MIGHTY EIGHTH MONDAY: THE FINAL FLIGHT OF THE SIMMONS CREW - 303RD BG HELLS ANGELS AND THE PILOT WINGS OF STALAG LUFT I Pilot Thomas L. Simmons and his crew arrived in England in November 1943 and were assigned to the 303rd Bomb Group, 427th Bomb Squadron. For Co-pilot Fred Reichel this assignment was something of a homecoming since he was once again in the unit he had flown with in Boise, Idaho, before entering the Aviation Cadet Program in April 1942. Now as Co-pilot he flew on the 11 January 1944 mission to Oschersleben to destroy the FW-190 factory complex. This last mission, in original 427th BS B-17F #41-24619 S-for-Sugar GN-S. Went down between 1110 and 1125 hours and crashed near crashed near Braunlage, Germany. Led by B/Gen Robert F. Travis (CG 41st Combat Wing), a mission recall order was issued when weather started closing in over English airfields. B/Gen Travis claimed that he never received the recall order. P-47s, who were to provide mission withdrawal support, obeyed the recall order and left the 1st Division bombers to fend for themselves. Eleven 303rd BG(H) bombers were lost when attacked by numerous German fighters. This was the greatest loss suffered by the 303rd on any of its combat missions. The 1st Division lost 42 B-17s and 430 crewmen. All of the Lt Simmons crewmen became POWs. Sgt Robert L. Livingston (TG) died of pneumonia on 24 March 1944 in Stalag 17B at Krems, Austria. On this mission Reichels B-17 was shot down prior to reaching the IP. All bailed out at 19,000 feet, and Reichel remembered that he free fell to about 2,000 feet before pulling the rip cord. Looking down, he saw a snow covered forest with a small clearing approximately 150 feet in diameter. Fortunately, he landed in the center of this clearing and noted that, If I had been a skydiver I couldnt have done it any better. He buried his parachute and then tried to hide from an approaching ski patrol of four old men and four adolescents. One of the teenagers spotted Reichels footprints in the snow. He was captured. The old men wanted to beat him with their sticks, but the teenagers pushed them aside and took Reichel to a farmhouse. His next major destination was Dulag Luft for interrogation and then to Stalag Luft I. Fellow POWs at Stalag Luft I included the Bombardier from Reichels crew, Dick Vaughn, and the Czech, Frank Knap, who had flown with the RAF. Frank Knap had carefully crafted molds of pilots wings worn by American, Russian, Czech, French, British RAF, and Polish pilots. Then using melted silver foil from cigarette wrappers, he cast each set of wings and mounted them on a triangle-shaped pieced red, white and blue fabric. Reichel offered Knap cigarettes for this plaque, but instead Knap wanted the ring that Dick Vaughn wore. Reichel spoke privately with his friend, Dick Vaughn, asking first if his ring had sentimental value. Since it did not, Vaughn agreed to give Reichel the ring and receive payment for it after the war ended. Reichel then used the ring from Vaughn to purchase the plaque from Knap. This plaque is now in the collection of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015