RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (Janek)

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:33:37 GMT

Charlotte
From my distinguishing Your became drip caught in locality Adelsbach ( Polish Struga) near Bad Salzbrunn ( Szczawano Zdrój ) near
Waldenburga (Wałbrzycha) and from mates spended in camp initially probably in Trutnow in Czech and then Moosburg where he reached gen. Paton and
camp be liberated. My e-mail : pukaz@poczta.onet.pl . I can send surveys where he was caught.
Krzysztof

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (Homer)

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:36:37 GMT

XYZ

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (Robersabel)

Sun, 11 May 2008 12:34:40 GMT

Charlotte,

Please contact me by email.

Robert
Robersabel@aol.com

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (cglpfallriver)

Sun, 11 May 2008 10:36:44 GMT

Bruce:

No, this was NOT repeat information for me....and like you, I find the Russian connection extremely interesting! It does CONFIRM the fact that my father's plane 44-6697 was in fact shot down.......as he had always claimed.

In addition, my father (T/Sgt. R. J. Levesque) always said that 1st Lt. John W. Pierik "had gone down with his plane".

Thanks to Jim McCabe, I will be contacting two surving crew members (S/Sg Wilber W. Jaffke and S/Sg Tony Zevenbergen Jr.) in the very near future. It seems as though Jim has paved the way for me to approach these families and they are currently aware of the information I am looking to obtain i.e., POW Camp...etc.

Whatever information I receive regarding my father's ill-fated flight, I will be sure to pass along to you for your records.

I cannot begin to thank you ALL for your help and cooperation! Your efforts are certainly greatly appreciated.

Charlotte

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (Bruce Carson)

Sun, 11 May 2008 08:32:59 GMT

Most likely repeat info - but the Russian connection is very interesting. The NARA database lists ~ 470 POWs from the 2nd Bomb Group: 130 POWs to Stalag Luft 4, 111 are unknown, 89 to Stalag Luft 1 and 75 to Stalag Luft 3 plus various others -- so near the end of the war, if you could share any info you might discover as to what camps or where they were - it would be most helpful.

Cheers

===
Tail # 44-6697 B-17G 60 DL
(2nd BG, 429th BS) disabled by AAA Mar 22, 1945 on mission to Ruhland, Germany. Headed to Russian lines but shot down by Russian fighters. 6 crew survived.

MACR 13245

Mission 383

O-731101, 1Lt John W. Pierik, Pilot – KIA, Ohio
O-785002, 2Lt Robert W. Steele, Co-Pilot – KIA, Missoouri
O-669140 1Lt Harold A. Taylor, Navigator – KIA, Montana
O-929489 2Lt John P. Yatsco, 2Lt, Bombardier / Toggelier – KIA, West Virginia,

37566406 T/Sgt Richard H. Benjamin, Eng Top Turret - POW
31309769 T/Sgt Raymond J. Levesque, Radio Operator - POW
39216824 S/Sg Vernon T. Burger, Ball Turret - POW
39387823 S/Sg Tony Zevenbergen Jr., Waist Gunner – POW, Washington
39920100 S/Sg Charles L. Redford, Waist Gunner - POW
33670805 S/Sg Wilber W. Jaffke, Tail Gunner - POW

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hfhm/Kirtland/Main%20class/Pierik.htm

Post war statements:

T/S Richard Benjamin, Top Turret on Pierik's plane. "On March 22, 1945 our B-17 encountered flak over the target which disabled our A/C. We headed toward the Russian lines and were eventually escorted by three Russian A/C (P9's). Our bomb bay doors were open and we used our red flares. The Russian fighters were positioned, one on each wingtip and one on our tail. They next peeled off into the sun and attacked us, utilizing the 7 mm cannons and machine guns. Our gunners returned fire, the upper turret was hit, in which I was in and our bomb bay was filled with smoke. The cockpit was strafed and my feeling is that the four officers were killed at this time. An attempt was made to return to the cockpit area, however, it was impossible with the flames and smoke. The plane descended as if on automatic pilot. We, the six enlisted men, bailed out, were strafed in our chutes. Some holes punctured our chutes but none of us were hit. To the best of my knowledge this was near Salzbrun, Germany. We watched our plane descend. It went over a hill and that was the last view of it. All the enlisted men were POW's and eventually returned to the USA. I never heard any information regarding the officers again."

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (cglpfallriver)

Sat, 10 May 2008 20:04:32 GMT

Lascotte......

Thank you so much for the link! I truly appreciate it.

Charlotte

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (cglpfallriver)

Sat, 10 May 2008 19:54:28 GMT

Jim:

I did receive your PM......and I have responded. Left you a cell message as well. Will try to make contact again in a few ...... hour or so.

Thanks for everything!

Charlotte

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (lascotte)

Sat, 10 May 2008 19:04:11 GMT

You may find the following link on this site helpful regarding the POW MEDAL.

http://forum.armyairforces.com/m_70637/mpage_1/key_pow%2cmedal/tm.htm#125931

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (424thBS#1son)

Sat, 10 May 2008 08:23:42 GMT

WILBUR "JEFF" JAFFKE AND TONY ZEVENBERGEN ARE STILL WITH US. I HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFO.
Sent you a PM, let me know if you didn't get it.
-Jim

RE: T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque POW 03/22/1945 (cglpfallriver)

Sat, 10 May 2008 03:45:13 GMT

15th Air Force; 5th Wing; 2nd Bomb Group (Heavy); 429th Bombardment
Squadron

Amendola Air Base   Foggia, Italy

MACR # 13245

A/C Serial # 44-6697 B-17-G   Flying Fortress
Mission # 383

03/22/1945

THURSDAY, 22 MARCH 1945
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force):
   680+ B-17s and B-24s (with Eighth and Fifteenth AF fighter escort) hit
the
Ruhland, Germany and Kralupy and Vltava, Czechoslovakia oil refineries
(some
bombers on the Ruhland raid bomb the Lauta aluminum works to the N), a
railroad
communications and ordinance depot, a marshalling yard, and 2 oil
refineries at
Vienna, Austria, marshalling yards at Graz, Wels, Zeltweg and Klagenfurt,
Austria, and Neratovice, Czechoslovakia, and scattered targets of
opportunity;
reconnaissance and reconnaissance escort missions are also flown.

According to MIA report: "Hit and downed by flak somewhere near Ruhland,
Germany."
                                       4 KIA;   6 POW

12 46697 B-17G 60 DL 429 MIA Ruhland 22 Mar 45 on its 11th mission.
Damaged by flak, crashed near Ruhland. John Pierik crew, Steele, Taylor,
Yatsco, Benjamin, Levesque, Burger, Zevenbergen, Redford, Jaffke. Pierik, Steele, Taylor, Yatsco KIA,      rest POW.

I am the daughter of T/Sgt. Raymond J. Levesque who was the Radioman on
this ill-fated flight (Mission # 383) and who was taken as a POW.
As most military men who have lived through and witnessed the atrocities
of war, dad never spoke of his WWII experiences. When I started this
research, all I knew was that he was stationed "overseas"; his plane was
shot down somewhere over Germany; and he had been taken POW.

And so, I am looking to obtain information on his captivity....POW
Camp...and the ill-fated day his plane went down...."somewhere NEAR
Ruhland, Germany".

As far as I know and from what information I have gathered, the 4 men from
his crew who were listed as KIA......it seems as though their remains were
never found....nor that of the plane.
I do have the names of the Crew.....but dad never kept in touch with the
survivors....and I have no idea if they are still alive today.

Does anyone have anything MORE SPECIFIC to share with me??? I really
would like to know exactly where the plane went down; the name of the
plane; and which POW camp he was sent to. I recall dad mentioning the following: Speaking in French with a little girl and her father through barbed wire fencing.....and her giving dad some chocolate candy bars for the POWs. She was seen by a German soldier doing this and she was shot...... My father never forgot her face nor that of her father's.... Might this mean that his POW camp was near the border of France or Belgium??
Do any of the aforementioned crew members names “ring a bell” with anyone?

On July 9th, 1963 my father passed away at the age of 40...due to a
"coronary occlusion"...while sitting in his office of the City Hall.    Ever since his return from WWII, he suffered intermittent stomach problems;    migraines; and had a "breakdown" in 1957, reliving his War experiences...i.e.,   hated the sound of planes...would make me run and hide for cover; obsessed with the   need for building a bomb shelter and stocking it with provisions; the ringing of the Church bells were   disguised German messages, etc.    When my mother applied for his disability pension, she was told that she could   not prove his death was 100% "service connected"; therefore the Veterans allotted   her a very small monthly pension..... When she contacted them for the return of his   medical documentation, she was told that somehow the medical files were lost and   therefore they could not be returned.... this was in 1964. The VA gave mother such a hassle that she never wanted to deal with them again.

My mother passed away last year, July 21st, 2007.....and so I am T/Sgt.
Levesque's only next of kin...(only child).  I question the following.....Does he qualify for the POW Medal? Would he qualify for thePurple Heart?.....and would I NEED those "missing" medical records for proof?  My son, Eric, would like to dedicate a wall in his home to the men in
his/our family who fought in the Wars....WWI ; WWII ; Korea.

Consequently, I am looking to obtain as much information as I can on my
father….for myself and for my son. I truly need to find the missing links
and finally be able to complete this chapter of my father’s life. In addition, if my father qualifies for either/both medals.....I would like to apply for it/them.
Thanking you all in advance for your time and help..... Merci Beaucoup!   Mille Grazie!!
Sincerely,
Charlotte from MA.-USA