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  #31  
Old 16th February 2009, 19:59
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

15 Feb 1945 - 'Lest We Forget......

To remember Bud (Wally) Emmer. He died 64 years ago in Dulag Luft Wetzlar and he was laid to rest on 18 Feb 45 by his fellow Allied POWs with honors rendered by German soldiers. (Please see the attached sent by Pflugplatz Giessen, excerpted from the book "The Interrogator.")

We remember & appreciate the accomplishments and sacrifices of these fine men to protect their country.

Tripp Alyn
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  #32  
Old 7th July 2009, 18:15
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

Bud (Wally) Emmer is buried next to his brother & parents in St. Louis, MO.
His brother Raymond P. Emmer was KIA by artillery shrapnel on 18 Nov 44 while serving with his unit: F Co./2 Bat./394 Inf. Regiment/99 Inf. Division/1 Army near Wirtzfeld, Belgium. The medical record indicated that Ray was killed in the vicinity of Weissenborn, Germany. However, mlty. maps indicate the positions of Ray's units on that date clearly in Belgium, not Germany. And, Weissenborn is located far to the east, deep within Germany. Later, on 15Dec 44, Ray's unit was just east of Murringen, Hunningen & Losheimergraben (just over the German border) right up front facing the Scharnhorst Line of the German West Wall. This was near the main thrusts of the German (12 SS Panzer Group) advances on 16 Dec....the Battle of the Bulge.
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  #33  
Old 31st July 2009, 08:33
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

To Rick, Tom & others-----

Got it! Thanks for your patience, I finally found the answer to the "mystery a/c" involved in the belly landing picture in History in the Sky.

Here's the remark on this thread from 6 Oct 08:

4. To Rick----found the photo of the belly landing of ARSON'S REWARD. It is at the back of "History in the Sky" compiled by Capt. Arthur F. Brown. It must have been taken within weeks of 9 Aug (when Bud was shot down) due to the # of victories painted on the fuselage. The question would be---was this a/c #44-13948 and was it repaired, or did he receive #44-13948 as a new a/c shortly before he was downed by German a/a fire?

THE ANSWER: Thanks to Steve Blake's great new book on the 354FG, the a/c pictured is a brand new P51-D "Arson's Reward" (a/c# 44-13400) which was delivered to Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, OPSO of 353FS. Within days of delivery the plane was bellied in on 3 Aug 44 by Franklin "Bud" Rose, whose assigned a/c was FT-V "Dream Girl" (after Ed Regis was downed in FT-V "Rigor Mortis" (#42-106897) on 26 April 44). Bud Emmer was downed just 6 days later in another new P-51-D, FT-G "Arson's Reward" (a/c# 44-13948) north of Rouen, France, by a German 88mm AAA shell which hit his fuselage fuel tank (a lucky shot because the flt. had just changed altitude to evade flak).

As another note, there is evidence in other ref. sources that Joseph Sanchez flew a later FT-G (a/c#44-63768) which was lost in action on 30 Mar 45. For those of you curious about Emmer's "Peaceful Penguin" the a/c was listed as #43-6430 (typo, missing a digit) in Blake's book.

Hope that this clarifies your previous question.
Tripp

Last edited by aaatripp; 31st July 2009 at 18:29. Reason: correction & alignment, add flak comment.
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  #34  
Old 9th August 2009, 11:18
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

9 Aug 44 - 'Lest We Forget. To remember this day, 65 years later, when Bud was shot down while returning with his squadron which he led as RED ONE. He died 6 months later as a POW.

To remember his skill as a combat fighter pilot, his leadership and his care for
his men.

Tripp
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  #35  
Old 15th February 2010, 21:57
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

15 Feb 1945 - 'Lest We Forget. Bud Emmer died on this day 65 years ago (DNB) at Dulag Luft Wetzlar. He collapsed into the arms of fellow POW F/O Leonard A. Walker after suffering a fatal heart attack when the nearby air raid siren sounded an alarm. He had been recovering from burns suffered 9 Aug 44 when his P-51D "Arson's Reward" (FT-G) of the 353FS (354FG/9AF) was hit in the fuselage fuel tank by a German 88mm shell, just north of Rouen, France. In the POW camp, Bud had spoken with a B-17 ball turret gunner, Sgt. Don Beal, only 1-2 days before his death....his spirits were high as he looked forward to going home after the war. Dulag Luft Wetzlar would be liberated just 3 weeks later.

Sadly, Bud's younger brother, PFC Raymond P. Emmer, was killed 3 months earlier in the Weisser Stein woods along the International Highway, just west of Udenbreth, Germany. Ray was serving as an ammo loader for a 30cal MG in a heavy weapons platoon of H Company/394th Inf. Regiment/99 Division. It was 2015 on 18 Nov 44 & Ray had recently received a letter from home informing him that Bud had been shot down. Ray exited his foxhole (shared with Bill Williams) and was hit by shrapnel from a German mortar round. The shrapnel pierced an artery & Ray went into shock. They were just over the Belgian-German border, and assigned to Gen. Omar Bradley's 1st Army. One month later many of Ray's fellow soldiers (including his squad sgt., Fred Zimmerman) would be killed, wounded or captured just to the south of this location in the early morning hours of 16 Dec 44....by the massive artillery barrage & panzer onslaught at the start of the Battle of the Bulge.

Both Bud & Ray were brought home from Europe to St. Louis in 1948 and now rest beside their parents.

We remember their service and their sacrifice.....

Tripp

Last edited by aaatripp; 15th February 2010 at 23:36. Reason: minor additions
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  #36  
Old 26th November 2010, 18:46
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

18 Nov 44 --- we remember this day when Ray was killed by shrapnel from a German mortar. He was out of his foxhole, which he shared with William B. Williams. They were just east of the Intl. Hwy which marked the border of Belgium & Germany, in the woods just 1/2 mi. west of Udenbreth, Germany. Across from them were the German lines and a Wehrmacht mortar crew had the American positions registered. When Ray lit his cigarette, his buddy Bill told me it was only seconds before a mortar barrage was on its way and the shells exploded nearby. Ray was hit immediately and Bill hauled him back into the foxhole. Ray moaned once.

Ray was thinking of his brother, Bud, a P-51 pilot with the 353FS. A letter from his mother, Blanche, had recently reached him to inform him that Bud had been shot down (9 Aug 44) and was MIA. Ray was convinced that his brother Bud was dead. As Ray lay dying, his brother was in fact a POW in the German camp Dulag-Luft Wetzlar.....less than 100 mi. to the east.....it was Bud's birthday.....
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  #37  
Old 29th November 2010, 02:02
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

After further research I must post a correction to my post of 26 November.

The letter from Col. Charles Stark to Bud's parents (informing them of Bud's death) indicates that Bud arrived at Dulag Luft Wetzlar in late December in "an extremely weakened condition." He was not there on 18 Nov...so, where was he?

Bud's location had been earlier reported as in a hospital between LeHavre & Caen, France. This can be confirmed up to 31 Aug 44 when he and other wounded were evacuated by the Germans due to the advance of British and French underground forces. This was reported by St. Louis bombardier, Fred Wolter, when he was repatriated by Allied forces. Wolter had occupied the bed next to Bud, but was left when the Germans rapidly evacuated the hospital. Most likely Bud remained under medical care for the next several months. Dulag Luft Wetzlar was a transit camp, so there is the possibility that he had been in nearby Dulag Luft Oberusel for interrogation, though his medical condition might have precluded that.

A NARA record of 12 March 45 reports Bud's camp as "Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn, Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08". This camp is approx. 25mi. SW of Wetzlar. The date of the report is nearly a month after Bud's death. Bud's death occurred as he was about to leave D-L Wetzlar bound for permanent hospital (according to Col. Charles W. Stark, USAAF the Senior Allied Officer at D-L Wetzlar) so perhaps Stalag 12A was an earlier location reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross (though, as an USAAF pilot, he should have been in a Stalag Luft). German documents already posted in this thread clearly show that Bud was in D-L Wetzlar at the time of his death. Can anyone explain the Stalag 12A confusion?

Does anyone have any additional info. on Bud's location from 31 Aug. to late December? Any assistance always appreciated.

Thank you.
Tripp

Last edited by aaatripp; 29th November 2010 at 02:37.
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  #38  
Old 29th November 2010, 02:47
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

A further correction to Jack Cook's post #10 on 17 Feb 08 regarding the photo of Bud receiving a medal:

Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, USAAF is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton on 2 July 44 in Normandy.

(please note that Bud's Silver Star and his OLC & 2nd OLC to his DFC were not authorized until G.O. #267 by HQ 9AF on 13 Nov 44,
over 3 months after he was shot down. His DSC was authorized 22 Sep 44 by G.O. #69 of HQ US Strategic AF in Europe)
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  #39  
Old 29th November 2010, 03:06
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

To Tom Semenza,

Your patience has been rewarded, Tom. A friend from St. Louis found an online photo of Bud's 1st P-51B "The Peaceful Penguin".
The photo would confirm the info. in my posting #33 on 31 Jul 09 confirming the partial a/c ser. #43-6430.

(please note that this photo is displayed for informational purposes only)
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  #40  
Old 1st February 2011, 01:24
aaatripp aaatripp is offline
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Re: Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

"He made claims with P-51Bs coded FT-N, FT-J, FT-V and FT-G (the latter apparently his assigned aircraft) as well as P-51D coded FT-W and P-51D-5NA (44-13948) FT-G Arson's Revenge in which he was shot down..."

Thanks,
Tom[/quote]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom---I've tracked the confirmed kills in FT-J, V and of course G. However, I can't find the record regarding FT-W. Also, N was credited only as a Probable. Can you tell me more about the claim in "W" ?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Peaceful Penguin in the photo above is the a/c which was destroyed on the ground by an accident during the servicing of the oxygen unit on 4 May 44. BTW, Bud got 1 confirmed kill in PP, a FW190 on 13 Apr 44. 3 weeks later the PP was a pile of burned debris.

Bud's replacement a/c (named "Arson's Reward) was the P-51B pictured in an earlier post, which clearly displayed 6 aerial victories. I do not have a Ser. # for that a/c, but Steve Blake's book indicates that Bud was credited with 6 kills in a FT-G with no ser. # indicated.

It's now possible to confirm the dating of the two photos of Bud's "Arson's Reward" a/c. The 1st one is clearly a B-model with 6 kills. On 13 May Bud got his 4th & 5th kills (a pair of ME109s). Then he got 3 kills on 28 May (2 109s & a 190) which are 6, 7 & 8. Most likely he got #6 in the morning, posed for the photo with 6 kills, then got 7 & 8 in the afternoon. OK, sounds plausible. For the photo of his P-51D sporting the 11 kills, this must clearly be a/c #44-13400. On 29 June Bud was credited with 0.5 confirmed (a FW190) which gave him a total of 10.5. On 26 July he's credited with 2.5, so this photo of 44-13400 must have been taken mid-day of 26 July 44 before the addtl. 2 kills were added to give him 13. THAT WAS INDEED AN UNLUCKY NUMBER....because 8 days later that a/c was bellied in....fortunately the pilot, Bud Rose, survived the crash.

Bud Emmer's next NEW P-51D (to replace 44-13400) was 44-13948. He got a ME109 on 7 Aug and that gave him a total of 14 aerial victories....his official total when he was shot down on 9 Aug 1944.

Would appreciate assistance from all readers in determining the Ser. # of the FT-G which Bud was flying from mid-May to mid-June '44. Yes, it's the B-model in the photo with 6 victories painted near the canopy. Thanks!

Tripp

Last edited by aaatripp; 1st February 2011 at 02:08. Reason: to correct alignment
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