Untitled Document

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
May 10, 1945, Page 10

9,000 FREED AIRMEN WERE "IN on KILL" IN GERMANY

Mason Cityans Among Group That Seized Prison Camp

EDITOR'S NOTE: Three Mason City and Clear Lake air force war prisoners known to have been at the Barth prison camp, northern Germany, were among the 9,000 freed allied airmen 'in on the kill' as told in this remarkable story by Lowell Bennett, International News Service correspondent, who had also been a prisoner at Barth.

The Mason Cityans are Lt. Donald G. HARRER, Lt. Melvin J. SPENCER and the Clear Lake man, Flight officer Roy B. MARTIN. This is Correspondent Bennett's first dispatch since his liberation from the nazi prison camp.

Bennett parachuted into German captivity Dec. 3, 1943, when a British bomber from which he was reporting a raid on Berlin was shot down.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: Other Iowans interned at Stalag Luft 1 are noted at the bottom of this article.

By LOWELL BENNETT

Barth, Pomerania, May 1. (Delayed). - (INS) - Nine thousand allied air force war prisoners who were my companions in Stalag Luft No. 1 were liberated in time to go back to the war today and be in on the kill.

These men, who for long months and years waited for this wonderful day, have taken more than 200 square miles of German territory, have linked up with the Russians and now are waiting to go home after their long exile.

Total casualties of their entire operation so far is one man killed.

During the past 12 hours they have seized their prison camp, captured 3 towns, an important air field and flak school and large quantities of equipment and fuel. Moreover, they have taken almost 2,000 German prisoners.

A junction has been established with the Russian forces battering westward from Stettinand our joint victory in Pomerania is being riotously celebrated.

Under the command of Col. Hubert Zemke, a fighter ace from Missoula, Mont., and a royal Canadian air force captain, the prisoners in this camp - the largest prison camp for allied air force officers in Europe - have made an important contribution to the final occupation of Germany.

They also have made an important contribution to the establishment of first-class relations between the western and eastern allies on this northern front.

The action began last night when the advancing Russian armies ahd reached the nearby sea base at Griefswald.

Long-rehearsed operations got under way. We were fully prepared for such an eventuality. The "kriegies" (our abbreviation for the unwieldy tongue-twisting German word [Kriegesgefangenen] for war prisoners) captured the guard towers and the radio station.

Scouts were dispatched in every direction and fully armed skirmish and picket lines were established. Expeditionary forces were organized to seize the entire area.

Little opposition was encountered by the airmen, who, operating on the ground for the first time, disarmed the Germans they encountered and swiftly captured 50 vehicles, thousands of weapons and 3,000 gallons of fuel.

Five neighboring prisoner of war camps and a concentration camp in the vicinity were liberated. Quickly afterward, the liberated airmen capture Barth's air base, where they seized 14 planes intact and 18 others which were damaged only slight.

Our attempts to get in touch with the Russians at Stralsund and Greifswald by radio and telephone were unsuccessful.

But this evening 2 of our scouts returned to camp with a Russian first lieutenant, Nich Karmytoff.

This 22-year-old veteran red army infantry officer who had fought his way from Stalingrad to Barth, established the first Russian contact with the western allies in the Baltic.

Complete liaison with the Russians was quickly established.

At this writing, Col. Zemke's forces are in control of teh 175 square miles of Pomeranian territory and have taken almost 2,000 prisoners who they are making final arrangements to had over to the Russians and then go home.

Paris has the American army had a more enthusiastic welcome.

There was no formal parade by American units, though the Czech crowds loyally cheered every Yank motorcycle messenger, truckload of gasoline or jeep that drove past. But you could feel they were waiting for something - something they hadn't seen in almost 7 years. A Czech army marching through a Czech city under its own flags.

Shortly before dusk word swept through the waiting thousands that a Czech army unit had entered the city. A few moments later the first car rolled into the city square. Three Czech girls in brightly colored native dresses waved the Czech flag at the crowd and they went wild.

I have heard many crowd demonstrations, but none like the peculiar sound that rose from these oppressed people celebrating their first full day of liberation. The column contained only about 50 cars - a few ack ack guns, some Bren gun carriers, some civilian cars and a number of wheezy old derelict trucks decked with flowers and banners. Three German tanks could have destroyed it in 15 minutes.

By as a symbol, that column was matchless. A cry burst from every throat as the first vehicle entered the parade area and as each car limped past the volume of sound grew greater.

One truck that brought the loudest cheers had painted across its side:

"From Dunkerquie to Pilsen to Prague."

Many persons in the crowd knew that even the German tanks - remnants of forces that hadn't surrendered - were shooting up the center of their capital city.

One truck broke down near the end of the parade, greatly embarrassing the driver, who was a veteran of Dunkerque. But the crowd immediately made him their favorite. By the time the parade was over they had covered his vehicle with flowers, and by nightfall it looked more like a curbside florist's stand than a truck.

NOTE: Stalag Luft 1 was located approximately 105 miles northwest of Berlin and two miles from the village of Barth on a strip of barren land which extended into the Baltic Sea. The prison camp was liberated on April 30, 1945 by Russian troops.

According to the Stalag Luft 1 website (www.merkki.com/) the following Iowans were interred in the following compounds (with additional information if known – please contact us if you have additional information):

NORTH 1 Compound
NAME	HOME TOWN	COUNTY
2^nd Lt. Paul H. Alexander bombardier, 92^nd Bomb Grp 326^th Bomb Squadron, AAF B-17 shot down 24 Feb 1944, Germany	Des Moines	Polk County
2^nd Lt. John K. Anderson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	unknown	Calhoun County
SSgt. Eugene W. Briggs Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	unknown	Webster County
TSgt. Verlyn G. Brown Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Estherville	Emmet County
Lt. Roger G. Christensen navigator on B-17 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Atlantic	Cass County
2ndLt. Vernon M. Cox Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
2^nd Lt. Robert C. Forney Liberator pilot shot down 19 Mar 1944 over Austria Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Boone	Boone County
1^st Lt. Bernard J. Gillespie shot down 25 Feb 1944, Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Fort Dodge	Webster County
Lt. Thomas E. Harrington Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Knoxville	Marion County
1^st Lt. Marvin R. Haskins downed over Elba 25 Jan 1944, AAF	Eagle Grove	Wright County
2^nd Lt. Harvey H. J. Jessen B-17 pilot shot down over Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Council Bluffs	Pottawattamie Co.
2^nd Lt. Glenn A. Johnson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Madrid	Boone County
2^nd Lt. Robert H. Johnson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Woodbury County
2^nd Lt. Donald K. Kehm Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Fort Dodge	Webster County
2^nd Lt. Charles A. Kupka Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Grundy Center	Grundy County
1^st Lt. Albert C. Lichter aboard a P-51B Mustang downed 22 Feb 1944 over Geissen-Oudekerk, Holland 357^th Fighter Group, AAF	Algona	Kossuth County
2^nd Lt. Warren E. Lins Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Washington	Washington County
2^nd Lt. Richard Thomas Longman navigator on B-17 shot down Feb 1944 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Clinton	Clinton County
SSgt. Roy B. Martin Jr. MIA 18 Sep 1944 over Holland glider pilot, AAF Glider Regiment	Mason City	Cerro Gordo County
SSgt Bertram B. Metcalf Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Davenport	Scott County
2^nd Lt. Arthur Mittman pilot of B-17 shot down over Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Muscatine	Muscatine County
2^nd Lt. Max R. Morrow pilot shot down 24 Feb 1944 over Schweinfurt, Germany 457^th Bomber Group AAF	Seymour	Wayne County
2^nd Lt. Louis Oppenham Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Des Moines	Polk County
1^st Lt. Dewayne W. Pohl Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Pilot Mound	Boone County
Lt. Earl L. Richardson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Washington	Washington County
2^nd Lt. Marion W. Saffell Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Des Moines	Polk County
Capt. Bernard Karl “Ben” Seitzinger U.S. Army Air Force (* KIA 27 Nov 1951 Korean War)	Brighton	Washington County
2^nd Lt. Robert S. Simpson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Buchanan County
2^nd Lt. Melvin J. Spencer navigator B-17, captured Feb 1944 95^th Bomber Group, AAF	Mason City	Cerro Gordo County
1^st Lt. Horace C. Waldorf Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Vinton	Benton County

* Captain Bernard Karl Seitzinger remained in the service and was promoted to the rank of Major. During the Korean War he was serving with the 7^th Fighter/Bomber Squadron of the 49^th Fighter/Bomber Group. A pilot of an F-84E Thunderjet fighter, Major Seitzinger was flying a combat mission on November 27, 1951, North Korea, during which he was strafing enemy rail facilities. He crashed into the enemy boxcars. His body was not recovered. Maj. Seitzinger was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korean War Service Medal. ~ SOURCE: Korean War Veterans Honor Roll; Korean War Casualty Listing

NORTH 2 Compound
NAME	HOME TOWN	COUNTY
2^nd Lt. Robert H. “Bob” “Doc” Ahrens co-pilot B-24 “Miss Fit” shot down over Austria 26 Jun 1944 742 Sqn., 455^th Bomb. Group, AAF	Jewell	Hamilton county
2^nd Lt. Louis John Beckmann Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
2^nd Lt. Robert E. Broderson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Harlan	Shelby County
2^nd Lt. Russell C. Conrow pilot shot down 28 Sept 1944 over Magdeburg, Germany 398^th Bomb Group, AAF	Waterloo	Black Hawk County
2^nd Lt. Stanley V. Davidson co-pilot B-17 “Betty Jane” CR-L shot down 13 Sept 1944 from mission at motor plant, Eisenach, Germany U.S. Army Air Force 358^th Bomb Sqn, 303^rd Bomb Grp	Emerson	Mills County
1^st Lt. Paul D. Fickel U.S. Army Air Force, Fighter Group		Wapello County
2^nd Lt. Thomas Loras Flaherty pilot of Liberator bomber captured 0/107 July 1944, Germany U. S. Army Air Force	Waterloo	Black Hawk County
2^nd Lt. Collin W. Fritz, Jr. Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Des Moines	Polk County
1^st Lt. William R. Haines (promoted to rank Lieutenant Colonel) U.S. Army Air Force	Sioux City	Woodbury County
2^nd Lt. Lorin W. Hamann Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	St. Olaf	Clayton County
2^nd Lt. Andrew G. Jackson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Eldora	Hardin County
1^st Lt. James Edwin Jatho Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Holstein	Ida County
Bernard F. Kosik Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Iowa City	Johnson County
Lt. Howard E. Lowe Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Indianola	Warren County
2^nd Lt. Robert R. McLoughlin Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Sioux City	Woodbury County
1^st Lt. Gordon W. “Bud” Morehead Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Maquoketa	Jackson County
2^nd Lt. Dean M. Peppmeier pilot, Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Truro	Madison County
2^nd Lt. Eugene C. Saur shot down over Berlin, Germany U. S. Army Air Force	Clinton	Clinton County
1^st Lt. Jack Lowell Timmins * B-17 bombardier 303^rd Bomber Squadron U.S. Army Air Force	Des Moines	Polk County
1^st Lt. Jerome H. Torgerson captured March 1945 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Britt	Hancock County
1^st Lt. Frank L. Whittington bombardier, shot down 28 Sept 1944 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Dubuque	Dubuque County

* 1^st Lt. Jack Lowell Timmins, later promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, served in three wars – World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He died on January 4, 2001, and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

SOURCE: U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ancestry.com

NORTH 3 COMPOUND
NAME	HOME TOWN	COUNTY
Lt. Robert K. Baker Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Des Moines	Polk County
SSgt. Robert D. Bollard Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Fort Dodge	Webster County
Lt. Paul L. Carroll Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Laurens	Pocahontas County
2^nd Lt. Ray Cook, Jr. co-pilot of B-17 Flying Fortress captured 05 Dec 1944, Germany U.S. 8^th Army Air Force 305 Bomb Grp	Ames	Story County
2^nd Lt. Charles F. Curtis, Jr. Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Washington County
SSgt. J. C. Davis Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Page County (?)
SSgt. James O. Davis Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Ottumwa	Wapello County
Lt. Frank Elkins Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Nevada	Story County
Cpl Robert Owen Fitzsimmons Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Boone	Boone County
1^st Lt. Glenn C. Gladfeder Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Des Moines	Polk County
2^nd Lt. Max L. Harder U.S. AAAF, Harbor Defense Group	Avoca	Pottawattamie County
1^st Lt. Donald Keith Hopp shot down Nov 1943 over Holland Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Glenwood	Mills County
SSgt. Richard N. Hovey ball turret gunner, B-27 downed over Holland Sept 1944 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Cedar Falls	Black Hawk County
SSgt. Daniel A. Janish Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Manly	Worth County
Cpl. Jack Edwards Jeffreys U.S. Army Air Force (NOTE: Jeffreys Drive in Osceola was named in his honor; long-time mayor.)	Osceola	Clarke County
TSgt. Glen A. Kraft Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Monona	Clayton County
1^st Lt. Russel C. MacDuffee U. S. Army Air Force	Des Moines	Polk county
2^nd Lt. Earl Ellis Macksey Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Oskaloosa	Mahaska County
Lt. Nick G. Morgan Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Anita	Cass County
2^nd Lt. Duane D. Mowry captured March 1945, Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Audubon	Audubon County
2^nd Lt. Herbert D. Olson co-pilot MIA 30 Nov 1944, Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Winfield	Henry County
1^st Lt. R[obert]. W. “Bob” Phinney pilot B-26, MIA 23 March 1945 over Holland U.S. 9^th Army Air Force	Council Bluffs	Pottawattamie County
2^nd Lt. Theodore E. Pollard Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Boone	Boone County
SSgt. George S. Reese Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
Lt. David Roush Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Newton	Jasper County
1^st Lt. Thomas M. “Tom” Shive navigator MIA 25 Nov 1944 over Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Cedar Rapids	Linn County
SSgt. Melvin K. Stark Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Carroll County
2^nd Lt. Joseph F. Waters (may have been in North 2 compound) Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Creston?
SSgt. Dale T. Westell Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Fort Dodge or Nashua?
TSgt. Robert E. Wogatzke top turret gunner B-17 “Sad Sack” shot down Zietz, Germany 30 Nov 1944 U.S. Army Air Force 527^th Bomb Sqdn., 379^th Bomb. Grp.

SOUTH COMPOUND
NAME	HOME TOWN	COUNTY
2^nd Lt. Ivan Earl Beckwith Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Iowa City	Johnson County
2^nd Lt. Marion R. “Rocky” Cessna Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Nevada	Story County
2^nd Lt. Harold F. Dumse Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	New London	Henry County
2^nd Lt. Robert W. Fillman Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
2^nd Lt. Walter E. Garner Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
2^nd Lt. Sheldon W. Hanneman MIA April 1944 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Dunlap	Harrison County
2^nd Lt. Donald G. Harrer co-pilot B-17 Flying Fortress MIA 11 Feb 1944 over Frankfurt U.S. 8^th Army Air Force	Mason City	Cerro Gordo County
2^nd Lt. Arnold W. Hunger MIA Dec 1943 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Mount Union	Henry County
2^nd Lt. Robert F. Jones captured Dec 1944 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Sioux City	Woodbury County
1^st Lt. Robert R. Lent parachuted out before plane exploded Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Marshalltown	Marshall County
2^nd Lt. Verlyn E. McGraw Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
2^nd Lt. William D. “Bill” Mehegan Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Cedar Rapids	Linn County
1^st Lt. Dewitt A. Miller bombardier, MIA 04 Jan 1944 over Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Kiron	Crawford County
2^nd Lt. John Rasko Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Polk County
F/O Donald E. Robbins Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Newton	Jasper County
2^nd Lt. Frank J. Sims Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Des Moines	Polk County
2^nd Lt. William E. “Steve” Stevenson bombardier, Flying Fortress downed 11 Jan 1944 over Germany U.S. 8^th Army Air Corps	Waterloo	Black Hawk County
2^nd Lt. James F. Stone MIA over Germany May 1944 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Bloomfield	Davis County
2^nd Lt. Norman Dale Stuckey Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Udell	Appanoose County
Capt. Louis Eugene “Gene” Telpner shot down, 18^th mission, over Brunswick, Germany U. S. Army Air Force	Council Bluffs	Pottawattamie County
2^nd Lt. James Hugh Thomson captured May 1944 Canadian Royal Air Force	Storm Lake	Buena Vista County
2^nd Lt. Francis E. Wilson Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Greene County

WEST COMPOUND
NAME	HOME TOWN	COUNTY
SSgt. Chester A. Gillen gunner on B-17 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Albia	Monroe County
SSgt. J. E. Hall Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Monona	Clayton County
SSgt. Guy R. Hemenway transfer from Stalag Luft IV Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Dubuque	Dubuque County
SSgt. Richard C. Hodges transfer from Stalag Luft IV Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
Capt. Howard C. Johnson pilot B-17 shot down over Germany Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Council Bluffs	Pottawattamie Co.
SSgt. David Eugene “Dave” Lynch Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Clarksville	Butler County
Sgt. Fred W. Nicklas Heavy Bomber Group, AAF
SSgt. Donald E. Palmer transfer from Stalag Luft IV Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Clinton County

UNKNOWN COMPOUND
NAME	HOME TOWN	COUNTY
SSgt. John Henry Bryner, Jr. * tail gunner B-17 shot down over Ruhland, Germany 22 Mar 1945 U. S. 15^th Army Air Force 20^th Bomb Sqdn., 2^nd Bomb Group	Ames	Story County
2^nd Lt. Robert J. Duffy co-pilot B-17 Heavy Bomber Group, AAF	Iowa City	Johnson County
2^nd Lt. Wayne L. Lough Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Keokuk County
SSgt. Eugene Norman Schwerdtfeger Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Butler County
Sgt. Raymond T. Walton Heavy Bomber Group, AAF		Clinton County

* Pieces of SSgt. John Henry Bryner, Jr.’s B-17 Flying Fortress were discovered and unearthed near the village of Grossrschen in February of 2001. The citizens of that village wrote to Bryner, inviting him to come and visit them and view what had been recovered. The following September Bryner did just that. During this time Bryner learned the full story behind the fate of his other crew members who had bailed out of their burning plane on March 22, 1945. Nine did not survive the bail out and were buried by civilians near Schmogroer forest. Their bodies were recovered and returned to the United States in 1951. Bryner helped raise funds for a peace memorial which was erected and dedicated at Grossraschen, Germany, on the 60^th anniversary to the exact time when his B-17 crashed. Bryner was present for the dedication.

SOURCE: merkki.com/brynerjohn.htm by grandson John H. Bryner.

SOURCES:

Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, May 10, 1945, Page 10

www.merkki.com

WWII Prisoners of War database; WWII Draft Registration Cards database ~ ancestry.com

Various newspaper articles and obituaries