Shot down 1/13/45, landed at the Bishops Harbor, Mainz Germany. I received head, face, and body lacerations from being blown or thrown from the aircraft (B-17 44-8489). Came to at approx. 12,000 ft., pulled the red handle, it failed, pulled up the flap and fed the chute out. It looked like I was going to hit a church steeple so I spilled the chute, got across the Rhine River in hopes of landing where the soldiers weren't. I landed in an open field in about 2 ft of snow. My shoes came off when the chute opened and all I had was the heated sock.



I was stunned when I hit the ground and the soldiers got to me before I could get up. They were angry because I didn't do what they told me. He got mad and beat me with a rifle butt which injured by back. I couldn't walk so they dragged me through the snow to the local jail.



Later they took me by truck to an interrogation center--later to Wetzlar where they cleaned my wounds. From there we went to Nuremburg--the guards were very arrogant, and food was mighty short. It was very cold and miserable, anyone who tried to escape was punished severely. The soup we had was colored water and we very seldom received a Red Cross parcel.



We left that camp and walked to Mooseburg which took several weeks. They put us in a big circus tent. We got there in 4/45 and it snowed. We had one blanket, so we didn't freeze. I did end up with frozen feet. We were liberated by Gen. Patton and he sure looked good to us. We got food and everything we needed and were taken to Rheems France and from there to Camp Lucky Strike and home.



PH, AM, GCM, EAME campaign, Bronze Battle Stars, American Theatre.