I found some more information about my Dad's mission(s). He was part of the 780th Bomb Squadron / 465th Bomb Group, based in Pantanella, Italy. So possibly the paint scheme on the P51 above may be the one. Just today, I found an email address for the 780th Bomb Squadron's newsletter editor, so maybe I can get confirmation if he's still around.
At any rate, I found a biography of the squadron amongst Dad's records. In it was a questionaire that he filled out regarding his service and POW status in the European Theater. I thought that you might find this interesting. There is more information in other excerpts, enough to write a book, but this is enough for today.
- Military unit: 780th bomb Squadron (Heavy), 465th Bomb Group
- Body weight at time of capture: 205
- Body weight at time of liberation: 150
- How long were you held prisoner? 199 days
- Were you on a bombing run when shot down? yes
- How did you exit the airplane? Did you parachute? got blown out of plane
- What was your position in the plane, i.e., your specialty: first pilot / commander
- What altitude were you flying when the airplane was hit? 25,000 feet
- What type of airplane were you in? B-24 J (4 engine)
- Was there any smoke or fumes resulting from the hits? yes, both, and fire.
- How close were you to the ground when you pulled the ripcord? 1,500 feet
- Were you airborne, infantry, or armor? N/A, air force pilot
- What were the weather conditions at the time of your capture? Day, clear / scattered clouds
- Was the ground frozen? No, early October [10/11/1944]
- What kind of work were you required to perform while in prison, if any? None. They would not allow us to work (officer). I did cook for 14 people.
- Describe the camp conditions? Spartan, dismal, bare existence.
- Describe your diet. Brown bread, 1 thin slice per day; potatoes sometimes; thin barley broth almost daily (sometimes w/thin thread of some kind of meat); ersatz coffee
- What illness did you have as a prisoner? constant ear aches (from right ear, hearing loss from explosion); left shoulder blade pain (also hurt during explosion)
- Do you have a friend who can verify the conditions and events leading up to your capture and imprisonment? Yes, my bombadeir, Eugene Jurenec (Milwaukee, WI)
- Have you had nightmares about your improsonment and do you still have them? Have had them. Now only when something triggers the memory (news, etc.) Got hit by flak, no chance to save plane, I ordered bail out. [edit: Note, 9 out of 11 of the crew were killed by German farmers. Dad blamed himself until he died, and he had nightmares all the time.]
- Any additional information / description? After being hit, the plane was controllable for 35-50 seconds then fire burned out manual controls. I hit the autopilot. Held 6 seconds. I stopped engines from rotating so crew could bail out past them. I was trapped in the cockpit. As plane nosed down my seat (torn loose) slammed forward against instrument panel. I became unconsious, awoke to hear the sound of a cracking eggshell, then passed out again. When I came to, I had no plane around me, and I was still in the seat. I unfastened the safety belt, I thought about safety briefing at that time - they said if I had control and could, wait as long as possible to open chute so as to make minimum target for least amount of time. I fell from approx 23,000 feet until about 1,500 feet when I pulled the rip cord. Chute opened and immediately I was in the trees. A German fighter plane was circling, trying to spot me.
