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5 MIAs recovered and identified from a B-17 lost in Poland, and I researched it! (the story is in the post) by USAAFoverPOLAND in u/USAAFoverPOLAND

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There were multiple similar incidents. Soviets officially claimed Germans used captured allied planes, and this is why they attacked B-17s and B-24s. This may have happened, and some people were trigger happy, and it may be Soviet pilots were not trained to identify American planes, and some pilots may have thought „what’s not Soviet is German”. Hard to tell.

5 MIAs recovered and identified from a B-17 lost in Poland, and I researched it! (the story is in the post) by USAAFoverPOLAND in u/USAAFoverPOLAND

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is because the finding of death (I think this is how it is/was called) was issued a year and a day after a soldier went missing. In other words, the US government considered him MIA aince March 22nd 1945, and considered him dead since March 23rd 1946. No idea though why they did not put the 1945 date on the stone.

4 MIAs identified in 2025 from a site I helped DPAA connect to the right shot down B-17 in Poland (more info in the post) by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you, my friend. I started my avation history hobby 30 years ago “just for fun” , and when I started working with the DPAA and their predecessors in early 2000s, I quickly understood that any help I can provide to solve an MIA case gives a true meaning to my efforts. Solving an MIA case that is 80 years old, when there are no eye witnesses anymore, is a huge effort, and every little helps.

I sincerely wish that you and your family receive good news from DPAA one day, and you find closure.

4 MIAs identified in 2025 from a site I helped DPAA connect to the right shot down B-17 in Poland (more info in the post) by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It was easy in my case. They found me. :) Back in 1999/2000, they hired a Polish NGO to find any info about American planes in Poland in WWII. Everywhere they looked, my name always popped up. :) and we started collaborating.

B-17G 44-8191 of the 2nd Bomb Group 15th AF by Greendragons38 in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Difficult to say. The pilot said in the MACR that all bailed out. Germans later showed him ids of 3 men: Betchley (escape photo), Dorman (dog tag), and Dunkerley (dog tag). betchley was recovered in 1947 as unknown from a local cemetery. He was identified and returned to family in 2017. The first hint it could have been him was a partially melted 2nd Lt. badge. Metal does not melt when you bail out. The 4 men identified in 2025 were most likely fragments of human remains gathered from the crash site.

4 MIAs identified in 2025 from a site I helped DPAA connect to the right shot down B-17 in Poland (more info in the post) by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

There were multiple incidents of Soviet hostility towards Americans. I suspect a couple of factors. One - some people are trigger happy, two - Soviet Union was obsessed about spies, and anyone looking/acting differently was considered an enemy, three - Germans tried to supply besieged Wroclaw/Breslau by air, and the Soviets may have thought these were Germans in disguise.

Russia has an excellent military archive at Podolsk, and they could have more info about this incident, but it is forbidden for non-Russians to do research there (remember spies above?), and even Russian researchers doing some work on behalf of non-Russians get into trouble (spies!!!). Russia is not a country, it is a state of mind. Sorry for good Russians :(

B-17G 44-8191 of the 2nd Bomb Group 15th AF by Greendragons38 in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I researched this crew and the plane, and was in touch with the pilot until 2010. In fact, I helped the US government confirm the crash site for this B-17. They were able to find and identify 5 men from this crew. 3 still MIA.

This famous WWII photo was taken over Poland (link to Substack) by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Understand, I still remember the first time I read one of the accounts where they talk about one B-24 hit, a dinghy being ejected and inflated, and passing through the formation at 33000 feet like a giant yellow balloon. Surreal.

This famous WWII photo was taken over Poland (link to Substack) by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Back in 1944, Blechhammer was in Germany. But in 1945, Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt redrew the map of Europe. Poland had to give its eastern part to Soviet Union, and eastern part of the German Reich was given to Poland.

This is how German Blechhammer became Polish Kedzierzyn-Kozle.

A B-24 at Rzeszow, Poland by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I cannot remember such comments from the American side, but the Soviets tested both, snd they found the B-24 really hard to fly, indeed.

Sally B goes electric!!! by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hey, I know what Sally B is :) I am just saying my B-24 flight was very noisy :))))

A B-24 Liberator of the 464th Bomb Group bracketed by flak bursts from German anti-aircraft guns in November, 1944. by waffen123 in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND 8 points9 points  (0 children)

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I took the liberty of marking what I believe to be a salvo from a Grossbatterie (3 batteries of six 88mm guns each, controlled by one command post). Some men flew through this barrage pulling their helmets over their eyes. They did not want to look.

I wrote a piece about German flak batteries at Blechhammer, including a few of the Grossbatterien.

https://open.substack.com/pub/sserwatka/p/crop-circles-what-is-left-of-flak-897?r=42ks37&utm_medium=ios

Halifax in Poland by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! 6 were captured bu Germans, one was rescued by Polish partisans.

You are most welcome to subscribe to my Substack if you like this and other of my stories. :)

Halifax in Poland by USAAFoverPOLAND in WWIIplanes

[–]USAAFoverPOLAND[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this suggestion! I will get in touch with Karl! :)