs were such a big part of the airmen of the 456th Bomb Squadron's lives, they included a sign for each of the dogs and pups that inhabited the huts with them. The photograph from the Collection of Lt. Col. Walt Foster, appears to be possibly of the Nissen hut and signs that Pyle described. Before including the story of his time with the 456th in his book, Pyle had written a newspaper column describing his two weeks with the 456th Bomb Squadron in Earls Colne, Essex in May 1944. Pyle spent one week living with the officers of one Nissen jut shared by Capt. William "Chief" Collins, Lt. Jack "Red Dog" Arnold, Lt. Frank Burgmeier and two or three other officers. Pyle describes two holes in the ceiling of the Nissen hut and how they got there. One of the officers, likely Chief Collins, was fired up and decided to discharge his service revolver through the ceiling. Then, he bet one of the other officer's he couldn't shoot a bull through the same hole, which turned out to be a good bet.

Earls Colne Airfield Dispersal Areas Aerial - War Time The photograph has been annotated with the dispersal sites within view and certain building numbers, all but one of which are within Site No. 2 Communal. Please refer to the Earls Colne Site Plan - Schedule of Buildings for the legend, which is reproduced to the extent possible below.. Building 498 is likely the Nissen hut shared by Lts. Foster, Rush, Stirneman, Guldemond and Lemmon with their puppy, Burma. SITE NO. 2 COMMUNAL 166 Picket Post 167 Grocery Store 168 Tank Tower 169 Ration Store 170 Breakroom Ration Store 171 Tailors and Barber Shop 172 Latrines Sergts. 173 Sergts. Showers 174 Sergts. Mess 175 A/IN’s Dining Room & ___ 176 Post Office 177 Latrine Block A/IN’s 178 Showers & Ablut. A/IN’s 179 Fuel Compound 180 M & E Plinth 181 Stand-By Set House 182 Gymnasium & Chapel 183 Institute 184 Officers’ Bath House 185 -186 Officers’ Mess 187 Squash Racquet Court 188 C/O’s Quarters SITE AREA NO. 3 COMUNAL 194 Picket Post 195 Sergts. Mess 196 Sergts. Showers 197 Officers’ Baths 198 Boiler House 199 Officers’ Mess 200 Latrine Block A/IN’s 201 – 202 Showers Blocks A/IN’s (2) 203 M & E Plinth 204 Dining Room 205 Institute & W.A.A.E.T. 206 Education Block 207 Local Produce Store 208 Ration Store 209 Fuel Compound SITE NO. 4 QUARTERS 215 Picket Post 216 - 219 A/IN’s Barracks (4) 220 A/IN’s Latrines 221 Sergts. & A/IN’s Dining Room 222 Sergts. & A/INS Ablutions 223 A/IN’s Barracks 224 Fuel Compound 225 A/IN’s Latrines 226 - 231 A/IN’s Barracks (4) SITE NO. 5 QUARTERS 237 Picket Post 238 Officers’ Quarters 239 Officers’ Ablutions & Latrines 240 - 342 Officers’ Quarters (3) 243 A/IN’s Barracks 244 -245 Sergts. Quarters (2) 246 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 247 – 249 Sergts. Quarters (3) 250 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 251 Sergts. Ablutions 252 Sergts. Latrines & Dining Room 253 - 257 Sergts. Quarters (5) 258 Sergts. A/IN’s Ablutions 259 M & E Plinth 260 – 262 A/IN’s Barracks (3) 263 A/IN’S Latrines & Dining Room 264 - 259 A/IN’s Barracks (6) 270 M & E Plinth 272 – 277 A/IN’S Barracks (7) SITE No. 6 QUARTERS 282 Picket Post 283 A/IN’s Barracks 284 Officer’s Quarters 285 Static Water Tank 286 – 287 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions (2) 288 – 294 Officers’ Quarters (7) 295 M & E Plinth 296 – 297 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 298 – 302 Sergts. Quarters (5) 303 A/IN’s Barracks 304 Sergts. Barracks 305 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 306 – 307 A/IN’S Lat. & Dining Room (2) 308 – 310 A/IN’S Quarters (3) 311 A/IN’S Latrines & Dining Room 312 – 317 A/IN’S Barracks (4) SITE NO. 7 QUARTERS 323 Picket Post 324 – 327 Officers’ Quarters (4) 328 Sergts. Dining Room 329 – 324 Sergts. Quarters (5) 325 Sergts. Latrines 326 -527 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 328 - 230 Sergts. Quarters (3) 331 - 332 A/IN’S Latrines (2) 332 -351 A/IN’S Barracks (20) 352 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 353 Sergts. & A/IN’S Ablutions 354 -358 A/IN’S Barracks (5) 359 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 360 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions 361 Sergts. Ablutions SITE NO. 8 W.A.A.F. 265 Picket Post & Reception Room 366 Lavatory 367 Institute 368 Static Water Tank 369 Sergts. Mess & A/IN Dining Hall 370 Sick Quarters (6 Bed) 371 Officers’ Mess w/ Show. & Ablu. 372 – 375 A/IN’s Barracks (w/o Lat.) (4) 376 – 377 Sergts. & A/IN’s Barr. (w/ Lat. & Baths) (2) 378 Sergts. & A/IN’s Baths & Decontam. 379 Sergts. & A/IN’s Lat. & Ablutions 380 – 386 A/IN’S Barr. (w/ Lat. & Baths (7) SITE No. 9 W.A.A.F. 392 Fuel Compound 393 Ablutions Block 394 Latrine & Bath Block 395 Sergts. Quarters (w/ Latrine) 396 Static Water Tank 397 – 400 A/IN’s Quarters (w/ Lat.) (4) 401 M & E Plinth 402 403 – 405 A/IN’s Quarters (w/ Lat.) (4) SITE No. 10 Sick QUARTERS 412 Picket Post 413 M & E Plinth 414 Sergts. A/IN’s Quarters 415 Sergts. & IN’s Lat. & Dining Hall 416 Ambulance Garage & Mortuary 417 Static Water Tank 418 Sick Quarters 419 Sick Quarters Amen. 420 Pump House 421 L. C. Reservoir & Suction Tank SITE No. 11 QUARTERS 427 Picket Post 428 Static Water Tank 429 – 430 A/IN’s Barracks (w/ Lat.) (2) 431 – 432 A/IN’s Latrine & Dining Room 433 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 434 A/IN’s Barracks 435 - 440 A/IN’s Barr. (1 w/ Lat. & 4 w/o Lat.) SITE No. 12 QUARTERS 446 Picket Post 447 Officers’ Latrines & Ablutions 448 – 452 Officers’ Quarters (5) 453 454 Officers’ Latrines 455 – 456 Sergts. Quarters (2) 457 – 461 A/IN’s Barracks (5) 462 A/IN’s Latrines & Dining Room 463 – 464 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 465 Sergts. Quarters 466 Sergts. Latrines 467 Sergts. Dining Room 468 Sergts. Ablutions 469 – 474 Sergts. Quarters (14) 475 A/IN’s Barracks 476 Sergts. & A/IN’s Ablutions 477 M & E. Plinth 478 – 481 A/IN’s Barracks (4) 482 A/In’s Latrines & Dining Room 483 A/I’S Latrines 484 - 488 A/IN’S Barracks (5) 448 Static Water Tank 490 Fuel Compound SITE No. 13 QUARTERS 496 Picket Post 497 - 503 Officers’ Quarters (6) 504 Officers’ Ablutions & Latrines 505 Latrines 506 – 510 Sergts. Quarters (5) 511 – 512 Sergts. Lat. & Dining Room (2) 513 Sergts. Dining Room 514 – 515 Sergts. Quarters (2) 516 Sergts. Ablutions 517 – 518 Sergts. Quarters (2) 519 Ablutions 520 – 521 Officers’ Quarters (2) 522 Airmen’s Latrines 523 – 528 A/IN’s Barracks (6) 529 A/IN’s Barracks 530 – 531 A/IN’s Lat. & Dining Room (2) 532 A/IN’s Barracks 533 – 539 A/IN’s Barracks (7) 540 A/IN’s Barracks 541 Canteen SITE No. 14 SEWAGE DISPOSAL 446 Sewage Drain Beds 447 Pool House 448 Sequestr. Tanks (_ Compartmt.) 449 Dosing Chamber 550 Percolating Filters (2) 551 Holding Tanks (2)

Lt. Victor Jacobs - B, Capt. Lou Rehr - P, Lt. Frank Burgmeier, and James Siegling, . Laon Athies Airfield, France, November 1944. Pictured with "Ole 33 Gal", WT- A.