Hubert A Zemke
MilitaryIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
17 air victories with 56th FG flying P-47s, 2 1/2 with 479th FG flying P-51s. Lost 30 October 1944 when P-51 broke up in storm. Prisoner of War (POW) in Stalag Luft I. Was appointed as head of American Prisoner of War (POW)s while in camp. Retired from USAF in 1967. Aircraft included 'May Tavarish' and 'Oregon's Britannia'.
Also flew an experimental mission where they put a Bombsight in the nose of a droop snoop P-38J with Maj Arthur R Scroggins. Bombed an airfield in France but upon returning the A/C brakes failed and crew were lucky to survive the landing.
DSC/ SS/ DFC w/ 7 Oak Leaf Clusters/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Clusters/ PH/ Army Commendation Medal / British DFC/ Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)/ Croix de Guerre with Palm (Belgium)
17.75 confirmed aerial victories
Note: All official government documents for Col Zemke do not have a middle initial or middle name. His DSC, SS, DFC and AM award documents reflect ZEMKE, HUBERT and Missing Air Crew Report #10423, reflect ZEMKE, Hubert (nmi).
Connections
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Units served with
People
Aircraft
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
14 March 1914 | Son of Benno and Anna M Zemke. | |
Other Transferred to 479th Fighter Group |
12 August 1944 | ||
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
30 October 1944 | Prisoner of War (POW) . Stalag Luft I. | |
Died |
30 August 1994 |
Revisions
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.
Restored middle initial A based on signatures & handwritten signed letters written by Hub Zemke to Roger Freeman, held in IWM supporting documentation for the Roger Freeman Collection
NARA award documents, MACR #10423, social security and all official registers for Col Zemke reflect no middle initial or middle name.
Col Zemke's bio photo show numerous decorations and awards. He wears the Army Commendation Medal as the AF Commendation Medal was approved in 1959, thus equivalent. AF members continued to receive the Army Commendation Medal until 1959. All foreign decorations are listed after US decorations and awards.
Added a connection to Stalag Luft 1 per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Removed a space in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Updated the S/N and Added POW camp info to the POW event from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
MACR 10423 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The Mighty Eighth by Roger Freeman; Who's Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45 MACR 10423
Freeman, The Mighty Eighth, p. 276
Freeman, The Hub