World War II Hero, POW, Captured by the Germans and held in Stalag Luft 1 BarthVogelsang Prussia. Crew member on The NAUGHTY VIRGIN - B17 Bomber - 18 March 1945 shot down over Berlin, Germany
Found this info. on a web site:
Thank you for offering to find the location of the Naughty Virgin 43 38014 B17 crash. I have attached the missing aircraft which report identifies all of the crew on this plane on March 18, 1945.
It is my understanding that two of the crew bailed out when the B17 was hit over Berlin and both were captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalagluft no.1 until the war ended.
Emil Sabol Co-Pilot, Alex Archibald- Top Turret
After the B17 crossed over the Oder River the rest of the crew bailed out. My father stated he was picked up by Russian soldiers on horseback. Another group of Russian soldiers also picked up the ball turret gunner. Both of these groups of Russian soldiers met at the top of a hill. My father and three other crew members traveled to Lublin, Poland then reached With the Army Air Station 559 in Poltava, Ukraine around March 29th, 1945 to start the return trip to England.
Andrew T Kester- Spot Jammer, Union B. Melton Ball- Turret Gunner, James J. Murphy Tail Gunner, Lyman W. Clark- Navigator
The pilot bailed out last. On the ground the pilot was picked up by Russian troops along with the radio operator and taken to Moscow before returning to England
Roy O. McCaldin- Pilot John W. Powers- radio operator
I do not have information on William S. King-Bombardier David
From David Kester son of Andrew T Kester
Alexander Archibald
Alex was a WWII veteran and a prisoner of war. Since I had served in the Air Force myself, I enjoyed hearing his Air Force stories. I grew up during the WWII era and had five uncles in the service. One of my uncles had been killed, one wounded, and one of them was shot down and captured. This made Alex’s stories even more interesting to me.
One of the stories he told me was about the time his plane was shot down and the Germans surrounded him with their rifles pointed at him. He said “Think about staring down these rifle barrels.” The Germans then marched him down the narrow streets of Berlin. They came upon an elderly couple whose wagon was stuck in the mud. Unable to speak German, Alex pointed at the couple and motioned to his captors. The guards put down their rifles and Alex and the guards pushed the cart free of the mud. Alex said that he could have grabbed a rifle, but he didn’t know where he would have gone or what he would have done if he were free. They then proceeded to march to the concentration camp. He was only prisoner for a few months, but because of the war and lack of food, he lost 25 pounds. He used to joke that there were no fat Germans, either.
Alex was a multi-talented man. He learned to cook while he was a POW. No one in the camp could cook, so he was delegated to be the camp cook.
He could fix computers, play the piano, had his pilot’s license, and was a talented photographer. Most importantly, he was a loyal family man. He looked after his sister-in-law Janette after her husband died. When Alex knew he was dying, his first concern was for Janette. He made me promise to look after her. I intended to honor that promise.
Written by: Rees Heycock - Good Friend of Alex
Awards
Air Medal
Good Conduct Medal
POW Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Battle Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Gunners Wings
Found this info. on a web site:
Thank you for offering to find the location of the Naughty Virgin 43 38014 B17 crash. I have attached the missing aircraft which report identifies all of the crew on this plane on March 18, 1945.
It is my understanding that two of the crew bailed out when the B17 was hit over Berlin and both were captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalagluft no.1 until the war ended.
Emil Sabol Co-Pilot, Alex Archibald- Top Turret
After the B17 crossed over the Oder River the rest of the crew bailed out. My father stated he was picked up by Russian soldiers on horseback. Another group of Russian soldiers also picked up the ball turret gunner. Both of these groups of Russian soldiers met at the top of a hill. My father and three other crew members traveled to Lublin, Poland then reached With the Army Air Station 559 in Poltava, Ukraine around March 29th, 1945 to start the return trip to England.
Andrew T Kester- Spot Jammer, Union B. Melton Ball- Turret Gunner, James J. Murphy Tail Gunner, Lyman W. Clark- Navigator
The pilot bailed out last. On the ground the pilot was picked up by Russian troops along with the radio operator and taken to Moscow before returning to England
Roy O. McCaldin- Pilot John W. Powers- radio operator
I do not have information on William S. King-Bombardier David
From David Kester son of Andrew T Kester
Alexander Archibald
Alex was a WWII veteran and a prisoner of war. Since I had served in the Air Force myself, I enjoyed hearing his Air Force stories. I grew up during the WWII era and had five uncles in the service. One of my uncles had been killed, one wounded, and one of them was shot down and captured. This made Alex’s stories even more interesting to me.
One of the stories he told me was about the time his plane was shot down and the Germans surrounded him with their rifles pointed at him. He said “Think about staring down these rifle barrels.” The Germans then marched him down the narrow streets of Berlin. They came upon an elderly couple whose wagon was stuck in the mud. Unable to speak German, Alex pointed at the couple and motioned to his captors. The guards put down their rifles and Alex and the guards pushed the cart free of the mud. Alex said that he could have grabbed a rifle, but he didn’t know where he would have gone or what he would have done if he were free. They then proceeded to march to the concentration camp. He was only prisoner for a few months, but because of the war and lack of food, he lost 25 pounds. He used to joke that there were no fat Germans, either.
Alex was a multi-talented man. He learned to cook while he was a POW. No one in the camp could cook, so he was delegated to be the camp cook.
He could fix computers, play the piano, had his pilot’s license, and was a talented photographer. Most importantly, he was a loyal family man. He looked after his sister-in-law Janette after her husband died. When Alex knew he was dying, his first concern was for Janette. He made me promise to look after her. I intended to honor that promise.
Written by: Rees Heycock - Good Friend of Alex
Awards
Air Medal
Good Conduct Medal
POW Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Battle Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Gunners Wings
World War II Hero, POW, Captured by the Germans and held in Stalag Luft 1 BarthVogelsang Prussia. Crew member on The NAUGHTY VIRGIN - B17 Bomber - 18 March 1945 shot down over Berlin, Germany
Found this info. on a web site:
Thank you for offering to find the location of the Naughty Virgin 43 38014 B17 crash. I have attached the missing aircraft which report identifies all of the crew on this plane on March 18, 1945.
It is my understanding that two of the crew bailed out when the B17 was hit over Berlin and both were captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalagluft no.1 until the war ended.
Emil Sabol Co-Pilot, Alex Archibald- Top Turret
After the B17 crossed over the Oder River the rest of the crew bailed out. My father stated he was picked up by Russian soldiers on horseback. Another group of Russian soldiers also picked up the ball turret gunner. Both of these groups of Russian soldiers met at the top of a hill. My father and three other crew members traveled to Lublin, Poland then reached With the Army Air Station 559 in Poltava, Ukraine around March 29th, 1945 to start the return trip to England.
Andrew T Kester- Spot Jammer, Union B. Melton Ball- Turret Gunner, James J. Murphy Tail Gunner, Lyman W. Clark- Navigator
The pilot bailed out last. On the ground the pilot was picked up by Russian troops along with the radio operator and taken to Moscow before returning to England
Roy O. McCaldin- Pilot John W. Powers- radio operator
I do not have information on William S. King-Bombardier David
From David Kester son of Andrew T Kester
Alexander Archibald
Alex was a WWII veteran and a prisoner of war. Since I had served in the Air Force myself, I enjoyed hearing his Air Force stories. I grew up during the WWII era and had five uncles in the service. One of my uncles had been killed, one wounded, and one of them was shot down and captured. This made Alex’s stories even more interesting to me.
One of the stories he told me was about the time his plane was shot down and the Germans surrounded him with their rifles pointed at him. He said “Think about staring down these rifle barrels.” The Germans then marched him down the narrow streets of Berlin. They came upon an elderly couple whose wagon was stuck in the mud. Unable to speak German, Alex pointed at the couple and motioned to his captors. The guards put down their rifles and Alex and the guards pushed the cart free of the mud. Alex said that he could have grabbed a rifle, but he didn’t know where he would have gone or what he would have done if he were free. They then proceeded to march to the concentration camp. He was only prisoner for a few months, but because of the war and lack of food, he lost 25 pounds. He used to joke that there were no fat Germans, either.
Alex was a multi-talented man. He learned to cook while he was a POW. No one in the camp could cook, so he was delegated to be the camp cook.
He could fix computers, play the piano, had his pilot’s license, and was a talented photographer. Most importantly, he was a loyal family man. He looked after his sister-in-law Janette after her husband died. When Alex knew he was dying, his first concern was for Janette. He made me promise to look after her. I intended to honor that promise.
Written by: Rees Heycock - Good Friend of Alex
Awards
Air Medal
Good Conduct Medal
POW Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Battle Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Gunners Wings
Found this info. on a web site:
Thank you for offering to find the location of the Naughty Virgin 43 38014 B17 crash. I have attached the missing aircraft which report identifies all of the crew on this plane on March 18, 1945.
It is my understanding that two of the crew bailed out when the B17 was hit over Berlin and both were captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalagluft no.1 until the war ended.
Emil Sabol Co-Pilot, Alex Archibald- Top Turret
After the B17 crossed over the Oder River the rest of the crew bailed out. My father stated he was picked up by Russian soldiers on horseback. Another group of Russian soldiers also picked up the ball turret gunner. Both of these groups of Russian soldiers met at the top of a hill. My father and three other crew members traveled to Lublin, Poland then reached With the Army Air Station 559 in Poltava, Ukraine around March 29th, 1945 to start the return trip to England.
Andrew T Kester- Spot Jammer, Union B. Melton Ball- Turret Gunner, James J. Murphy Tail Gunner, Lyman W. Clark- Navigator
The pilot bailed out last. On the ground the pilot was picked up by Russian troops along with the radio operator and taken to Moscow before returning to England
Roy O. McCaldin- Pilot John W. Powers- radio operator
I do not have information on William S. King-Bombardier David
From David Kester son of Andrew T Kester
Alexander Archibald
Alex was a WWII veteran and a prisoner of war. Since I had served in the Air Force myself, I enjoyed hearing his Air Force stories. I grew up during the WWII era and had five uncles in the service. One of my uncles had been killed, one wounded, and one of them was shot down and captured. This made Alex’s stories even more interesting to me.
One of the stories he told me was about the time his plane was shot down and the Germans surrounded him with their rifles pointed at him. He said “Think about staring down these rifle barrels.” The Germans then marched him down the narrow streets of Berlin. They came upon an elderly couple whose wagon was stuck in the mud. Unable to speak German, Alex pointed at the couple and motioned to his captors. The guards put down their rifles and Alex and the guards pushed the cart free of the mud. Alex said that he could have grabbed a rifle, but he didn’t know where he would have gone or what he would have done if he were free. They then proceeded to march to the concentration camp. He was only prisoner for a few months, but because of the war and lack of food, he lost 25 pounds. He used to joke that there were no fat Germans, either.
Alex was a multi-talented man. He learned to cook while he was a POW. No one in the camp could cook, so he was delegated to be the camp cook.
He could fix computers, play the piano, had his pilot’s license, and was a talented photographer. Most importantly, he was a loyal family man. He looked after his sister-in-law Janette after her husband died. When Alex knew he was dying, his first concern was for Janette. He made me promise to look after her. I intended to honor that promise.
Written by: Rees Heycock - Good Friend of Alex
Awards
Air Medal
Good Conduct Medal
POW Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Battle Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Gunners Wings
Family Members
Spouse
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