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Last updated on 25 March, 2013
Images from Raymond Bye's war

Photos courtesy of Brigid O'Donnell
(Brigid O'Donnell is Raymond Bye's daughter)

Photo of Raymond Bye
1st Lt. Raymond Bye (1943)

 

Crew of "Dottie J III" taken at Snetterton Heath, England after their 7th mission to Gdynia, Poland, on 9th October 1943.

Front row, left to right:
Lt. Raymond F. Bye, Lt. John J. Malik, Lt. Merle E. Woodside, Lt. William C. Kieran

Back row, left to right:
T/Sgt. Gerard J. Caporaso, S/Sgt. Mike Olynik, T/Sgt. Kenneth H. Nice, S/Sgt. Fred Holt, Sgt. S/Sgt.Charles C. Gattman, S/Sgt. Alton Baer (tail gunner)

 Crew of Dottie J III

 

Dottie J III after crash landing
"Dottie J III" after crash landing in a field outside of Bouillionville (near Thiaucourt-Regnieville) on 14th October 1943.
 

 

The tail plane of "Dottie J III".
 Tail plane of Dottie J III

 

Short Snorters!

Brigid O'Donnell writes:

"... you may well be familiar with the particular practice the aviators had of collecting currency from the various places they traveled to and taping them end to end in a long ribbon-like piece, which they carried with them. They used to have their comrades at the different bases sign it, and it was called a "Short Snorter". One of the notes on my father's "Short Snorter" was a French 100 franc note and it must have been signed just prior to 1st December 1943 and contains signatures of many who were involved in the Operation Felicitate II rescue of 25/26th December 1943, but also those involved in the 1/2nd December operation (Envious IIb) as well, because Merle E. Woodside signed it.

Among the signatures that I can make out are some of the French Resistance helpers that I know to be involved in my dad's escape: Jeanne [Callerac], Rose Andrée [Virot], Christiane [Scheidhaeur] ...".


(Click here to enlarge image) *

Souvenir affectueux Jeanne [Jeanne Callarec] ----- Thèrése [?] ----- Charles P. Bronner [2/Lt Charles P Bronner, 96BG/337BS, USAAF] ----- Jo.. [? above Bronner's signature] ----- T. Adams [Thomas H. Adams, F/Sgt, 106 Sqn, RAF] ----- Lionel E. Drew Jr. [Lt, 306BG/423BS, USAAF] ----- Floyd M. Carl [S/Sgt, 92BG/327BS, USAAF]----- Monique [2nd daughter of Dr de la Marnière] ----- M. Turner [?] ----- R.Cline [?] ----- Christiane [Magne, elder daughter of colonel Scheidhauer] ----- Herman A. Schafer [2/Lt, 446BG/707BS, USAAF] ----- Merle E. Woodside [2/Lt, 96BG/337BS, USAAF] ----- Soizic [the last of the 4 daughters of Dr de la Marnière] ----- Wolfram [?] ----- Chos...[?] ----- Miss Mac or Mag [Mme. Maguy?] ----- J. G. Wilson [S/Sgt, 92BG/407BS, USAAF] ----- William B. Dunning [T/Sgt, 96BG/337BS, USAAF] ----- Yvonne [Yvonne, wife of Dr de la Marnière] ----- Harold L. Nielsen [F/Sgt, 106 Sqn, RAF] ----- Mammy [wife of colonel Scheidhauer] ----- Roger [Roger de la Marnière] ----- Russell M. Brook [2/Lt, 305BG/366BS, USAAF] ----- Victor P/B Williams [V.E.Williams,A/B, RN - oarsman on MGB 329's surfboat] ----- Manf--y [?] or Monf-sy [?] ----- Vernon E. Clark [2/Lt, 96BG/337BS] ----- Warren Polk [?] ----- Rose Andrée [Andrée Virot, aka Rose] ----- Titane [Titane, daughter of Dr de la Marnière] ----- Joseph F. Quirk [Sgt, 446BG/707BS, USAAF]

On the left. in what is definitely Raymond Bye's hand is written "Short Snorter Local # 318" (which was written over the number 24-). He must have added this entry later, as it appears that his "L" of Local is written over the signature of R. ? Cline. "318" was the MGB that picked him upon 25/26th December.


(Click here to enlarge image) *

Merl E. Martin [T/Sgt, 388BG/563BS, USAAF] ----- Duane Lawhead [S/Sgt, 305BG/366BS, USAAF] ----- A Pearson [?] ----- Harold E. Thompson [2/Lt, 388BG/561BS, USAAF] ----- Walter Hargrove [2/Lt, 303BG/358BS, USAAF] ----- Wm W Rice [S/Sgt, 92BG/407BS, USAAF] ----- Allen J. Priebe [T/Sgt, 388BG/563BS, USAAF] ----- B.H. Riley [Roger Barclay, A/B, RN - oarsman on MGB 318's surfboat?] ----- Raymond [may be Brigid O'Donnell's father, but it does not look exactly like his signature] ----- M. A. Tau.. [?] ----- M. Turner [?] ----- James Coles [A/B, RN - oarsman on MGB 329's surfboat] ----- John Shepherd...(Lofty) [Desmond E. J. Shepherd (aka Lofty), RN - oarsman on MGB 329's surfboat] ----- Michael P... [Michael J. Pollard, Sub/Lt, RNVR - 1st Officer on MGB 318]

* A small problem. The two images cannot be enlarged concurrently. If you enlarge the second image, it will close the first one. I hope to have this fixed soon!