Thursday, December 1, 2016
It never gets old listening to the Greatest Generation
Who says the sequel is never as good as the original? Tell that to the standing room only crowd at the Smyth Public Library that attended the Wednesday night speaker's program featuring UNH Professor Gerry Smith. The gifted storyteller detailed his exploits during World War II as a POW.
Gerry Smith was a UNH freshman when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. His first reaction was to join the military. The University President called an All Men's Convocation, which was held at the student union. There was a $5.00 fine for those who were absent. All heads were accounted for. It took almost two years for the armed services to reach their allotments. Those who enlisted were assigned a particular branch. Volunteers were able to choose their own so Gerry joined the Army Air Corps.
Following a stint in Atlantic City for training, Rochester, NY was the stop for flight school. Additional two month assignments in Nashville, TN and Bennettsville, SC meant flying wings for the Second Lieutenant. Shaw Field in South Carolina, Barksdale Field in LA, and Freeman Airfield in Seymour, IN were all training sites used in preparation for duty overseas. The final US assignment was Morrison Field in Palm Beach, FL. Next stop was Sardinia - a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea.
One flight mishap on August 14, 1944 had Gerry's plane engulfed in flames. The entire flight crew was able to get out safely, but the plane was a complete loss. The Germans had sabotaged the aircraft. In September, Gerry's outfit was moved to Corsica. The location was ideal for it allowed aircraft the ability to travel long distances to key bombing locations, but have sufficient fuel available to return to base.
With 25 missions under his belt, Gerry was the co-pilot in a six man crew that took off on November 5, 1944.
Brenner Pass is a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowest altitude among Alpine passes of the area.
The prime target was the railroad station that could paralyze the inbound supply chain for the Germans. It would also prevent the outbound traffic of soldiers.
Before the B-26 could reach its designated target, the plane was hit by German aircraft and shot down over Italy. He was forced to parachute to safety from his Martin B-26 Marauder bomber. His left arm, which was resting on the console to control the two fuel valves, was mangled and in need of medical treatment. He was captured by the Germans, and was on the operating table in 20 minutes. The body cast was removed in mid-February when he was moved to a POW hospital in Merano.
The interrogation took place in early March. " I knew the drill. I gave them details about the plane crash, but nothing else. They knew more than I did."
It seems as though the group I was in moved every 10 days to a different camp. We were walking in a war zone all the time, but managed to take cover when necessary. From Nuremberg to Moosburg, many times it was American planes that were strafing the areas. The only saving grace on the journey were the American Red Cross parcels that we received. (Items- chocolate, crackers, canned milk, toilet paper, matches, jam and five cigarettes). All of these treasures could be used for trade.
Liberation Day is a national holiday in Italy that is annually celebrated on April 25. For Gerry, it was April 29, 1945 that General Patton rolled into camp and the real liberation for the kid from Durham, NH began. It was on to Paris for a May 5th flight to America and the first communication with the family since his capture to let them know that he had survived.
The 18 months at Cushing Hospital in Framingham, MA was the final stop for Gerry in the military. The hospital specialized in treating patients with nerve damage. In his own words, " he is a survivor and proud of it."
After returning to the crash site in 2012, Gerry met one of the villagers who was playing soccer in the field when his plane hit the ground on November 5, 1944. He was a 12 year old boy who tried to help, but was shooed away by the Germans. He lifted the left sleeve of Gerry's shirt to confirm that his friend had returned.
"We hated the Nazis more than you."
Paul Murphy
Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy
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I think this may be your best article so far!
ReplyDeleteSarah, thank you.
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