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100th BG 349th BS POW grouping


Robbo
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The story begins when I saw the Air Medal on its own on Ebay so I bid and won it. Whilst the auction was live I did a little searching and found that the recipient was from the same area where the seller was based so I assumed that it was from an estate sale or similar. When paying I noticed that sellers surname was the same as on the medal so I sent an email and the seller turned out to be the son and he had other items that were going to be sold separately. Anyway a deal was done and here are the results.

 

2nd LT Douglas L. Hiley. Navigator aboard B-17G 42-97607. A/C severely damaged on his 20th mission by FW-190's and ditched of the Danish coast while trying to make Sweden. All crew were captured and made POW's.

Hiley started in StalagLuft III but was later moved.

 

From the 100th BG website.

 

2nd Lt Ralph D. Horne, Jr. P POW 19-May-44 Berlin

2nd Lt John M. McGrath CP POW 19-May-44 Berlin

2nd Lt Douglas L. Hiley NAV POW 19-May-44 Berlin

2nd Lt Jack T. Evans BOM POW 19-May-44 Berlin

S/Sgt Robert L. Fosdick TTE POW 19-May-44 Berlin

S/Sgt Lawrence C. Wiley ROG POW 19-May-44 Berlin

S/Sgt Carlee G. Hunt BTG POW 19-May-44 Berlin

S/Sgt Joseph Perinsky, Jr. RWG POW 19-May-44 Berlin

S/Sgt Shelly M. Hall, Jr. LWG POW 19-May-44 Berlin

S/Sgt Joseph G. Staron, Jr. TG POW 19-May-44 Berlin

 

349th Sqdn. Crew joined the 100th 9 Mar 44.

 

Little specific information to the loss of this a/c is available. The following is quoted from a letter from Birger Hansen of Copenhagen, Denmark to this writer in March 1984:..jb

 

An unknown a/c was observed under control and apparently in no serious trouble at 1508 hours near 5420N 1200E heading for Sweden. The a/c had passed Lolland Island just shortly before it was hit by FW 190s. The pilot managed to ditch the a/c 8 km south of Glacno Island, and the crew successfully paddled ashore in the dinghies. Standard ditching procedures were used with all but the pilot and co-pilot in the radio room. There were no injuries from the combat action or the ditching except for a slight scratch on Sgt Joseph G. Staron's head. Lt's Horne and Evans and T/Sgt's Willey and Fosdick were taken POWs in Nyrup town on the 20th May at 0900 hours and the rest of the crewmembers became POWs in Snedinge town the same day at 1000 hours. The crew was on their 21st mission.

 

From 1st > Lt John M. Mc Grath, CP (November 2003)

"I would like to correct and add to the bio of my crew under 349th SQ- crews. Ralph and I were both 1st lieutenants when we were shot down. It was also our 20th mission. We were hit by FW190's from 12 o'clock high. The number 3 and 4 engines were hit and lost all power. We tried to feather the two props but to no avail. That's why we looked like we were in no serious trouble.

 

As we dropped out of formation we were attacked from the rear. The tail section was severely damaged. How Joe Staron escaped with a scratch is a miracle. As I glanced out my side window the FW190 was overtaking us and was no more than 20 yards off our right wing. He must have been wounded; no sane pilot would come that close and slow. He continued slowly to pass us and continued in a slow left turn in front of us where the bombardier and navigator finished him. We were losing altitude fast and our navigator said with our rate of decent we would never reach the channel, but we might reach Sweden. We opted for Sweden but never made it. We ditched as stated, were captured in Denmark and spent the rest of the war in various German POW camps"..........1st Lt John M. Mc Grath, CP

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Good Show Rob,

You've started fast on this one, and we'll have to compare notes.

I've got a guy that was in the same camp and he also was moved several times.

We'll have to get togather on this one when I get more info.

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Nice group! You did well!

 

Those photos you have were sold as a set after the war by a guy who took the photos in Stalag 7A ( Moosberg ) which is where Stalag Luft III moved to in January-February 1945. I have copies of the same photos in groupings I have.

 

Your man would have been in Luft III and would have been in the group marched through the countryside and ended in Stalag 7A with possibly a short stay in Nuremburg.

 

The Bob Neary book sells for 100-200 on its own.

 

Kurt

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Nice group! You did well!

 

Those photos you have were sold as a set after the war by a guy who took the photos in Stalag 7A ( Moosberg ) which is where Stalag Luft III moved to in January-February 1945. I have copies of the same photos in groupings I have.

 

Your man would have been in Luft III and would have been in the group marched through the countryside and ended in Stalag 7A with possibly a short stay in Nuremburg.

 

The Bob Neary book sells for 100-200 on its own.

 

Kurt

 

Thanks for the info there Kurt!! Does anyone know about the 1% pin from post 6? I don't think its military but something in the back of my mind keeps niggling.

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Good Show Rob,

You've started fast on this one, and we'll have to compare notes.

I've got a guy that was in the same camp and he also was moved several times.

We'll have to get togather on this one when I get more info.

 

 

JS.

Sure thing. Let me know what you have.

 

Rob

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Thanks Robbo! I found your posts on this forum while answering a few Veterans Day questions. The BTG, Carlee Hunt, was my grandfather :-)

 

George

 

CTIC(SG), USN, Retired

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Croix de Guerre

Fantastic thread and what a great find! So glad you were able to keep the group together! Great research and well presented as well! :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing it with us!

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  • 10 years later...

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