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Shot Down in Flames - Yank POW in the RAF


Wharfmaster
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I will start this one out with a medal group to a man from Texas that ended up in the Royal Air Force just prior to World War Two.

 

Our pilot Stan joined the US Merchant Marine when in his teens. I assume that got old and he decided to go for more adventure. He Joined the RAF in 1938 and received a commission as Acting Pilot Officer on probation in March of 1939. He joined #61 RAF Squadron in England and in June of 1940 was shot down on a mission over the continent. His Hampden bomber he was hit by flak and went down with two of the four aboard. Stan and a sgt. survived and became POWs. He was held in Stalag luft 1 & 3. This man's British POW number was below #100. There would be many thousands more POWs after him. He had to be one of the very first American POWs of WW2. Think about it, On December 7th 1941, he had already been "in the bag" for nearly a year and a half! I assume he took the King's Oath in 1938 and lost his US citizenship as he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force near the end of WW2 and did not go home to Texas. I believe he lived in Ontario for a number of years and BC as well. His remains reside in a cemetery in British Columbia.

 

Stan's medal group contains the 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Clasp, War Medal 39-45 and the Canadian Decoration for long service. The CD is named on the rim.

All the medals are in their issue boxes.

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  • 6 years later...

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