The Ground War
My squadron’s basic mission was to hunt and destroy any military target we could find in occupied France. We were ordered to go no farther than half our fuel would take us. Destroy everything we could find and hightail it for home before we ran out of fuel.
Enemy airfields were a major target. We destroyed a lot of the Luftwaffe on the ground. Trains were another good target along with truck convoys. The hunting was really good day after day. We heard thru the French underground that the P-47 was the Huns most hated aircraft. All the pilots got a big kick from that. We knew then we were doing our job.
I was in the officer’s club having a late night drink with my boys when I got orders to go to a secret meeting. I was furnished transportation and an escort of two MP’s. At the assigned meeting place, I was ushered into a room full of top brass, both British and America. In a few minutes, I was educated to why I was sent for.
The Gestapo in Paris, France, had captured several top leaders of the French underground and was holding them in the Gestapo headquarters building in downtown Paris. The underground had sent word a top interrogator was coming from Berlin to take charge. The brass was afraid the entire underground would be compromised as the Gestapo were experts at torture. The only solution was to destroy the building. I was told my squadron was picked to do the job, I didn’t get a chance to think it over, it was orders. I was told by a General that high level bombers were likely to kill many French people and would probably destroy many buildings. He said, “We don’t want to mess up downtown Paris.” I could see his reasoning.
Here’s the deal, my squadron would attack from the west and from the east. Half the squadron would hit the building at first light from the west. The other half would be in position to strike from the east as soon as the first attack finished, I would lead the first strike. We would have cover from both British Spitfires and American P-51s. We must go low under the German radar, go tree top until Paris is sighted, then pull up to make the attack.
A complete mock up of Paris was made for me and my guys to study. My attack would be critical, as the others would follow my lead and hit the same building. Our whole mission would depend on the French underground to give us the word to go. Members of the underground would be in position to help anyone who could escape from the building.
We got word the mission would go the following morning, I want-a tell ya, I didn’t get much sleep that night. We took off at four-thirty and flew at less than a thousand feet all the way across the Channel. I thought several times I was going to get my feet wet. At the French coast, we pulled to fifteen hundred. Soon, my second group parted ways. When Paris came in view, I had some doubts as nothing seemed to fit, I was sweating blood. Our timing was right on, I knew the target was just north of the Eiffel Tower and a few blocks east. There she was in the early morning light, What a relief! The Tower lights were still on.
I gunned my jug and climbed five hundred feet, left bank then right bank. The Gestapo building loomed ahead, a big red Swastika hung above the entrance. I put my sight on the flag and fired the rockets and machine guns. As I pulled up, I released the five hundred pound bomb, a direct hit.
Looking back, I could see my guys were making hits, too. Above I could see our cover aircraft; I banked left hard and made a heading for home. On landing, we were met by lots of happy brass, they weren’t the only ones. The French reported the raid was a complete success. My whole squadron received the AIR MEDAL. Many prisoners escaped and we got the Gestapo big shot. The only sad part was that many good French people had to die that morning, I’ll never forget or get over that.
We returned to our hunt and destroy missions. The main objectives were the Luftwaffe airfields, we were hunting, bombing and strafing any military equipment or conveys we could find.
One sunny afternoon, we were working about fifty miles from the German border and in southern France. I spotted some trucks pulling out on a road from a wooded area. I called and told the boys what I saw, circled around, dropped down and strafed the trucks, I banked hard right, a bad mistake. The next thing I heard was a loud explosion, I was hit by ground fire; my engine was pouring black smoke. I tried to gain altitude, no good, I turned south. I saw my guys fly by, I had to get out.
Opening the canopy, I fell out on the wing and rolled off. I knew I was too low and I hit the ground hard, luck was with me. I missed the trees and fell into an open area. God I was hurting, I couldn’t stand and the chute was dragging me. I hit the release and the harness came off, the chute blew away toward the trees.
The next thing I knew there were black boots standing around me, Germans. One of the soldiers poked me with his rifle and demanded in German, “Get up!” I tried but couldn’t. Two of them pulled me up. Ah, my left hip, leg and ankle were killing me with pain, I could hardly stand. One German started taking my things, my pistol, my wallet, the picture of Allie and Elsa, he was a sergeant. He was grinning at me all the time. I tried to fall, but they stopped me and started pulling me into the trees.
Oh, I had so much pain, I cried out to stop. They just kept pushing, I don’t know when it happened, but the Germans held up their hands. We were surrounded by French partisans at least thirty, women and men. I got my stuff back, the German wasn’t grinning any more.
Two men carried me until a young boy came with a short pole, then the two men carried me on it between them. Gun shots filled the evening stillness, I assumed the Germans were shot. Soon, I was put in the back of a truck, it had German markings. In the back of the truck, the pain became so bad I passed out.
When I came to, I was lying on straw in some kind of shed. An older man was leaning over me. He asked if I could hear him, He spoke in French, I murmured, yes. He told me I had a broken hip, leg and ankle. A young woman was there also, she gave me a bottle of red wine. I drank almost all of it on the first offering. He said I would be moved the next morning into Vichy, France. He told me many Allied airmen were being smuggled by the French underground through Spain to Portugal and picked up by British warships. Somehow, I made it through the night with help from the wine. The young woman stayed with me all night.
I was taken to a Nun’s Convent and put in a small room. A man and lady went to work on me, he gave me a shot that put me out. When I woke up, I had a cast on my left side from foot to shoulder.
I stayed in this room for what seemed like months. There was one small window, I could see the sky and some tree branches. I did have a lot of company, now and then, Allied airmen would stop by and visit on their way to freedom.
Different people fed me all the time and changed my diaper.
Just out of the blue, the man who put my cast on came in and told me it was time to cut it off. It took three weeks for me to walk well and get my strength back. When it came time to leave, I felt sad to leave these wonderful people, I told them so.
Two men had the task of getting me to Lisbon, Portugal. We traveled by auto, train and sometimes horse cart; all the time I had good company. How can I ever repay them? I was taken out to sea in a small boat to a waiting British warship. We were taken to a port on the west side of England.
After my ordeal of being shot down and the long recovery, I felt fit for duty and reported in to the 9th Air Force. Instead of duty, I received orders to go home. I was told the war was about to wind down. A transport ship would be available for my transportation home in two days, I took the time to see my guys and some of the RAF people I had served with.
On the scheduled day, I reported to the waiting ship, I had just climbed the gang way up to the ship. I hesitated to look at the people on the dock. Leaning on the rail, I suddenly saw a familiar figure. The lady looked up and then tried to hide her face. I knew instantly who it was, I rushed back down to the dock, ran and caught the lady by her arm, I spun her around. “SARAH!” I yelled.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. “It is you, Sarah. Why?” I gasped.
She fell into my arms and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. She explained. “Tom, I knew it would not work, go home to your wife and forget about me.”
“Sarah, I do love you, I hope you can understand, I can love two women at the same time. Give me your address, I want to write.”
She gave me an envelope with her address on it. I had to leave as they were calling from the ship that it was time to go, I barely made it back on the deck. I stood there watching Sarah as the ship pulled away from the dock. I watched as long as I could see her standing on the dock. She gave a little wave and then disappeared in the fog. God forgive me, I did love that woman.
Out to sea, I wrote her a long letter, I paid a Steward to mail it in New York.
The ship’s Captain announced we could send cables to our love ones.
When we docked, I had on my pinks and greens and carried my flight bag. Twenty-five hundred people wanted off the ship, it seemed, at the same time. As I moved along the rail, I spotted Allie; she had a little girl by the hand, my little daughter Elsa.
Allie didn’t see me until I was almost off the gangway. When she did, that wife of mine went wild, hugging, kissing, crying and laughing all at the same time. When I got her settled down, I picked up my little girl and with Allie on my arm we walked down the dock into a new world and new life.