A
collection of stories, photos, art and information on Stalag Luft I
If you are a former Prisoner of War or a next of
kin of a POW, we invite you to sign and leave your email address so others that
come may find you. Please mention camp, compound, barracks and room numbers if
possible.
Front row L-R: 1st Lt. Michael R. Walsh Navigator, 1st Lt. Robert D.
Kaercher Co-Pilot, Captain William M. Rumsey, Jr. Pilot, 1st Lt. James
Daniel Haffner Bombardier (POW Stalag Luft I).
Back Row L-R:1st person unknown...then T/Sgt. William W. Carter
radio operator, Herb McElligot tail gunner, T/Sgt. Donald B.
Roberts Engineer, S/Sgt. Ivan R. Lee waist gunner, S/Sgt Irving I.
Lieberman "Lucky Lieberman" ball turret gunner.
Mr. John B. Carson who was the substitute tail gunner on March 26,1944
when Omar the Dentmaker was hit by flak over Pas de Calais, France and
exploded, is not pictured here.
The Crew of Omar the Dentmaker
B-17 42-37833 401st BG 615thBS
Shot down by Flak on March 25, 1944 crashed near Pouguermai,
France
Letter written in June 1946 from J. Yaeguemelle (a
French citizen) - an eyewitness to the crash and to the burial of the deceased
crew members.
News articles on Dan Haffner and on the liberation of
Stalag Luft I
V-mail letter sent to his parents from Camp Lucky Strike while
awaiting his shipment home.
"I cannot explain in words how
wonderful it is to be free again and in the friendly and protecting hands of
Uncle Sam."
Donald B. Roberts
Letter received from parents of Donald B. Roberts
(the Engineer) who along with 7 other crew members was killed on March 26,
1944:
Wampsville, NY
June 10, 1945
Dear Jim,
We rec'd your letter from England and
thank you for writing to us. We are happy for you and your family that you
will soon be reunited and we hope you are well.
It was an awful shock to us to lose our Don as you know
he was all we had. We are trying to carry on as best we can but life
will never be quite the same again.
There are many things we would like to know but we don't like
to ask too many questions as you have been through so much we know there are
many things you would like to forget.
We would like to know just what happened on that last fatal
mission.
Do you think the boys were killed instantly. It
would be a comfort to know that they didn't suffer.
Is there any way we can find out
if they were buried and where.
Don was so fond of all the boys and so proud of your
crew. He was so sure you would all come through as your crew was one
of the best in the Air Corps.
We want to know more about yourself. Will you be
discharged from the Service? If not and you should be stationed here
in the East and should have a short furlough we would be glad to have you
come here.
Just give us a ring our phone number is Oneida N.Y.
1409 - RI.
We will be grateful for any
information you can give us.
God bless you and your family.
Sincerely Yours,
Berhn & Elsie Roberts
Statement Or Report of Interview of Recovered Personnel
James D. Haffner (left) at Flight School Training in Tulare, California
Local newspaper articles on James D. Haffner during World War II.
