Communications Volume 21, No
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THE U.S. AIR FORCES ESCAPE & EVASION SOCIETY SUMMER 2OO9 Communications Volume 21, No. 2 WICH|TA FALLS, TEXAS 76307-2501 June 1 1, 2009 .AN^tt*tNNt4HNlryhtNt-ht^tNNtrytryt4^)NtT ,HA,A,FNNNFJd|NNN JF,ltF,Jr\JAtF.ilryF.JF.tFJA.JF.rFJ Translatedfrom a German-language newspaper in occupied Greece Seven North American planes were shot down after an attack on the Greek town of Salonikis. The flight crew of the planes were able to survive the crash. A few hours afterwards they were led through the town on their way to prison. The people of the town watched the prisoners partly with curiosity and partly with cold disdain. Hurtful curses were heard. The prisoners themselves took no notice of the barbaric devastation that their attack on a peaceful Greek town had caused. See story of a reunion 64 years later, Page 22. Page 2 SUMMER 2OO9 U.S. AIR FORCES ESCAPE & EVASION SOCIETY COMMUNICATIONS The Prez Sez (www. By Richard M. Smith ai rto rceescape. co m> <afeesone@hotm a il.com> VOLTIME' 21, Number 2 June llr2009 Good Morning fiom bfight and sunny ofiertail Lake: For the first time in 44 Years OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS : no longer have a FOUNDER AND HONORARY CHAIRMAN: Ralph K. Patton, ard 11 months, I Apt. #1205, 8100 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase MD 20815; position on the AFEES Board of Phone 2 I 8-65 7 -447 8; F ax 301 -657 -447 9 Directors. For Margaret and PRESIDENT AI,TD COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR: LATry Grauerholz, PO Box 2501, Wichita Falls TX 76307-2501; myself, AFEES has oPened many Phone 940-692-6700 interesting doors and exposed us to PAST PRESIDENT: many interesting MY time Richard M. Smith, 36214 Augustana Drive, Battle Lake, MN 56515-9458 PeoPle. Summer Phone 218-495-2106; Fax 21 8495-3000 with AFEES has been most VICE PRESIDENT: Beverly Patton Wand, 37 Crescent Rd., interesting and educational. In Madison NJ 07940; Phone: 873-377 -3103 irii,rnesota, we call it "A Good E)GCUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: Lynn A. David, 923 S. Mason Rd., Town & Country. St. Louis MO 63141. Ph.:314-422'7567 Si ,,, ,." TREASURER-ELECT: In all my years with the Board Ann Grauerholz, 7809 Estates Way, Rowlett TX75089'2432; a cfoss word or Phone 214-563-3118 we have never had RECORDING SECRETARY: any unsolved Problems. I was F. Hennessy, l3 l4l Hart Place' Cerritos CA 90703 Betty delighted to witness the smooth Phone: 562-921-1494 MEMBERSHIP & CORRESPONDING SBCRETARY: transition from oneBoard of Richard P. Shandor, PO Box 254, Cresson PA 16630-0254 Directors to another. Phone: 814-886-2735; <[email protected]> I was remiss in not thanking HONORARYDIRECTOR: Gen. Duncan McNabb, USTRANSCOM, ScottAFB, Ill' Gerr)'Deohambre for his servioe WEB MASTER: to the Board. He served twice, 1087 South I100 East, Salt Lake City' UT 84105 Don Thorpe, in the last <[email protected]> once early on and then few years. I also forgot Rich Shandor and BeverlY Patton Wand, two who did much work in the transition. I do aPologize! I wish the new Board smoottl group paul Rees, 367 1,3203 sailing and an interesting of us OH 43220 Carl C. Scott, 2 reunions like their Predecessors Road, Columbiaville' M 48421 Mary Spinning had. We have had some dandies! Thanks for making all this OFFICIAI, JOIJRNAL OF TEE AIR AFEES COIT{MUNICATTONS IS TEE happen over the last 45 Years' ESE.APE &I EVASION SOCIETY' AFEES IS A TN(-BXEMPT FORCES in Colorado VETERANS ORGN{TZATTON ITNDER rRS CODE 501 (C) (19). rT WA"S I hope to see You FOUNDED IN ].964 A}ID IS CIIARTERED IN TEE STAIE OF GEORGIA. Springs in 2010! THE SOCIETY'S PURPOSE IS TO ENCOIIRAGE T.IEI'IBERS EELPED BY THE RESISTAIICE ORGANIZATIONE! OR PATR,IOIIC NATIOT{N.S FO COI+TINUE s/RICHARD M. SMTH EXISTING FRIENDSHIPS OR RENEI{ REI,ATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE IIHO HELPED THEI{ DI,'RING TEEIR ESETPE OR EI'ASION. ELIGIBILITY RIQUIRES TIIAT ONE MUST EAVE BEEN A U.S. AIRI,IAbI' Dayton reunion HE l,Iusr HAVE BEEN FoRcED pcirN seurxo ENEl,ly LrNEs AlrD AvorDED CAPTIVITY, OR ESCAPED TB.C[.T CAPTWITY TO RETURN ITO AIJIED COI{.TROL. coverflge begins IN ADDITION TO REqTI,AR MEMBERSBIP. OSHER CATE@RIES OF I.'EI{BERSHIP ARE HELPER UEMBERS, A}{D FRIEND I.TEMBERS. on Page 9 SU]VIIVTER 2OO9 Page 3 Harry fought his owru private war From the North Star, Parry Sound, Ont. group, dressed in German unifbrms, took over a jail November 1984 and released political prisoners. Or the time when Harry Middell died on Oct.27, 1984, in his 86th they rescued a trainload of young men destined to year. be taken away for slave labour. Most people here near Georgian Bay never heard There were other occasions. Allied airmen who of Harry Middell. That is, with the exception of his had been shot down were rnunded up and hidden in daughter Lemrny and his son-in-law, John his own home bef'ore being passed along the escape Triemstra, who live in Humphrey'l'ov'mship and to route. whom Harry Middell's death means a great deal. Then' there was the time when the Germans But his litb! Ah, that is a different rnatter! For if became suspicious of Harry and were about to arrest you believe that the sacrifices, the deaths, the him when,.with a little luck and quick thinking, lae grievous wounds, the anguish of loved ones made slipped away to spend thq rest of the r,var years in our country a safe place to live in, freedom for you hiding but continued his undergrouitd struggle and yours, then ilarry Middell's life must have that against the oppressors. meaning for you. The Middell fainily, particularly his wife Lemke, FIis actions, his courage, his indomitable spirit , were also involved in the day-to-day living with was the same as those displayed by our sailors, terror but they were freedorn fighters too with the soldiers and airmen who brought the threat of same indomjtable spirit as their husband and father domination to a halt during World War lI and Even Lennny, only in her early teens when war gradually beat it back to the source from which it ended, acted upon occasion in the dangerousjob of had sprung. Harry was, in all ways, a freeclom courier, carrying important messages to members of fighter but his was a very private war. the underground. The family's war was one which He and others like him wore no uniform but lasted for five years with the fear of discovery ever fought the enemy, harassed and conf.used him in present in their minds --a nelve-wracking, terror- 'ways conventional forces were unable to do. inducing type of conflict,. Before the Gennan army swept into Holland and Harry eventually ernigrated to Canada and lived occupied it Ilarry sensed what was in store for his quietly with his wife in the Grimsby area. country and made his preparations. A respected and He did not consider hirnself a hero, in fact rsuccessful businessman in a village near the German refused to allow his name to be put forwald to border, he continued to operate his business but, at receive the Silver Resistance Cross from a grateful the same time, carried out clandestine operations, c<iuntry. It rvas only last year that his wife quietly along with others he could trust, at great personal arranged to have the medals, one for hirn and one risk to himself and to his family. for her, sent to Canada and presented. There were dramatic forays such as when the Lemke died in March 1984 in her 81st year. TI{ERE AREDOG.6 ALt OflER TI{E $ORLD WHOJ.ARE gTARVIN@ Page SUMMER 2OO9 A Young Boy and the "Goodn War O Edouard nBt{Bne With ryt hemtfelt thank to the tate Paul GR/SSO (1922-2003) - l05h Infantry Division, 442'a Infantry Reglment, Company G - POW 1944-1945 - for fue<dittng, the tert- adin ilnd to the movies (Continued from Spring issue, pages 27-29 As I perfected my reading abilitles, I read comlc Belgium.) We had to wait a few weeks before books and war-related stories in youth magazines. dubbed French-language versions (voiced-over in There were stories about the sinking of the French studios, with Flemish subtitles) were Bismarck, the R6sistance fighters in France and available that were shown in less central theatres Belgium, the exploits of Bnitish pilots notably like the ones in my neighborhood. lt often during the Battle of Britain and in the Dam Raids, happened that we couldn't wait to see the dubbed accounts of D-Day in Normandy and the battles version so late after the first showings in the city, that followed, about RAF and USAAF fighter and so we went, Dad, Mom, my brother and l, almost bomber pilots in their raids over Cermany, about every Saturday or Sunday evening to see a film in the Doolittle raid on Tokyo in L942, the Marines in the city. tf the film was good, we had a chance to the Pacific. see it again a few ureeks later in French. I remember the trailers and tl,r. ,,xcitement at the thought we sarne year came news of the In August of that would next week stse another of those fine films in on.lapan, then VJ-day and atom bornbs dropped a theatre not only "near you", but right downstairs. the end of the "good" war, as author Studs Terkel called it years later..