Prisoner of war experience

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Grant, Olen "Reb" Arrival at Stalag XVIIB
They did not want to get caught on the railroad tracks when hit was dark because that is when the RAF would come...
Colbert, Hugh Background
[Annotator's Note: Recording begins mid conversation between Hugh Colbert and the interviewer.] Hugh Colbert joined the...
Grant, Olen "Reb" Bad decision at Stuttgart
After that mission [Annotator’s Note: an aborted mission to an airfield just outside of Paris during which Grant had...
Hoff, Russell D. Bad Orb
Russell Hoff reached Bad Orb and was assigned to a barracks in the camp. When a group of Americans killed a German...
Yourkavitch, Joseph N. Battle of the Bulge
Joseph Yourkavitch took part in the Tennessee Maneuvers in late March 1944 [Annotator's Note: as a member of Company C...
Hoff, Russell D. Battle of the Bulge
Russell Hoff and the 106th Infantry Division had been sent to the front as relief for the 2nd Infantry Division, which...
Bell, Harry Becoming a POW
Harry Bell and the rest of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 422nd Infantry Regiment [Annotator's Note: 106th Infantry Division...
Colbert, Hugh Becoming a POW
As the situation unraveled for 1st Battalion, 422nd Infantry Regiment, German tanks cut off the battalion's position...
Hoff, Russell D. Becoming a POW
Russell Hoff and his regiment [Annotator's Note: 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division] surrendered during...
Yourkavitch, Joseph N. Being a POW
Joseph Yourkavitch was captured on 16 December [Annotator's Note: 16 December 1944]. It had started out as a normal day...
Smith, Rothacker Being Captured
After being wounded by a mortar round Rothacker Smith, his sergeant and another soldier wounded during the German...
Siracuse, James Being Shot Down and Captured
James Siracuse was waiting to board the plane [Annotator's Note: for his 22nd mission]. One of his gunners said that he...
Wilkins, Byron Bicycling POWs
Byron Othello Wilkins left the infirmary and was placed on a farm where there were a lot of British and various other...
Quigley, Tom Brest Fighting and Departure
Tom Quigley recalls how when they were approaching Brest, he saw a soldier who was directing traffic get hit by an 88...
Fitts, Charles "Charlie" Camp Guards
To Charles Fitts, Jr., actual combat was not at all similar to their training. In combat, Fitts and his section did not...
Houseman, Donelson "Don" Captivity, Freedom, and Reflections
As Donelson Houseman was marched off to captivity, he passed long lines of German vehicles. He could not believe it. He...
Riddle, Pearson Captured and Sent to Japan
The US Navy had planes ready to help out at Wake Island but the admiral in charge figured that it was going to be too...
Roberts, John Captured, Rescued, and Running
The lieutenant asked John M. Roberts what he thought they should do and Roberts suggested that they surrender since...
Fitts, Charles "Charlie" College and Commission
Charles Fitts, Jr. had stashed a watch in the one place that the Germans did not search. It was an automatic wristwatch...
Acevedo, Anthony Combat and Capture
They [Annotator's Note: Anthony Acevedo and his fellow soldiers of the 275th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division...
Tipper, Edward Combat in Normandy
Edward Tipper and a band of paratroopers captured a key crossroads location without the use of any automatic weapons...
Hoff, Russell D. Deprivation
Russell Hoff found the food horrible in the Bad Orb POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] camp. The potatoes were...
Franzky, Gerhard Education
Gerhard Franzky could quit the Hitler Youth but he was not allowed to quit the civil defense. Soon it was 1942. Many of...
Moret, Calvin Enemy POWs and Bigotry
When Calvin Moret was at Godman Field near Fort Knox [Annotator’s Note: Kentucky], he noted that Italian and German...
Inghram, Robert Execution of Captured Escapees
Robert Inghram learned that 72 of 75 of the escapees were captured. The senior German officer, named Lindeiner [...
Leibold, William Experiences in Ofuna
[Annotator's Note: William Leibold served in the Navy as a Chief Boatswain's Mate and made all five war patrols aboard...
Costa, Anthony Fall of the Philippines
[Annotator's Note: Anthony Costa begins this segment by discussing his transfer to Japan aboard one of the prisoner of...
Womack, Charles L. "Red" Fighting on Okinawa
Charles Womack saw many civilians on Okinawa. The civilians would bow as the Marines passed by them. Womack's unit [...
Houseman, Donelson "Don" First Days as a POW
It was night when they [Annotator's Note: Donelson Houseman and his fellow prisoners] started marching back. Houseman...
Smith, Rothacker First Days in Captivity
It gradually sunk in to Rothacker Smith that he was a prisoner of war as he believed for the first couple of days in...
Smith, Rothacker First Interrogation
Rothacker Smith's first interrogation was not bad. At the second stop of their march, Smith and his fellow prisoners...
Smith, Rothacker First Prison Camp
En route to their first German prison camp, Rothacker Smith and his fellow prisoners never discussed the possibility of...
Grant, Olen "Reb" Four prisoners, two nuns, and Karl
Olen Grant only had one surgery while he was in Austria. In the hospital room Grant was in there were three Americans...
Siracuse, James French Girls and Going Home
The woman spoke English. James Siracuse asked if he could join her. They chatted for awhile. She was a medical student...
Bolster, Elisabeth German Farm Life
Elisabeth Bolster was on the farm for six years [Annotator's Note: Bolster and her mother found refuge on a farm 20 or...
Siracuse, James German Guards, Flies, and a Honey Pot
[Annotator's Note: James Siracuse served in the USAAF as a pilot flying Douglas A-20 Havoc light bombers in the 669th...

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