Earl Hansen
courtesy of Midge Hansen, Vancouver, Washington
August 9, 1944
385th BG
Kriegie Days (written on the back of German postcards and Chesterfield Cigarettes)
It was on the fateful day of August 9, 1944. We were on a mission to Germany. Got 40 min from target. Got recall because of visibility. Just turned around and met flak area. Got a bblast in No. 2 engine. Gas fire intterphone out. So I bailed after waist Gunner Harness hurt terrific very quiet up tghere and there I was at 21,000 ft, without an airplane. Hit ground powerful hard. Hurt my back, was knocked out. Civilians found me kicked me, tore my bible up. Turned me over to Gestapo, were kinda rough drove me about 20 miles put me in a dungeion., Took one of my dog tags. Met part of crew:
Bristol killed
Allison POW
Falkner killed
Campbell POW
Boroughs Killed
Earl Hansen POW
Moskie Jr. wounded POW
G. King POW
Martin POW
stayed there til about 8 that night. German "Soldats" soldiers took us via truck to a German army camp (Baumholder). Made me go with "JB" to hospital. Gave him a shot of morphine. Came back to cell. Lots of Jerrys came in to look at us. Vcivilians, all stared at us. Next morning soldiers took us down to station (barefooted). Only had flying overalls. Oh, and it was very cold. Rode for about 5 hrs to Frankfurt to Oberusel. Plea Center. Put us in a cell. Took pictures. Took my watch (G.I.). Shut us in solitary for 3 days with 2 slices of bread for breakfast. Soup for dinner & bread for supper. Interrogated us. Then guards took us to Wetzlar "Dulag". Gave us Red Cross kit. First food for 4 days. Realy.
Stayed there 3 days, then shipped out to train station. Then to a compartment. Spent 3 misserable nights on train. Were bombed by our bombers. Sure scared. Got to Stalog 6 St. Wendel. new camp. Mac's hungry & I'm hungry. No food for 2 days then we got thin soup once a day. Got Ptomaine poisoning & GI's. Could not eat for a week. Lost weight, very weak, no blankets. 19 air raids in 24 hrs. Heard our artillery, so yanks were not far off. Then on Sept. 5, we evacuated the place.. hey herded us on boxcars. 56 plus 7 guards. So crowded we could not sit or lay. Stopped in long tunnel and almost sufficated. Guards tput on exygen masks. Sorts scared again. Boxcars caught on fire. Guard put it out.
Boxcar Elite
Were herded into boxcars Sept 5, 1944- 23 to space meant for 12 We all couldn't sit or lay at once. First nite gueards dropped candle and started car on fire in strw. Finally got it out. Next morning we were very stiff. 1 Red Cross Parcel for 6 men. Spent 5 nights 4 days in boxcar. Had many airraids by our bombers.
Had full parcel week of ThanksGiving. Very thankful to be alive & well. Hoping and praying people at home are well and getting along.