Flew 13 missions over Germany in 1944-5 as a Navigator on B-17s. 9 as Lead Navigator until April 10, 1945 when our plane was shot down by 30mm fire from a German Me262. We were flying as the Lead plane for our 457th Bomb Group and our Wing of 108 planes-Target #94A Oranienburg-MACR 13882. The mission is described on pp233-4 of the book 'Black Puff Polly' by Lt. Col. Roland O. Byers. By transcription error name is listed in this account as Paul L. Bernstein (acknowledged in a 1997 letter from Beyers). Back was injured by the plane explosion and parachute jump. After interrogation, was taken to a Berlin hospital, then after two weeks was taken by boxcar (with 20 other injured of several nationalities and about 50 Germans) on a several day journey to a hospital at Schwerin - since the Russian troops were entering Berlin. Learned in 1993 that several of the crew are deceased, including Air Commander Rod Francis, Pilot Mel Fox, Engineer Blood, Tail Gunner Hotaling. Since it was a Lead Crew, knew only Fox, Francis and Lead Navigator Robertson.



Awards: AM (OLC), PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.