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Very Unique Handwritten Diary Group - Escapee/Evader


ramram
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I have collected a lot of military diaries through the years but this one is probably up there in the top two as far as uniqueness. The only comparable one would be an OSS officer who kept a diary after being dropped behind the German lines in Italy during the last month of the war. This set of diaries are from a B-24 officer who is shot down and bails out into Belgium in April of 1944. What is unique is that he is one of the relatively few who, along with the help of citizens and the underground, evades and eventually escapes into Switzerland. What makes it possibly one of a kind is that during this period he kept a very detailed written diary. This guy was educated and very literate, but it begs the question as to why…considering the ramifications if he was caught and the Germans got their hands on the diary along with names and places. I have read that one of the criticisms by the underground was the boldness and recklessness of the Americans when in hiding. They said the British were far better at minding their rules while the Americans would take all kinds of inappropriate risks. I guess this was one of them.

I have his diaries starting from before the war all the way into 1945 and he was a prolific writer, so I guess he felt compelled to continue writing. These diaries were definitely kept while on the run (actually, they spent a lot of the time hiding and doing nothing which gave him plenty of time to write) and have great detail. In some instances, I’m sure he has gone back after two or three days and caught the diary up but most are current entries. There is one month-long gap, however, and I’m not sure If there is a missing diary during this time or if he just had to stop keeping it because they were so active. I believe it to be the later as it was during the period they were trying to get across the border into Switzerland.

I’ve found several references as to his evasion and escape. There are some books that mention him and there are also newspaper clippings that he kept that also talk about him returning several years later to meet and thank those that saved him. However, many of these helpers were eventually captured and murdered by the nazis. He also mentions in his diary about a 1945 Air Force Magazine article that was done about his group that escaped. I was able to locate an original copy of this story.

Basically, the timeline goes something like this - They are shot down on their first mission by ME-109s. They bail out and upon landing he is immediately helped by Belgian citizens to change clothes and hide. He is then moved several times to different hiding places. He is given a new name and identification papers by the underground. Many times he is in the very presences of the Germans. Eventually they move him to France where the Maquis (French resistance) then help hide him. The plan is to move them (him and others including some of his crewmen) to neutral Switzerland but then the Maquis get word that the impending D-Day invasion is only two weeks away so the Maquis abandon that idea as they now have bigger plans to begin implementing in preparation for the invasion. Shortly after this time is when there is a gap in the diary as they make there way mostly on their own into Switzerland. Once there, they are basically on vacation until they are air-lifted back to Britain in September of 1944. I did learn that, apparently, if your plane crash lands or if you bail out into Switzerland during the war, you are held in an internment camp until war’s end. However, if you go down in a neighboring country and escape into Switzerland you are a free man until your country of origin can get you out. These men were put up in resorts and received full pay during this time. In his case, he was in a resort, at the expense of the U.S., on Lake Geneva and enjoyed himself a great deal.

 

Following are a few excerpts. I may add a few later as time permits.

 

Rob M (Always looking for historically interesting diaries)

 

A prophetic comment while in a training lecture:

 

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These Diary entries are fascinating - I can easily see why this ranks high in your collection. This content is not your typical bomber Diary type - its more of a story told first hand and written day by day.

 

I have been collecting paper for years, and this type of content is rarely written - I have only heard it from the Veterans themselves (by phone or in person).

 

Thank you for sharing.

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This is a great diary. His description about bailing out at 16,500' (second page view from the top) was particularly cinematic.

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Thanks guys. I was able to find his Evasion & Escape Report in the National Archives. He filled out a few pages in his own hand and then an interrogator scribbled notes from his interview as well and then typed up a summary. Here are some samples from the interrogation.

 

Rob M

 

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