Need to find aviator info (name), who was at Stalag Luft III
 

Hey guys,

I recently found some old estate items from a POW who was at Stalag Luft III.

On his pilot shirt, he wrote on a piece of paper:

"Original short worn by me when shot down 10-18-44, and worn until liberated 4-29-45. Has bent 2nd Lt Bar (which undoubtedly stopped an undisclosed metal object from entering my neck)"

There is a rough signature, looks like 4 letters...so it could be first or last name.

so at this time:

Shot down 10-18-44
2nd. Lt.
POW at Atalag Luft III

Does anyone have a list or know of any birds that were shot down on this date?

TIA

Mike

Re: Need to find aviator info (name), who was at Stalag Luft III
 

For Eighth and Ninth Air Force fighters only, I believe there were two POW's, the rest were all KIA or MIA (four from the Eighth and two from the Ninth). 1/Lt. Horace A. Plummer of the 370th Fighter Group was sent to Stalag 7A and the other 1/Lt. Robert D. Corgan of the 353rd Fighter Group was sent to Stalag Luft 3, but note the rank doesn't match. I can not speak for any ETO bomber, transport, recon, etc. losses. The POW camp information came from NARA WWII Prisoners of War Data File available on-line.

Kent

Re: Need to find aviator info (name), who was at Stalag Luft III
 

Good morning Mike & Kent !

There were some more birds shot down this October 18th, 1944.

Eight AF, 96th BG lost B-17 AAFs/n 43-37608 by Flak. All 9 Crew members went POW while landing in the Netherlands. One crew member, the bombardier was 2nd Lt. Stanley O. NOLD. Unfortunately, I have no idea in which POW-Camp he was transferred. MACR of this case is # 10260.

The other Eight AF case for this date is 390th BG' B-17 AAFs/n 43-38189. This a/c was also shot down by flak. Four of the crew survived and became POW. One of the POW was bombardier 2nd Lt. Harry W. LOVE. MACR of this case is # 9484.

Good luck !

Horst Weber

Re: Need to find aviator info (name), who was at Stalag Luft III
 

NOLD was in Stalag Luft III.

https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-...pg=1&rid=99117

You can search the records for a particular loss date and camp. Note: the records are not always accurate, so this is a "rough" search method, but can be useful.

Here are "the" 7 men lost on 10/18/1944 and sent to Stalag Luft III according to that search. Nold and Love included.

https://aad.archives.gov/aad/display...0&cl_11673=033

Re: Need to find aviator info (name), who was at Stalag Luft III
 

Hey guys...

Going through his other items, I found an engraved POW smoking pipe. With a letter, is indicates the following info:

"Pipe given to POW's at Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Ger. Same smoked by me from 11-11-44 to 4-24-45. Chester Clem smoked the same one a month before I got it. D."

Engraved on the pipe is Stalag Luft 7A, Chester Clem. Then in a different writing is Stalag Luft III 10-18-44 4-29-45.

I know Chester Clem was stationed at one, and then transferred to the other another, based on my research. One account states Stalag 7A first...then Luft III...another account states it is the other way around.

I do not believe the two were related or knew each other...it seems like Chester was transferred, his pipe left behind...and then it was issued to this other serviceman.

The "D." at the end of the letter is probably the initial of the serviceman's first name (possibly last name).

Soooooooo...

2nd. Lt.
Name (first or last) begins with a "D.''
shot down 10-18-44
POW at Stalag Luft III..."possibly" Stalag 7A as well.