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  #21  
Old 21st September 2020, 14:04
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

Well, the Red Cross submission window had already opened and closed by the time I got up today. The next submission date is 25 January 2021 at 8:00 (GMT +1). I don't know how many requests they do in a quarter but the Red Cross is probably not going to be of any help. :-(

I also checked with a US commercial provider I have dealt with in the past and he said they could not do it either. Apparently there is no US list or file that contains POW numbers linked to US ASN numbers or names in any accessible order.

It is a shame that when Len Rose originally set up his Stalag Luft IV website he didn't try to include POW numbers and ASN numbers, but he was probably doing his work then without computers, just typewritten lists. I don't think his website ever had a "look-up" function into a database of names and numbers. Just before Stalag Luft IV was closed in February, 1945 and the POWs were marched to the west (for the next 3 months), there were about 8,000 US POWs in the camp. Here is the story of one of them, Richard Hansen. The site was set up by Richard's son Jeffery. Richard's story is fairly typical of what the POWs experienced. I assume the man we are looking for had a similar story.

http://jefferyhanson.net/wwii/world_war_ii.html

Richard also saved his utensils: http://jefferyhanson.net/wwii/pow_souvenirs.html
(You can right click on any image and open it in a separate tab then open that tab to get a better view).

Last edited by RSwank; 23rd September 2020 at 13:44.
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  #22  
Old 21st September 2020, 22:08
JohanSWE JohanSWE is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

Hello!


This might also be some long shots but this one also covers USAAF but i don't know in what extent yet. Try contact them.
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/


I also read this at Bundesarchiv.de
"Personal references with respect to former prisoners of war in German custody As a rule documentary evidence on captivity as a prisoner of war is stored in the archives of the soldiers’ home countries; however, the Abteilung PA also keeps documentation on prisoners of war in German custody."

Bundesarchiv, Abteilung Personenbezogene Auskünfte (Abt. PA), Berlin, Email: poststelle-pa@bundesarchiv.de


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JohanSWE
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  #23  
Old 22nd September 2020, 20:15
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

I have run into some odd connections in my search for POW numbers. Two men with POW numbers close to the number I seek (3496) are Benjamin Derwin at 3493 and Walter Brand at 3491. Both were on the same plane. I have not found the POW numbers for any of the other enlisted men in that crew.

The MACR for the loss (B-17 44-8166 , shot down 13 September 1944) is here:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91058531

One member of the crew was William N Hess, 18210045. According to the US national archives, Hess was also at Stalag Luft IV, but I have not found his POW number. William N Hess wrote a great many aviation books after the war.
https://ospreypublishing.com/william-n-hess
https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/william-n-hess/423315/

In searching on his name I came across this photo of him:
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/11982
Note it is his serial number, but the photo is supposedly dated October, 1944, I think in error as he was a POW by then.

Hess died in 2019:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...am-nelson-hess

Last edited by RSwank; 23rd September 2020 at 13:47.
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  #24  
Old 23rd September 2020, 02:46
Alex Smart Alex Smart is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

Hello Rolland,
Just a thought. The numbers "44-10" Is it possible that the photo was taken in the USA after completion of training perhaps Class 10, 1944 ???
It certainly could not have been taken in October '44 as you say he was already a pow then.

Unless it was taken by his captor's then then the "44-10" would be possible and the following number "256" may have been a temporary pow number prior to arriving at a Camp ?
Having said that he looks remarkably clean and tidy for it to have been posts capture .
Alex
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  #25  
Old 23rd September 2020, 03:36
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

Alex, I think you are right. The picture of Hess is most likely a graduation photo, maybe from a flexible gunnery school, class of 44-10. 256 is probably just a sequence number for the photographer.
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  #26  
Old 23rd September 2020, 04:35
Alex Smart Alex Smart is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

I'd go with that, makes since.

In regard to the pow number looks like you are very close. Several from the same crew with close numbers.

Also other 97BG losses that date were -
44-6354 macr 8953
44-6265 macr 8730 - All crew Killed.
42-97648 macr 8729
44-6274 macr 8954

MACR 8953
5 Crew Killed.
So only need to look at -
Krazowski ,Pace, Gruso, Banks.

MACR 8729
6 Crew Killed.
So only need to look at -
Lent, Young, Bennett, Talley.

MACR 8954
4 Crew Killed
So only need to look at -
Shelton, Barr, Sherbanov, Clifton, Arney, Lucas.

MACR 8726
You have looked at this crew.

Last edited by Alex Smart; 23rd September 2020 at 14:15.
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  #27  
Old 24th September 2020, 00:36
JohanSWE JohanSWE is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

Didn't find any other from Wisconsin in the MACR as Alex reported, on Stalag Luft 4

MACR 8953
GROSE CLAUDE V JR
ASN 34607934
North Carolina
Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow

MACR 8954
ARNEY ATHEL V
39696579
California
Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow

But

MACR 8726
Stalag Luft 4
KNOBLOCK BRUCE D
O-440048
Wisconsin
Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow

and

MC FADDEN ROY J
14183446
South Carolina
Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow


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JohanSWE
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  #28  
Old 24th September 2020, 01:16
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

ARNEY ATHEL V was POW 3323 in Stalag Luft 4. He returned on the Monticello on June 3, 1945. Note his POW number 173 “steps” lower than the man we seek even though he was shot down on September 13, 1944.

KNOBLOCK BRUCE D was an officer and was held in Stalag Luft I. POW 5698. He returned Jun 12, 1945 on the Admiral Benson.

GROSE CLAUDE V JR cannot find a return ship.

MC FADDEN ROY J cannot find a return ship.

Hold off on submitting names, I am going to see if I can generate a list of possible names to check directly from the National Archives POW file. You can select names by Camp and Date. It looks like the camp codes used for Stalag Luft IV are 091, 034 or 035. Dates around 13 September might be from 11 September 44 to 15 September 44 (I need to decide on a range). I will keep you posted.

Last edited by RSwank; 24th September 2020 at 14:24.
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  #29  
Old 24th September 2020, 17:08
Alex Smart Alex Smart is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

Just looking through the made targets.
8345 and 8726 were both Bleckhammer, while 8824 is said to be Merseburg.
Wondering if the pow numbers are linked in some way to where the men were detained rather than which camp they were in ?
Have not looked at other Groups but all the 5th BW target for the 13th was Blechhammer.
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  #30  
Old 24th September 2020, 18:21
edwest2 edwest2 is offline
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Re: Question on POW at Stalag Luft IV

As far as ships used for the return of POWs and others, here is information for 1945.


http://ww2troopships.com/crossings/1945.htm


http://ww2troopships.com/crossings/1945b.htm


Best,
Ed
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