Barton Wentworth MacNeill
MilitaryAssigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew 17 combat missions from 8-Sep-44 to 2-Nov-44. Flew resupply mission to Warsaw, Poland in support of Freedom Fighters. 18-Sep-44 awarded Polish Freedom Cross.
Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Rahmel, Poland in B-17 'Ole Worrybird' 42-102678 hit by flak burst lost 2 engines and fell out of formation 2-Nov-44 Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 10309.
Was shot down November 2, 1944 and taken Prisoner of War (POW) by Germans. After 2 months in hospitals, spent additional 5 months at Stalag Luft III and Stalag Luft VII-A. While Prisoner of War (POW), was marched 90 miles in 12 below zero snow to a railyard in Spremberg. A humorous moment was the guard nicknamed 'Pop-eye' was tiring. MacNeill offered to carry his pack and rifle and the guard let him until superiors noticed. He was then shipped with 54 others to Stalug Luft VII-A.
29-Apr-45 he as liberated by Patton's 3rd Armoured division and the 99th Infantry division. After liberation, he rode on a tank headed toward the Isor River. Patton's jeep passed and they saluted one anther. Enjoyed 4 days touring Paris.
Awards: AM (3OLC), PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME, Polish Freedom Cross
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16082534 / O-813576
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ole Worrybird
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Camden, NJ, USA | 20 February 1923 | Son of Forrest W and Hannah G MacNeill. |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
78-220 Tychowo, Poland | 2 November 1944 | Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV. |
Other Baled out |
Osnabrück, Germany | 2 November 1944 | Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Rahmel, Poland in B-17 'Ole Worrybird' 42-102678 hit by flak burst lost 2 engines and fell out of formation 2-Nov-44 Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 10309. |
Died |
Sturgis, MS 39769, USA | 20 September 2007 | |
Buried |
MacNeill Family Cemetery Sturgis Oktibbeha County MS | 23 September 2007 | MacNeill Family Cemetery Sturgis Oktibbeha County Mississippi |
Based |
Horham | 2 November 1944 | Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Brought in information from duplicate record. Sources:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, MACR 10309, son June 2008
MACR 10309 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database