Judy,
 
This link may be able to help you find more infro on the Aluetians; http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/index.html  It looks like they may have a forum there also.
 
Mark
 
 
 

judiblu

RE: #217 on the list, Haggerty, Jerome Joseph B-24 Co-Pilot

Can you tell me what squadron he was in?  I think thats what it is called,  Please excuse my Military ignorance. I want to send for his service records.  Michael would be so grateful for that info.  We lost everything we had on him his Dad.   

First Lt. Jerome J. Haggerty        Serial Number O&695058    450th Bomb Group / 722nd Bomb Squadron

Hello,
 
My grandfather James Conochan is #128 on this list. He passed away quite a few years and he was very quiet about his war times.
Any info you have would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you,
Bridgit  

Hi Bidgeit,
 
I found another statement regarding the crew your grandfather was with on his last mission,   This was recorded at the camp by another American POW there; John Courtney.  He recorded every plane from every group and it's outcome.
 
This is what he had recorded for your grandfather's mission:
 
June 23, 1944.  B-24 raid on Guirgui.  Lt. Crane and crew.  Direct hit by flak putting out 3 engines wihtin twenty miutes off target.  Had eleven man crew and all bailed out safely, not one was injured. 

The eleventh man was Wesley Anders; Photographer,  His photo is on the 484th BG website under ground crews.
 
Though their plane was shot down on the 23rd, I have not found out when and where they were captured.  Regardless of where they were picked up, all POWs were brought to Sofia for interogation by the Germans.  They arrived at Shumen on July 4th.   The current camp (#1) was overcrowded and they were held in town under guard at the military barricks of the 7th Regiment until the 13th of July.   Then brought to the new camp (#2).    My father was also held in this same group with your grandfather --about 80 American Airmen, waiting for the completion of camp #2 to be opened.
 
Here is a line drawing of the pow camp #2  where you grandfather was held through September of 1944. 
 
~Mark
 

 
 
 

Hello Mark and Bridjit,
In the Crane's crew on 23 of June 1944 were 11 :Crane(P),Schauzmeyer(CP) ( instead of Petty),McGuire(B),Kovar(N),Compton,Conochan,Canfield,Hughes,Wood,Patten and Anders( Photo). Crane,Schauzmeyer and McGuire were captured from Bulgarian army around Pirot ( Serbia). Pobably the plane crashed in F.Y.R. Macedonia ( Skopie) and the rest of the crew was captured around the same place...All were sent to military prison in Sofia (Bulgaria) and then as Mark said - to Shumen.

AN UPDATED LIST OF ALL POWs, HELD IN SHUMEN POW CAMP ( BULGARIA) from 26 of November 1943 till the 8 of September 1944, is on:
http://www.airgroup2000.c...viewtopic.php?t=226962
and on:
http://www.worldwar2.ro/f...dex.php?showtopic=5455


This list will be soon published in the updated Web-site for the camp history ( http://www.shumen-camp.info)

Does anybody have any information on #30 on that list, John McLendon? I believe that was my grandfather, and I'm trying to find out everything I can about him. Unfortunately, my mom doesn't really remember much, and the few things left of his stuff can't be found at the moment. I am currently in the process of joining the Army in hopes to become an Aviation officer myself, so this attempt at finding out about him and his career has even more significance to me. Any info or help you can offer me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Alex,
 
Good to hear from you again.  I agree with you that the camp was very inhumane.  My father came back suffering from malnutrition and he later lost the vision in his right eye as a result. And those 29 men would not have stayed over in Istanbul if they would have had the proper care while in the camp.
 
I think from Tinker's point of view you may have to understand his upbringing.  He was a true Native American of Osage Indian ancestry, born and raised on an Indian reservation near Pawhuska, Oklahoma.  As you may also be aware the Native Americans in America were not treated very fair and did not have much at that time or even today, by most standards.  I imagine for him life in that camp life was not that much different than what he may have experienced for himself on the Indian reservation growing up, and he quickly adapted? 
 
I think for the rest of the men it may have been a big leap backward.  Especially for those that had running water and inside toilets where they came from.
 
Tinker also spent 9 months in this camp and died long before the Shumen camp website came to be.  So he did not have to impress anyone by his statements. He came from a heritage of brave men. I think he must have been a very humble person that was able to meld very well with most conditions.  I have a copy of the original statement that was submitted to the Shumen site and it is word for word as Tinker wrote it.  Again, it is like you said above, this is his opinion and does not represent the facts as known.
 
A side note:  His Uncle, Brigadier General Clarence L. Tinker was Commander of the Air Forces in Hawaii after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  He personally led a force of B-24s against the Japanese near Midway Island on June 7, 1942.  His plane went down and all crew were lost.  Tinker AFB in Oklahoma was named for him in his honor.
 
 Here is another statement written by Edward Tinker reflecting back on his career. 
 
E. E. Tinker
 
 

Chrissy,
 
these two documents attached describe what that battle that day was like for your grandfather.  They are about Ed Tinker, but he and your grandfather were shot down very close to each other on that day.
 

Found a picture online of John William McLendon in a Skyraider Training Class photo, and I confirmed it with my mom that it is indeed him. http://www.skyraider.org/skyassn/classpics/afclasspics/e05.jpg  He's the second from the left