We must have been quite a sight as we were marched into this hamlet and turned over to the city authorities. The building was in the center of town. In the entry area, which was a large room with tables and chairs, the two German officials the military released us to began a search of our clothing. As they would lay it on the table and look into another pocket, we would pick it up, hold it in our hand, then put it back into a pocket they had searched. This went on until they found the same thing on us the third and fourth time. So they moved us farther from the table where they placed the items and after they were satisfied, placed us in a cell. We picked most of our things up on the way out so we were able to keep some of our stuff. We had to carry our parachutes with us. The cell was outside, about 10' x 12' with very thick walls and a wood bench without a pad. The door was 2 or 3 inches thick and there was a barred window without glass or shutter. This was the beginning of what was to come as a prisoner of war (Kriegsgefanen). The cell was without lights, so about dusk we prepared for the night. About this time we heard someone outside and a person placed some grapes on the window sill. She must have been very short and with aged hands. We were very thankful for this as it was our only food for the day.

The first night as a POW will always be remembered as we were so cold with no heat or blankets. We wrapped ourselves into our parachutes and slept close together for warmth. Morning came and the sun shown into our cell and warmed us a little. No food or contact with anyone. About noon we watched our planes returning from another mission in the same area. About mid-afternoon they came for us. A military truck that had the rest of our crew aboard picked us up. They had been kept in a small town just south of where Vern and I were held. We had a good reunion with the rest of the crew, but Devon Hall was not there. We found that he had left the aircraft but no further word of him at the time.

After much discussion by the crew, we found the skipper had sent him to check on the four of us in the tail section as we had lost all intercom, but he never arrived. We then believed he did not have a parachute on and was blown out of the airplane about the time we were hit in the bombay. This was confirmed by the department of grave registrations that contacted Devon’s dad. His body is interred in France in a US cemetery.

Back at the base our squadron staff were busy submitting their “Missing Air Crew Reports”. You may view a copy of the report for our crew by clicking here and you will have an easy return to this page.

We were then transported to an air base south of Vienna and had our first food in two days while we were kept in a celled room. That same night we were taken by truck to the railroad station in Vienna. There were six or eight guards assigned, and we were split up into two rooms of a passenger car. With two guards in each room it was quite crowded. There were large luggage racks on each side of these rooms so we younger members slept up there so as to give more room to those below. We also found the food in the guards pack which we could easily reach, so helped ourselves to part of it as the guards dozed off. When they found out what we were doing, they were really mad and made us get down. We arrived in Nuremberg late into the night, hungry and cold, and were placed in a jail adjacent to the railroad depot to await the train to Frankfurt.

We hounded a guard whom we had talked to in broken English for something to eat. He checked and, on his own, when it was his time to guard us, he took some of us, including me, to the kitchen along the tracks and got us two pails of potatoes, bowls and spoons which we took back to the jail. He also found some wood and boxes to build a fire with. That food sure tasted good and we all fell asleep with the fire keeping us warm and our appitites satisfied.

We changed trains again before dawn. As we were getting on the train, an elderly couple had several baskets of produce to load aboard, so we all helped and had everything aboard in no time. They were grateful for our help and gave each one of us an apple (we had sort of helped ourselves before). When daylight came and they saw who we were, a lot of sour words were spoken and they moved their goodies away from us.

As the train came into Frankfurt, we could really see the damage that had been done by the bombing of the city. Huge buildings were only partly standing with furniture setting there. We were at the main railroad station of Frankfurt and they moved us to a different platform which also was badly damaged. We were joined by a P-51 pilot who had had engine failure, bailed out and was beaten by the populace.He was afraid to ask to go to the latrine and wet his pants, which gave us the opportunity to start on the guards for a trip to the latrine. This was a sorry sight with all the refugees and after the second time around, the guards would not let us go again.

From Frankfurt we boarded a train to Oberosle, the interrogation center, arriving about October 15, 1944. Oberosle was a small town. After leaving the train we had about a 30 minute walk to the site. We were placed in a small room in the basement of this buildling and then taken for individual interrogation. The interrogator I had spoke excellent English and in small talk said he was from the state of Virginia, USA. After he thought he had gained my interest he gave me a preprinted form to fill out. I filled in only the necessary name, rank and serial number, and gave the paper back to him.

When he found that I would not fill in more, he appeared angry and threatened that they would not notify my family that I was a POW, and I would get no food until this form was complete. So I was placed into solitary confinement in a cell about 6' x 10' with only a wall bench to sit or lay on. They instructed me that when I was ready to fill out the form I would be able to join the rest of the crew. Supper came and it was a barley stew, just a bowl, and so night fell. I went to the latrine as often as possible to try to see any of the other crew members. I saw only one as he was being placed in his cell. The next forenoon the interrogator sent for me and again tried to convince me to complete the form, reference the organization and many other military questions. He also gave me an American cigarette and left the pack between us, so I helped myself several times, with a couple extra in my pocket when he turned his head. After this session I was returned to my cell. After a short time the guard came and released me to the holding area dulag transit camp for POWs. This was about 17 October 1944. I was with the rest of the crew until it was time for us to depart for the assigned dulag-luft.

On October 19, 1944, we, the enlisted men, left the dulag by rail for the enlisted men’s camp, destination unknown. We marched a short distance and were placed in this railcar, well barred for escape. There were 20 to 30 men in our railcar, Other than the guards at the ends of the car and a walking guard up and down the corridor, we were left alone. The car was attached to different trains as we moved northeast toward Berlin. We bypassed Berlin and went on to the town of Stetten, continuing on to Gross Tychow, Stalag-Luft IV, arriving about October 24, 1944. On this trip we saw a lot of distruction that had been created by the bombing we had been a part of, the American planes by day and the British by night. Very few motor vehicles were noted, but horses were used everywhere. At a railroad crossing we noted a horse drawn wagon with a load of tinsel (chaff) that we would throw out of the aircraft to confuse their radar. We also saw the first jet flying, a two engine make-over, and we all watched in amazement.