RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Can anyone recommend any good books about evaders during WWII? Reading unit histories; some of these stories are well nigh incredible.

Did anyone successfully evade from within Germany?

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

quite an old but nice book:
Free to fight again
Alan W. Cooper
ISBN 0-7183-0678-3

Another one
 

"Aviateurs piètons vers la Suisse", 1940-1945 by Roger Anthoine, Editions SECAVIA,Genéve, 1997 ISBN 2-8826-007-4

Very recommended, very accurate.


The author writes in the 80's the very detailed book : "Forteresses sur l'Europe", (17 august 1943)

TIA,

Bertrand H

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Also book of Erik Dyreborg "The Young Ones", published in August 2003 has some nice stories of evasion...

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Thanks all!

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Three made it back to the UK from their escape from Stalag Luft III located near the Polish town of Sagan. This was is called the 'Great Escape'.

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

I should have rephrased the question: were there any RAF/USAAF aircrew that landed on German territory but were able to avoid capture and successfully evade?

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Chuck Yeager

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Yeager was downed in southwestern France. Anyone downed inside Germany proper who avoided capture and evaded...

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Hi KB !

There were only a rare number of RAF/USAAF crew members, which successfully evaded a capture after downing on German soil and made it to the own lines. The first (USAAF) event of this nature happpened in 1943, when on August 17th the 3rd Bomb Division launched a raid to the Messerschmitt-works at Regensburg, Germany. On the way to the target, the B-17 were attacked by German fighters with a mass of losses.

One B-17 of 381st BG (s/n 42-30140) was hit and the entire crew made it to bail out. The aircraft came down near Bad Münstereifel, Germany, which is located about 40 km Soutwest of Cologne, Germany. After evaluating the situation, thinking that their landing area was located between Mannnheim, Germany and Swizerland, two crew-members, Co-pilot Lt. Robert E. Nelson and gunner Sgt. Raymond A. Genz made the decision to evade.

They were 14 days on their way through the very low populated Eifel-area southwest bound. They worked the way with the classic individual equipppment like compass and sik-map.

On the 12th day, they met Luxembourg soil and from this day, their evading was much easier to undertake. They only found people, willing to suppport their task to return. After contacting some Luxembourg/French underground cells, they were forwarded via Longvy (LUX) to Paris and then transferred via Clermont-Toulouse-Lourdes to Barcelon, Spain. After that, they were transferred via Madrid to Gibraltar and the flown to Great Britain, where they arrived in November 1943.

As it was the first successful evadee from Germany, the two aviators were ordered to Washington, to talk about their experiences in order to give other crews aids in similar situations and to be decorated with the "Silver Star" for their outstanding mission.

You may gain more information about this case in those records/publications:

-E&E reports # 170 and 171
by National Archives

-Bombenangriffe auf Luxemburg in zwei Weltkriegen
by E. T. Melchers, St. Paulus Druckerei A.G. Luxemburg, 1984

-Zielpunkt Südeifel - Band 1, S. 114 - 116
by Horst Weber, Geschichtlicher Arbeitskreis Bitburger Land, 2001

Generally, an allied aviator had in 1943 - July 1944 a good chance to escape from German soil if he landed west of the Rhine river and made it to Belgium, France or Luxembourg.

All the best,

H. Weber

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

One of the most daring escape/evaders was Col. G.L. Duncan of 353FG/351FS
Leaving his crashed P47 in N-Germany in the summer of 1944 he walked to the Netherlands, stayed with the underground until march/april1945, was back in England and flew some missions again before the war ended.
Look on the internet for the War-Diaries of the 353FG and you'll find the very peculiar story of this 18-kills ace in that book.
Co de Swart,
Holland.

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Great info, thanks!

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Thanks for the info on his evasion.

Col. Duncan was a real character in addition to be a good fighter pilot.

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Famous example is Col. Duncan, CO 353 FG/351 FS, downed in the summer
of 1944 in N-Germany, went to Holland on foot, stayed with the Dutch Resistance until april 1945 and returned to England and.......flew again.
See the Book , War Diaries of the 353 FG>
Futher :contact the US AFEES Org.in Wichita Falls, Tx.

Co de Swart,
Holland
researcher Airwar WWII ETO
mbr. 8th USAF Hist. Soc.

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Hi,

I am reading the 'Night after night - New Zealanders in Bomber Command' by Max Lambert and this book includes a story about Nich Matich that was shot down over Germany on the night 27-28 September 1943. He walked 100 miles in NW Germany before he reached the Dutch border and was helped by an escape line that helped him to England.

Cheers
Peter

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

You will find evasion from the Danish area covered on:
WWW.Flensted.eu.com

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Highly interesting story, find attached my data from the KU-Report regarding to the death of crewmen:

Crew on 13th Mission

A/C 42-30140 went down under control at 49. 50N – 08. 50E at 14:40. Another ship reported this aircraft had No. 2 engine burning fifteen minutes inside coastline after first enemy attack. Went into a steep dive. Three chutes came out then one minute later the entire ship caught fire. Shortly after five more chutes came out. Another ship reported seven chutes came out of this aircraft.


KU- Report 224/43: Jack, Painter 1st Lt crash southeast Bad Münstereifel 17. August 1943
Interment: 18. August 1943 on Cemetary of Honor, Bad Münstereifel , Middle Section, Field 8 Row4, Grave Nr 21.

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

How strange I put a post on this thread yeasterday but its not here!
So here it is:-

Try and obtain 'Winged Hours' by the late Group Captain Frank C Griffiths DFC AFC, published by William Kimber 1981. Group Capt.Frank Griffiths (family friend) served with 138 Sqn RAF and evaded capture after he was shot down while on an SOE supply drop near Annecy in SE France on 14th August 1943 - flying Halifax Mk II NF-O JD180.

According to Frank Griffiths he was shot down at low level by small arms fire from Italian soldiers stationed in the area. With subsequent engine trouble he could not maintain height or a straight course and came down in a wide spiral until he hit some houses - which catapulted him through the cockpit. He was the only survivor and after been found by the locals with a broken arm he evaded and reached Gibraltar some months later.

According to Frank Griffiths the shape of the 'triangular' fin on his Halifax II did not help - but I am not sure whether the D shape fin had yet to be introduced to the batch ending in JD180?

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Larry, I believe D fins appeared somewhere in the spring 1944 and I think on all Mk IIs they were a retro fit.
The book by Griffiths, does it contain more info about flying in 138 Sqn? Any photos?

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Lt. Roland Dufresne, a flight leader in 357FS/355FG was shot down in a P-47 east of Koln on 11 February, 1944. Successfully evaded and returned to Steeple Morden by August. Continued his ops and finished tour of duty in December, 1944.

It would seem that he did not use French or Belgium underground as he was returned to duty w/o fear of compromising his escape route.

Lt Albert Zimmerman 354FS/355FG went down in Germany north/NW of Koblenz but hooked up with Dutch underground and fought with them until March, 1945 when he returned to Allied lines.

Regards,

Bill

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Franek,

Frank Griffiths's book about his time with 138 Sqn does not contain many photos as far as I can remember (my Dad has it at the moment) and certainly nothing noteworthy like photos of 138 sqn aircraft! Also as Frank Griffiths was only on the Sqn for a few months before going 'AWOL' it may be of passing interest for details on 138 Sqn. Most of the book is taken up with his escape.

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

While not a book.
There is a great site about Lt Art Owen's adventures with the resistance and the OSS after being downed flying a P-51B with the 363rd FG on 4-29-44.
http://www.karenowen.org/maquis/awo/story.htm

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Hello Bill,

In the MACR 10432 of Lt.Albert Zimmerman is the crash location ;
10-15 miles SW of Nijkerk,Holland.
Zimmerman joined also on Pegasus II,on the 18th of November 1944.
Even didnt know if he reach the other side of the River Rhine.
Do you have any report he join Allied troops in March 1945,

regards Jaap

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Hello KB,

In Holland there are several good books with Escape Story's.

Regards Jaap

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

Jaap - I have a better pic of Zimmerman. send me an email.

On reaching Allied lines in March, it is an unverified reference/recollection by several 354FS pilots - I suspect his return would co-incide with Allies over-running his location in Holland.

Regards,

Bill

Re: RAF/USAAF Evaders
 

If you type in evaded site:www.luftwaffe.cz This gives you a list of A/craft losses and the numbers of evaders. Crew names are not listed in all cases Regards Ross