WWII 381st BG 533rd BS POW document

[cthomas]

Guys-

I've been very fortunate in my research lately. I've had one of those WWII American POW envelopes ID'd to a S/SGT. John M. Vaughn in my collection for some time now but up to recently, never did any research on the name. All I can say is WOW! Here is what I was able to dig up:

 

The 'Prisoner of War Post' envelope is ID'd to a S/SGT John M. Vaughn, POW # 100336, Stalag Luft 3/sub camp Stalag 17 B, Germany.

 

VAUGHN, a native of South Carolina, enlisted in the Army Air Corps while living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1942. He was stationed with the 381st Bomb Group, 533rd Bomb Squadron and was assigned to a Boeing B-17F-25-DL by the name of 'Strato Sam' (Serial # 42-3092 MACR# 399) as a ball turret gunner. On August 17, 1943 Strato Sam was lost over Pesch, Germany during the first bombing campaign to destroy the ball bearing plant located in Schweinfurt. It appears 'Strato Sam' was shot down by a combination of FLAK & the guns of Hauptmann Herman Staiger's BF 106 G-6 (WNr 15920) "Blue 2" of JG-26. All but the Engineer, 2nd Lt Kenneth E. Robinson, were able to parachute out of the doomed aircraft.

VAUGHN would spend the rest of the war as a POW in STALAG 17B (near Krems Austria).

 

For more on 'Strato Sam':

Strato Sam

 

For more info on RKT Herman Staiger:

Staiger

Amazing what one could find with a little luck & the internet at your fingertips...

 

-Chuck

[sgtdorango]

Cool stuff, that would look great framed with that picture of Strato Sams nose art and some insignia or with some luck maybe you could find a pic of S/SGT John M. Vaughn too!! thank you internet!! .....mike

[Mr-X]

Wow, good researching.

A pic of the nose art and all.