POW card
 

Hi All,
we are looking for the crashsite of a P38 from 26th March 1945, Austria or Northern Italy.
There is a MACR 13370 but no hint where the crash and the chuting actually
happened. The point of last seen does not help.
Is there a way to find/get the German POW card, where the landing location and arrest oft he cuter are mostly mentioned?
Regretably t her was no chance to contact any relation of the concerned pilot.

Many thx for your suggestions
Best
dnalor

Re: POW card
 

For what it is worth, here is his obit:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/na...?pid=178804416

"....he flew 13 reconnaissance missions before his P38 was shot over Berchtesgarden and he escaped by parachute before his plane crashed in the Austrian Alps. He was taken prisoner on March 26, marched to Stalag 7A and liberated on April 29."


MACR is here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91141284

I think the MACR has messed up the location last seen. It has 47 10 E, 11 25 N probably should be 47 10 N, 11 25 E. Note even the "corrected" last seen location is not really close to Berchtesgarden.

He did an interview for the Veteran's History Project: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib...c2001001.75108

but it appears the interview is kept at the Richard I Bong Heritage Center:

https://bongcenter.org/

You can try to contact them.

Re: POW card
 

Dear RSwank,
many thx for your interesting reply. It might be helpful.
I summarize;
I knew the obituary.
I have the MACr pages.
Exciting the new coordinates, the old coor. stood for Tyrol (but no crashsite found or known there ! ) I ´ll use Google earth.
I have to look for and study Pansch´s interview on Bong Heritage center.
I have Pansch´s story about his crash and the reason for it. But no location mentioned. He tells about Italian workers ???
Regretably the KU reports end on 23rd March 1945 !
My snail mail letter was sent in vain to an address in Minnesota.
Thx once more
Keep you informed
Best
dnalor

Re: POW card
 

RSwank, yes,
your mentioned coord. I had used in former times already.
No crash there mentioned and known by the natives inmidst of Austrian Tyrol.
Ca 20 km south of this coord. is a crash site, but known for a Stinson and post war event. Confirmation is poor, only one plane part existing with number 6.
My assumption is/was that Pansch flew over Brenner, but even there is no hint for a p 38 crash untill now. I hope for Pansch´s interview. It will take some time until i get access to this interview.
Best
dnalor

Re: POW card
 

Checking the legacy.com link posted by RSwank, it states that Pansch's son Dennis and his wife Jane still live (at that time at least) in Correll Minnesota.

Their names come up in the white pages directory:

https://www.whitepages.com/name/Pans...hedName=Pansch

Is that who you tried to snail mail?

(I live in Minnesota, but I'm about a 5-hour drive NE of Correll, so not likely to be able to get down there anytime soon.)

Re: POW card
 

Sorry,
Stinson with 102 model codenumber. !!!

Re: POW card
 

Steve,
thx for way to address .
Sorry to say that I cannot remeber the used address, did not write it down, but no reply.
Surely i used one Correll address, it was forwarded to me by Ruth Hovland from Minneapolis. ca 3 years ago.

It is complicated for myself to open, register, log in, etc finding an American address via internet.

Greetings
dnalor

Re: POW card
 

Assuming Correll Minnesota is the right track for getting hold of family/relatives of Pansch, this website lists contact info for Correll's City Hall, politicians (2 with email addresses), and Post Office. Considering how small the population is and the general niceness/helpfulness of people in tiny, rural Minnesota towns, one of them might be able to put you in contact with the family.

https://www.lakesnwoods.com/Correll.htm

Re: POW card
 

A great offer and
a possibility to find contact to a Pansch family member.
We´ll see, Steve.

Thx