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Diary of WWII POW in Italy and Germany


ramram
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  • 2 months later...

If it may interest you taking a quick look I've recognized some Italian city names:

Sulmona (where he was shot down), Foggia (bombed city on the way to Rome) and Bologna (Where "Campo N° 19" was located)

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Info from Fold3

Missing Air Crew Report
S/Sgt William Warren Gooch SN 14050230, Asst Engineer
9th Air Force 98th Bomb(H) Group, 344 Bomb (H) Squadron
Point of departure; Lete, LLibya
Desitnation: Sulmona, Italy
Dated Sept 3, 1943
Aircraft: B-24D SN 42-42525 AC No. 42-40742
Pilot: 2nd Lt. Irving (NMI) Moehling
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  • 11 months later...
WWGoochdaughter

William Warren Gooch is my father.
This is his diary.
My father mentioned this, but never knew what became of it.
I have the book the Red cross gave him in which he drew the guards, his plane crash described in the beginning pages of his diary, and other POWs.
They look like photographs.
My sister and I did not know this existed until a week ago.
The events my father spoke of in his later years have now come to life.
WW Gooch was a positive, kind, happy man and was loved by all.
After the war, he was president of his fraternity, and one of the top marksman in the country, and graduated with a degree in civil engineering.



Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I have every piece of correspondence, from his eloquently written notes to his mother in training, to being listed as missing for a year, to presumed dead.
This diary completes the history of his sacrifices for our freedom.
I would treasure seeing the photos, and knowing how you obtained this.
Thank you, kind soldier.

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WWGoochdaughter

My father, WWG, was also in the Polesti Bombing raid, crash landing in Malta.
I remember him saying the holes in the plane were so large from being hit so often, that the crew walked through them.

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Wow, it's a pleasure and very much a surprise to hear from you. I sent you a PM. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Rob

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  • 7 months later...
WWGoochdaughter

I can not find your email address.
I took photos off all the drawings that were drawn by Daddy when he wrote this diary, and will forward them to you.
Jennifer

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  • 1 year later...

My grandfather, T/Sgt Edwin. W. Estridge, was the engineer on this plane, 42-40742, "Jinx". I have his Red Cross journal but it has no where near as much detail as WW Gooch shared. My granddad died in 1998. Several years ago, I did a google search and actually contacted via phone Irv Moehling, the pilot, George Pino, the bombardier, and Joe Pacolt, the radio operator. I told each of them that I was not calling to ask them about their war experience but rather to see if they could tell me anything about my granddad. They each did, and I was so grateful. My granddad was a great man, and when he was told to put his POW time behind him he seemingly did and never spoke of it. I am so grateful that he survived, along with all of the others except for Lt. Wilmer Lee. My dad was not born until after the war so I wouldn't be here if things were different. Thank you again so much for sharing this. post-164082-0-24913100-1478092178_thumb.jpg

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My grandfather is third from the left in front.

 

Thank you for sharing. Great story. Below is a page from the diary with his name and home town. Not sure if it is his handwritting. I'll also add the MACR reports mentioning him, although you may already have them.

 

Rob M

post-109483-0-61228600-1478208135_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 years later...

My grandfather, T/Sgt Edwin. W. Estridge, was the engineer on this plane, 42-40742, "Jinx". I have his Red Cross journal but it has no where near as much detail as WW Gooch shared. My granddad died in 1998. Several years ago, I did a google search and actually contacted via phone Irv Moehling, the pilot, George Pino, the bombardier, and Joe Pacolt, the radio operator. I told each of them that I was not calling to ask them about their war experience but rather to see if they could tell me anything about my granddad. They each did, and I was so grateful. My granddad was a great man, and when he was told to put his POW time behind him he seemingly did and never spoke of it. I am so grateful that he survived, along with all of the others except for Lt. Wilmer Lee. My dad was not born until after the war so I wouldn't be here if things were different. Thank you again so much for sharing this. attachicon.gif IMG_0013.JPG

Hi, Im research stories of aviators who fought on the Sangro river in Italy during the Second World War. It would be really interesting to have information about a valorous pilots and members of crew of B-24's that bomb the marshalling yard at Sulmona (Italy) at 3 september 1943;

6 B-24's are lost, one of these was the b-24 JINX.

I noticed that Edwin. W. Estridge was your grandfather. Edwin probably took part in the mission.

Can you help me? Have you any more information?

 

Thank you so much for your attention.

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William Warren Gooch is my father.

This is his diary.

My father mentioned this, but never knew what became of it.

I have the book the Red cross gave him in which he drew the guards, his plane crash described in the beginning pages of his diary, and other POWs.

They look like photographs.

My sister and I did not know this existed until a week ago.

The events my father spoke of in his later years have now come to life.

WW Gooch was a positive, kind, happy man and was loved by all.

After the war, he was president of his fraternity, and one of the top marksman in the country, and graduated with a degree in civil engineering.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

I have every piece of correspondence, from his eloquently written notes to his mother in training, to being listed as missing for a year, to presumed dead.

This diary completes the history of his sacrifices for our freedom.

I would treasure seeing the photos, and knowing how you obtained this.

Thank you, kind soldier.

 

the same answer like for reply to granfather's nephew of Edwin. W. Estridge , the same applies to W.W. Gooch.

Can you help me? Have you any more information?

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