While serving as Tail Gunner in B-17G 43-37613 on 16-Aug-44 he was wounded in the legs by splinters from a 20mm round fired by a IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 FW-190 over Eisensach, Germany, enroute to the target, Sieble Aircraft Plant, at Halle, Germany. Fearing he would die before the aircraft could make it back to England, he baled out and was captured as a POW. Held first night of captivity at a barn at Marzhausen, Germany. Prisoner of War (POW) at Luft IV.



(Additional Information)

Clem J. Pine enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and became a tail gunner in a B-17, flying 31 missions (25 credited) over Europe with the 508th BS of the 351st Bomb Group. He flew his last mission with them on September 23, 1943 on the mission to Nantes, France aboard A/C 42-5823. He returned stateside in January 1944.

After completing his first combat tour, he ended up together again with S/Sgt. Truely S. Ponder, ball turret gunner, as instructors at Galveston Air Force Base in Texas. Sgts. Ponder and Pine originally had trained together in gunnery school, before being assigned to the 303rd and 351st Bomb Groups. In July of 1944 they volunteered for a second combat tour. This time they were assigned to Lt. Gaines’ crew in advanced training, eventually ending up at Bassingbourn with the 91st Bomb Group, 324th Bomb Squadron.

On his 4th mission with the 91st, on board A/C 43- 37613, the target was the aircraft factories at Halle, Germany. 43-37613 carried only “Nickels” (propaganda leaflets) five XG 19 and five XG 20 containers, no bombs. They were attacked by FW 190 D fighters close to the target. Almost immediately cannon fire from the German fighters started raking the plane, knocking out the No. 2 engine. The waist gunner was hit in the head and throat and killed by the first rounds slamming into the plane. The radio operator was hit in the ankle and knocked to the floor of the radio room. Sgt. Pine, in the tail, was firing at the on-coming fighters when a shell exploded in the tail compartment, shredding his chute, wounding him in the left thigh and throwing him back onto the tail wheel cover.

The plane started losing altitude rapidly. When he sensed the plane was dropping rapidly and saw that the No. 2 engine was dead, Sgt. Pine assumed they were going down. After having seen what had happened to so many other aircraft, he figured he had best get out while there was still time to do so. Sgt. Pine snapped on the spare chest chute the crew kept by the rear escape hatch, kicked open the door and bailed out. He spent the remainder of the war as a Prisoner of War. The pilot managed to nurse the stricken aircraft back to England and landed at Boreham, Essex. The aircraft was too badly damaged to repair and was salvaged for parts at 2SAD on 17-Aug-44. 1KIA 1POW 7RTD MACR 8182.

Clem was awarded the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Military Merit Award, and numerous other honors for his service during World War II and his military career afterwards. He retired as a chief warrant officer in 1971.

The book '88 Days' by Bryon Van Fleet tells the true story of Clem Pine, who flew 29 missions as the tail gunner on a B-17 before being shot down, imprisoned in Stalag Luft 4, and then surviving the death march for 88 days.

The story 'Forty Seconds Over Eisenach' by Mary Ruth details the mission on 16-Aug-44 when he was wounded and bailed out.