| Name | Raymond F BYE | Rank | 1st Lt |
| Number | 0796619 | Date of Birth/Age | 9 April 1921 |
| Unit | 96 Bomb Group, 337Bomb Squadron, USAAF | ||
| Aircraft | B-17F-50-DL
42-3348 AW-G 'Dottie J III' |
Crew position | Pilot |
| Based at | RAF Snetterton Heath, Norfolk, UK | ||
| Target | Schweinfurt, Germany | Failed to return | 14 October 1943 |
| Escape Network | Bar-le-Duc
organisation (Robert l'Heurre/Capt. Langlois) Possum Line Jade/Fitzroy Line |
Escape | MGB
pickup (operation FELICITATE II) 25-26 December 1943 |
| Arrival home | Falmouth, Cornwall, UK - 26 December 1943 | References | NARA:E&E/287
- Raymond Bye Emails from Brigid O'Donnell and photographs |
Last updated on
3 March, 2011
|
SYNOPSIS
14 Oct 1943 |
Aircraft crash-landed in a field
between Bouillonville & Thiaucourt-Regnieville
(~150kms E. of Reims). Bye, Nice & Woodside walked to Richecourt (~10kms SW of Thiaucourt). Spent night ... |
| 15 Oct 1943 |
& all next day in a hayloft. At dusk, found the local priest, Abbé Mougeneve?, in Richecourt, who fed them, then took them to Mr. Rouyer's house, who directed them to St Mihiel. |
16 Oct 1943 |
The priest there, Abbé Galhaut,
was rather reluctant to help, but took them to the home of Gilbert
Morlet. He in turn moved them to a safer place on the outskirts of St Mihiel. |
17 Oct 1943 |
Taken from St.
Mihiel via Lavallée to Bar-le-Duc. |
25 Oct 1943 |
Taken to the home of Capt. Langlois
for the night. |
| 26 Oct 1943 |
Taken to Bar-le-Duc train station by
Capt. Langlois, then, escorted to Reims
by Renée Weigel. Sheltered by Renée Weigel & her mother (Lucienne) in Reims until .... |
1 Nov 1943 |
Bye, Woodside, Vernon
Clark, Charles Bronner & William
Dunning (USAAF) taken to Paris by train, escorted
by Edgard Potier & Conrad Lafleur. Spend the night at a safehouse run by Suzanne Bastin. |
2 Nov 1943 |
|
6 Nov 1943 |
Lafleur transmits an RT message to London. |
<More to come> |
NARA:E&E/287
Members of crew
| Pilot | 0796619 |
1st Lt Raymond F BYE | Narrator |
| Co-pilot | 0681452 |
2nd Lt John J MALIK | PoW |
| Navigator | 0747101 |
2nd Lt Merle E WOODSIDE | NARA:E&E/244 |
| Bombardier | 0676293 |
2nd Lt William E KIERAN | PoW |
| Radio operator | 33332553 |
T/Sgt Kenneth H NICE | NARA:E&E/772 |
| Top turret gunner | 32461208 |
T/Sgt Gerard J CAPORASO | PoW |
| Ball turret gunner | 31180024 |
S/Sgt Frederick HOLT | PoW |
| Waist gunner | 38124949 |
S/Sgt Charles C GATTMAN | PoW |
| Waist gunner | 33278935 |
S/Sgt Mike OLYNIK | Evading |
| Tail gunner | 15354058 |
S/Sgt Alton BAER, Jr | PoW |
[The only copy of Raymond Bye's E&E report appears to be a handwritten version by Lt. D.E.Emerson (MIS-X), the debriefing officer. It is nearly illegible! All translations gratefully received.]
<There's more to come!>