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FIRST OVER GERMANY, 306th BG POW and EVADER


KASTAUFFER
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This is a large POW group I just acquired that was about to be split up by the seller on Ebay. he posted the diary first, I won it and made an offer to buy the rest.

 

The 306th Bomb Group was nicknamed " 1st Over Germany" and was one of the first B-17 units to fly from England during WWII.

 

He was shot down April 5, 1943 on a mission to Antwerp while a crewman of a B-17 named L'il Abner . The entire crew made it out alive and most attempted to Evade. S/Sgt Sanders evaded for 3 months from April 1943 until July 1943 when the Gestapo picked him up in Paris. He spent a few weeks in a prison in Paris as a guest of the Gestapo and went from there to Stalag VIIA , XVIIB , and then to his permanent camp Stalag Luft 3 at Sagan.

He was also Jewish and had changed his name from Solomon to Sanders before he went into the Army. His brothers group was posted on the forum a couple years ago. He was a Naval Aviator.

 

I am going to post the highlights of the group and let the photos speak for themselves.

 

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In the photo of his ribbons above, you can clearly see a DFC and Purple Heart ribbon bar ( in addition to the Air Medal ). Based on my research, I can find the only decoration that he earned was the Air Medal with 3 OLC's . Two of the OLC's were for shooting down German Fighter planes . Not bad shooting .

 

I think he must have self awarded the other decorations to himself. In 1989 he also applied for a set of medals including the POW medal, and the NPRC said he was entitled to the AM with 3OLCs , the POW medal, the campaign medals, and nothing else. So does a wartime era document. Both are pictured

 

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The box for the Air Medal has the medal number written on the side .

 

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POW dogtag used as a bracelet.

 

 

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The original transmittal letter for the Air Medal and the citations. The Medal # is also on the letter.

 

 

 

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POW Barracks card from Stalag Luft 3 and his Personnel Card.

 

Notice he listed his religion as "agnostic" . He was Jewish and had changed his name from Solomon to Sanders right before he went into the Army.

 

 

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While he was evading from April 1943 to July 1943 he spent 1 month in the home of this member of the underground . Raymonde wrote this letter to the POW's parents in December 1944.

 

 

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This is an original poster that was tacked up to the barracks walls in Stalag Luft 3 after the " Great Escape ". It needs no explanation.

 

 

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This is a propaganda item he brought home.

 

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This is my favorite part of the group. It is his original YMCA " A Wartime Log" diary he filled out in Stalag Luft 3 . Most of the diary is filled out with copies of all the letters he mailed home, but the other pages have artwork and poems.

 

 

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And finally... a POW group is not complete without a POW License plate.

 

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In memory of the men of the 306th Bomb Group..... FIRST OVER GERMANY

 

 

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