Riveting Story Vince! Please do post the letter.
Great piece of history in that letter and the link, Vince. What those blokes went through is staggering. I found some information about Hester's war record as a POW in the link below. I think it's a match with the person referred to in your letter.
http://wwii-pows.mooseroots.com/l/46820/C-L-Hester
Vinman,
Thanks for posting this. Such a poignant letter to a true hero.
"Well, Honey, I'll hush again- There's a beautiful moon tonite- darling - I love you so goodnite for this time. Love u. Becky."
There may have been two CL Hesters... the first page of the link seems right, but the subsequent pages show...
"Enlisting on December 12, 1942, C.L. Hester was a private in the Air Corps branch of the Selectees during World War II. At the time of enlistment, C.L. Hester was widower or widow, with dependents, stood 67 inches tall, and had an education level of 1 year of high school. C.L. Hester identified as black."
From the letter and photograph we know he was white and married. The web page has an area where you can leave information. It would be cool to post the cover and contents on that page, especially since it's so historically valuable to the story.
I only looked at his pow record at first and missed the incorrect information on his enlistment record. I sent his picture and letter to the site. It will need to be approved by their moderator before it it added to the site. Thanks for helping me tell some of his story.
Vince
Great stuff. It's nice to see photos and other memorabilia attached to written records. It helps bring them to life. Maybe some relative will be searching his/her family tree one day and will be rapt to find such a great photo and cover attached to the POW record.
Stephen
I am revisiting this thread because I have more WWll MIA/KIA covers to post.
This cover was sent to Lt. Donald H. Lawry, December 30, 1943 and returned to sender "Missing" February 24, 1944. There is no contents.
Lawry was a pilot in the 613TH Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group stationed at Deenethorpe, England.
Service Details
This Profile ID 338166
Service ID O-801998
Name Donald Henry Lawry
From Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Casualty Date December 31, 1943
War World War II
Service Branch Army Air Forces
Rank Second Lieutenant
Specialty Pilot
Unit/Group 401st Bomber Group, Heavy, 613th Bomber Squadron
Casualty Type Missing in Action
Location English Channel
Burial Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England
Notable Awards Air Medal & Purple Heart
Remembered Donald Henry Lawry is buried or memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location
Photo of "Hey Lou"
On December 31, 1943 he was on the crew of the B-17G #42-31064 "Hey Lou" during a mission to bomb the Luftwaffe airfield at Cognac, France. They were damaged by flak over the target area and were forced to drop out of formation. They were then attacked by enemy fighter and crashed into the English Channel near St Catherine's Point on the South of England.
Mission 10 Target: Bordeaux/Cognac 31 December 1943
The last day of 1943 witnessed the Squadron on a mission to southern
France. The briefed target was Bordeaux, however, because of cloud cover, the
formation bombed the secondary target, an airdrome at Cognac, France. The
following crews were dispatched:
1st Lt. H.L. Piper Jr. and crew.
2nd Lt. R.R. Rohner and crew.
2nd Lt. D.H. Lawry and crew.
2nd Lt. C.E. ,Hess -and crew.
1st Lt. B.H. Shotts and crew.
Sgt. H. J. Flobach of Lt. Hess' crew was hit in the left arm by a
20mm shell resulting in his arm being amputated.
A record of nine successful missions without loss was broken on
this tenth mission when Lt. Lawry and crew failed to return.
His co-pilot Lt. James S. Dockendorf
Their aircraft containing the body of Lt. James S. Dockendorf, the co-pilot, was found in
the Channel about 3 miles off St. Catherine's Point, on England’s south
coast. The other crew members were missing in action.
While searching for information on LT Lawry I discovered his unit patch which was designed by Walt Disney. Walt Disney designed more than 1,200 patches. Here is a scan and photo of the patch. I found the photo on eBay and ordered it to go with this cover.
These missing in action covers and letters are so heart-breaking. We live in a village in Bucks where in August 1944 a couple of planes on night flying training collided in mid air - 11 men, Canadian, British and Dutch, were killed. One man survived and was found next morning wandering in woodland. A local garden centre has a plaque commemorating the event.
My own dad served in France in WW1 - he was in the artillery, and survived. He never talked about the war.
I wrote the following for a web page that I never got around to publishing:
"The D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, virtually guaranteed the end of Third Reich. Since July 12, 1943, when the Soviet army overwhelmed the German army in the largest armoured clash in history, Hitler’s “invincible” armies had been retreating steadily towards Germany. Now, with Allied armies attacking in France, German generals were caught in a vice that could end only in their defeat.
"The Allied victory would be costly. Their toehold on the beaches had to become a foothold, and then a Liberation. Only when Normandy was in Allied hands could they be certain that they were on the Continent to stay. When Hitler ordered his army, commanded by Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, to fight to the death, the stage was set for a bloodbath.
"Young Nazi soldiers, little more than children, who had been taught to prefer death to the dishonor of capture. The Canadians faced vastly superior German tanks and guns, and suffered staggering losses: in the period beginning with the landings at Juno Beach on June 6, and ending with the closure of the “Falaise Pocket” on August 21, 5,021 Canadians had been killed — 35 per cent of the original landing force of 14,440 soldiers. No unit of British General Bernard Law Montgomery's 21st Army Group would suffer more casualties than the 3rd and 2nd Canadian divisions. The Canadians, it can be fairly stated, made the Allied victory in Normandy possible."
The following is one of several slides that I prepared for a friend of mine, Mike Strachan, who went to France, Netherlands, and Germany a few years ago to walk the same trails that his father, a Canadian soldier, walked in 1944-45. The slides were assembled into a talk that he gave to our stamp club, the British Columbia Philatelic Society. The cover is in my collection, and finally revealed one of its secrets (the censored word "DECEASED") after some image manipulation. The statue, of William the Conquerer, is in Falaise; the soldier, Guardsman P.J. Tester, was a grenadier tank crewman who was killed one day after the official end of the Battle of the Falaise Pocket:
I "followed" Mike via email throughout his walk. It was a very moving experience for him: both his father and his uncle were in the first wave to land on Juno Beach. His dad, a tank crewman, suffered severe PTSD and alcoholism, no doubt because of the numerous bodies he had to remove from burned-out tanks.
Bob
Here are the scans of the patch from ysterday's post. I think the links were to long and caused the post to scroll off the page to the right.
Vince
This is a web site with more of Disney's designs.
https://reservenationalguard.com/enterta ...
Nice post Bob,
It is beyond comprehension to understand the horrors that these service men had to endure and continue on with the fight.
Strider,
What got me interested in these covers was these soldiers all had stories to tell. I’m sure no one in their family care or are even left to tell their stories or even know the story of the brave individuals who sacrificed their lives for the cause.
I feel that by getting these covers and searching out the story I can help keep their memory alive. It is a bit somber when I have to read their stories.
My father enlisted In the Navy, rather than being drafted into the Army or Marines. He actually finished his senior year of High school in two months so he could enter the service sooner. He was lucky, by the time he finished his training the war was over. He was stationed at Long Beach California, ready to ship out when the word of Japan being bombed and his orders were cancelled. I consider him a hero not for what he did but what he was willing to do.
Vince
Vincent,
i love that sentiment you shared about your father: a hero is what one is prepared to do. Sometimes grace or luck eliminate the necessity.
David
This is another cover with a ''return to sender, missing in action'' marking on the back. This has a good out come, if being a POW is good. Better than being killed in action I guess.
It is addressed to Lt. E. (Edward) Morgan of 570th Bomb Squadron. Post marked March 29, 6:30PM, 1944. He was a resident Illinois before the war.
Lt. Morgan was the Navigator of a B-17 Flying Fortress, nick named the "Virgin Sturgeon". He was on his tenth mission on a bombing run to Frankfurt, Germany and on the return to England when his plane was involved in a collision with another B-17, "Miss Carry". The Miss Carry struck Morgan's plane on the right wing between the #4 engine and wing tip, knocking off part of the wing. Three chutes were observed after the collision coming from the Virgin Sturgeon before it glided out of site.
After their release from POW camps all crew was accounted for with only minor injuries.
I don't have much information, yet, on the fate of the Miss Carry's crew but I have a few pictures of their plane and its crew.
Cover front and a squadron insignia patch.
Back of cover.
Photos of The Virgin Sturgeon.
Crew of the Virgin Sturgeon.
Miss Carry
Sometimes it is easy to find information on the internet other times not so easy. This was one of the easier times and it had a good ending.
I even found the serial numbers for the planes's engines and guns.
This is the story of 2nd LT. A. R. T. Hambright. His plane was shot down during WWll.
Cover front and back
Registration Card
The crew of The "Southwind".
2nd LT. A.R.T. Hambright
Squadron Insignia
Missing Air Crew Report
Internment record
Grave marker
Here is a cover I recently picked up on ebay. What caught my eye was the "missing" stamp. There is a three page letter enclosed. I did a search on the internet and found out some information about the addressee. The letter is to S/SGT C.L. Hester from his wife Becky. Becky shares her concern for not hearing from her husband. His mother also was worried about him since not hear from him in a few weeks. I can't imagine the terror and heartache she felt when the letter was returned with the missing stamp.
Here is a picture of S/SGT Hester and his crew from his last mission.
This is a link to the site that tells his and his crews story of being shot down. Pretty intense. http://www.b24.net/missions/MM091344.htm
If anyone is interested, I will post the three page letter.
Vince
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Riveting Story Vince! Please do post the letter.
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Great piece of history in that letter and the link, Vince. What those blokes went through is staggering. I found some information about Hester's war record as a POW in the link below. I think it's a match with the person referred to in your letter.
http://wwii-pows.mooseroots.com/l/46820/C-L-Hester
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Vinman,
Thanks for posting this. Such a poignant letter to a true hero.
"Well, Honey, I'll hush again- There's a beautiful moon tonite- darling - I love you so goodnite for this time. Love u. Becky."
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
There may have been two CL Hesters... the first page of the link seems right, but the subsequent pages show...
"Enlisting on December 12, 1942, C.L. Hester was a private in the Air Corps branch of the Selectees during World War II. At the time of enlistment, C.L. Hester was widower or widow, with dependents, stood 67 inches tall, and had an education level of 1 year of high school. C.L. Hester identified as black."
From the letter and photograph we know he was white and married. The web page has an area where you can leave information. It would be cool to post the cover and contents on that page, especially since it's so historically valuable to the story.
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
I only looked at his pow record at first and missed the incorrect information on his enlistment record. I sent his picture and letter to the site. It will need to be approved by their moderator before it it added to the site. Thanks for helping me tell some of his story.
Vince
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Great stuff. It's nice to see photos and other memorabilia attached to written records. It helps bring them to life. Maybe some relative will be searching his/her family tree one day and will be rapt to find such a great photo and cover attached to the POW record.
Stephen
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
I am revisiting this thread because I have more WWll MIA/KIA covers to post.
This cover was sent to Lt. Donald H. Lawry, December 30, 1943 and returned to sender "Missing" February 24, 1944. There is no contents.
Lawry was a pilot in the 613TH Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group stationed at Deenethorpe, England.
Service Details
This Profile ID 338166
Service ID O-801998
Name Donald Henry Lawry
From Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Casualty Date December 31, 1943
War World War II
Service Branch Army Air Forces
Rank Second Lieutenant
Specialty Pilot
Unit/Group 401st Bomber Group, Heavy, 613th Bomber Squadron
Casualty Type Missing in Action
Location English Channel
Burial Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England
Notable Awards Air Medal & Purple Heart
Remembered Donald Henry Lawry is buried or memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location
Photo of "Hey Lou"
On December 31, 1943 he was on the crew of the B-17G #42-31064 "Hey Lou" during a mission to bomb the Luftwaffe airfield at Cognac, France. They were damaged by flak over the target area and were forced to drop out of formation. They were then attacked by enemy fighter and crashed into the English Channel near St Catherine's Point on the South of England.
Mission 10 Target: Bordeaux/Cognac 31 December 1943
The last day of 1943 witnessed the Squadron on a mission to southern
France. The briefed target was Bordeaux, however, because of cloud cover, the
formation bombed the secondary target, an airdrome at Cognac, France. The
following crews were dispatched:
1st Lt. H.L. Piper Jr. and crew.
2nd Lt. R.R. Rohner and crew.
2nd Lt. D.H. Lawry and crew.
2nd Lt. C.E. ,Hess -and crew.
1st Lt. B.H. Shotts and crew.
Sgt. H. J. Flobach of Lt. Hess' crew was hit in the left arm by a
20mm shell resulting in his arm being amputated.
A record of nine successful missions without loss was broken on
this tenth mission when Lt. Lawry and crew failed to return.
His co-pilot Lt. James S. Dockendorf
Their aircraft containing the body of Lt. James S. Dockendorf, the co-pilot, was found in
the Channel about 3 miles off St. Catherine's Point, on England’s south
coast. The other crew members were missing in action.
While searching for information on LT Lawry I discovered his unit patch which was designed by Walt Disney. Walt Disney designed more than 1,200 patches. Here is a scan and photo of the patch. I found the photo on eBay and ordered it to go with this cover.
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
These missing in action covers and letters are so heart-breaking. We live in a village in Bucks where in August 1944 a couple of planes on night flying training collided in mid air - 11 men, Canadian, British and Dutch, were killed. One man survived and was found next morning wandering in woodland. A local garden centre has a plaque commemorating the event.
My own dad served in France in WW1 - he was in the artillery, and survived. He never talked about the war.
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
I wrote the following for a web page that I never got around to publishing:
"The D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, virtually guaranteed the end of Third Reich. Since July 12, 1943, when the Soviet army overwhelmed the German army in the largest armoured clash in history, Hitler’s “invincible” armies had been retreating steadily towards Germany. Now, with Allied armies attacking in France, German generals were caught in a vice that could end only in their defeat.
"The Allied victory would be costly. Their toehold on the beaches had to become a foothold, and then a Liberation. Only when Normandy was in Allied hands could they be certain that they were on the Continent to stay. When Hitler ordered his army, commanded by Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, to fight to the death, the stage was set for a bloodbath.
"Young Nazi soldiers, little more than children, who had been taught to prefer death to the dishonor of capture. The Canadians faced vastly superior German tanks and guns, and suffered staggering losses: in the period beginning with the landings at Juno Beach on June 6, and ending with the closure of the “Falaise Pocket” on August 21, 5,021 Canadians had been killed — 35 per cent of the original landing force of 14,440 soldiers. No unit of British General Bernard Law Montgomery's 21st Army Group would suffer more casualties than the 3rd and 2nd Canadian divisions. The Canadians, it can be fairly stated, made the Allied victory in Normandy possible."
The following is one of several slides that I prepared for a friend of mine, Mike Strachan, who went to France, Netherlands, and Germany a few years ago to walk the same trails that his father, a Canadian soldier, walked in 1944-45. The slides were assembled into a talk that he gave to our stamp club, the British Columbia Philatelic Society. The cover is in my collection, and finally revealed one of its secrets (the censored word "DECEASED") after some image manipulation. The statue, of William the Conquerer, is in Falaise; the soldier, Guardsman P.J. Tester, was a grenadier tank crewman who was killed one day after the official end of the Battle of the Falaise Pocket:
I "followed" Mike via email throughout his walk. It was a very moving experience for him: both his father and his uncle were in the first wave to land on Juno Beach. His dad, a tank crewman, suffered severe PTSD and alcoholism, no doubt because of the numerous bodies he had to remove from burned-out tanks.
Bob
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Here are the scans of the patch from ysterday's post. I think the links were to long and caused the post to scroll off the page to the right.
Vince
This is a web site with more of Disney's designs.
https://reservenationalguard.com/enterta ...
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Nice post Bob,
It is beyond comprehension to understand the horrors that these service men had to endure and continue on with the fight.
Strider,
What got me interested in these covers was these soldiers all had stories to tell. I’m sure no one in their family care or are even left to tell their stories or even know the story of the brave individuals who sacrificed their lives for the cause.
I feel that by getting these covers and searching out the story I can help keep their memory alive. It is a bit somber when I have to read their stories.
My father enlisted In the Navy, rather than being drafted into the Army or Marines. He actually finished his senior year of High school in two months so he could enter the service sooner. He was lucky, by the time he finished his training the war was over. He was stationed at Long Beach California, ready to ship out when the word of Japan being bombed and his orders were cancelled. I consider him a hero not for what he did but what he was willing to do.
Vince
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
Vincent,
i love that sentiment you shared about your father: a hero is what one is prepared to do. Sometimes grace or luck eliminate the necessity.
David
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
This is another cover with a ''return to sender, missing in action'' marking on the back. This has a good out come, if being a POW is good. Better than being killed in action I guess.
It is addressed to Lt. E. (Edward) Morgan of 570th Bomb Squadron. Post marked March 29, 6:30PM, 1944. He was a resident Illinois before the war.
Lt. Morgan was the Navigator of a B-17 Flying Fortress, nick named the "Virgin Sturgeon". He was on his tenth mission on a bombing run to Frankfurt, Germany and on the return to England when his plane was involved in a collision with another B-17, "Miss Carry". The Miss Carry struck Morgan's plane on the right wing between the #4 engine and wing tip, knocking off part of the wing. Three chutes were observed after the collision coming from the Virgin Sturgeon before it glided out of site.
After their release from POW camps all crew was accounted for with only minor injuries.
I don't have much information, yet, on the fate of the Miss Carry's crew but I have a few pictures of their plane and its crew.
Cover front and a squadron insignia patch.
Back of cover.
Photos of The Virgin Sturgeon.
Crew of the Virgin Sturgeon.
Miss Carry
Sometimes it is easy to find information on the internet other times not so easy. This was one of the easier times and it had a good ending.
I even found the serial numbers for the planes's engines and guns.
re: WWll cover returned due to MIA
This is the story of 2nd LT. A. R. T. Hambright. His plane was shot down during WWll.
Cover front and back
Registration Card
The crew of The "Southwind".
2nd LT. A.R.T. Hambright
Squadron Insignia
Missing Air Crew Report
Internment record
Grave marker