Glenn Flickinger leads another conversation about Masters of the Air, this time with children and grandchildren of the Apple TV+ series’ main characters. Each is an expert on the 100th Bomb Group, and each will share their family members’ stories and their thoughts on the series.

John Homan joined the Army Air Forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By 1944, he found himself co-piloting a B-24 Liberator over Nazi Germany, facing the dangers of deadly flak bursts and enemy fighters. His first-hand narrative written with expert WWII historian Jared Frederick, Into the Cold Blue, vividly portrays the perilous missions he and his crew undertook.

During a mission over Nazi-occupied Holland in September 1944, Homan’s plane sustained heavy damage, including a blown tire and a shot-away tail. With survival seeming unlikely, Homan and his crew prepared for a desperate emergency landing. Meanwhile, Homan’s thoughts turned to his sweetheart back home, adding a personal dimension to his wartime experiences.

Before flying combat, Homan trained on various aircraft, including the PT-17 and BT-13, progressing from primary flight training to advanced twin-engine training. Along the way, he encountered accidents and incidents, including witnessing crashes and experiencing mechanical failures in flight.

Despite the challenges, Homan found himself adapting well to the technical aspects of training, excelling particularly in mechanical and engineering areas, as well as navigation. He developed skills in precision flying and instrument navigation, crucial for military aviation.

Homan’s training journey took him through various locations in the United States, from Americus, Georgia, to Bainbridge and Moody Fields in Georgia. Throughout his training, he encountered strict discipline, demanding physical requirements, and the necessity of precise execution in flying maneuvers.

Ultimately, Homan’s training prepared him for his next assignment in Salt Lake City, where he would transition to four-engine bombers.

Homan is candid about the psychological toll of shifting from safety to danger, noting that while it affected some crew members, it didn’t interfere with their ability to perform their duties. He recounts a close call during a mission to Groesbeck, Holland, where his plane sustained damage and lost hydraulic power, forcing them to make an emergency landing. Despite the harrowing experience, his crew escaped serious injury, with only minor wounds reported.

One memorable mission was to Magdeburg, near Berlin, where his plane was attacked by fighters and heavy flak. Despite sustaining damage, they managed to return to England, thanks in part to the escort of P-51 fighters who guided them back safely. Homan praises the fighter cover they received throughout their missions, noting their bravery in engaging enemy fighters.

Homan’s bomb group was withdrawn from combat early to be retrained for deployment in the Pacific theater. He chose not to volunteer to go with them, completing his tour of 34 missions before his 20th birthday. After returning to the United States in late 1944, Homan received several medals for his service. He parted ways with his crew members, reuniting with them only many years later at a reunion.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

World War II POW and Eighth Air Force expert Marilyn Walton leads a group of guests who will talk about the experiences of prisoners in Germany with Glenn Flickinger. Sparked by interest in the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air“, this program will feature two extraordinary stories from Germany during World War II: one of the Stalag Luft III’s camp censor and one of US Airmen held at Buchenwald concentration camps.

Joining Marilyn and Glenn will be:

Andrew Hatfield – For those who watched Hogan’s Heroes, Andrea’s mother, Lisa Knüppel, was the true “Helga,” Commandant von Lindeiner’s secretary. Lisa was the mail censor in the camp.  Lisa’s story is the stuff of movies.  At one point, Lisa bicycled the twelve miles to von Lindeiner’s manor house to help his wife, Barnoness Henriette van der Goes, pack up and flee from Germany. Lisa  eventually met and married an American officer she met in Germany.

During World War II, United States Army Air Forces personnel faced the harrowing experience of becoming prisoners of war (POWs) after being captured by German forces. These airmen were detained in various camps known as Stalag Lufts, where they endured challenging conditions and organized themselves for survival amidst enemy captivity.

The German system segregated officers from enlisted men upon capture and sent them to different camps, each administered by the German Luftwaffe and Abwehr. Once inside the confines of these camps, the captured airmen, affectionately referred to as “Kriegies,” found themselves among their comrades. Leadership roles varied among the camps, with senior American officers or elected representatives assuming authority in different compounds.

Life within the POW camps was marked by the segmentation of living quarters into compounds, each containing barracks that housed dozens of men in cramped conditions. As the number of captives increased, overcrowding became a significant issue, forcing many to sleep on floors. The harsh realities of captivity were exacerbated when, in early February 1944, camps faced evacuation due to the advancing Russian forces, leaving tens of thousands of prisoners “On the Road” for extended periods, enduring immense hardships until liberation.

One crucial aspect of the POW experience was the interrogation process at facilities like Dulag Luft. Located in Oberursel, this complex consisted of interrogation centers, hospitals, and transit camps, where captured airmen underwent questioning and evaluation before being transferred to permanent POW camps. Despite being designed to accommodate a limited number of prisoners, overcrowding was common during peak periods, with solitary confinement often enforced.

Stalag Luft I, situated near Barth, Germany, housed Allied prisoners, including American and British officers and enlisted men. The camp, located on the Baltic Sea, saw its first prisoners in July 1940 and was evacuated by 8th Air Force B-17s in May 1945. Similarly, Stalag Luft III, located southeast of Berlin, housed American airmen and became the largest American officers’ camp in Germany by January 1945.

Stalag Luft IV, located in Gross Tychow, Pomerania, witnessed a significant influx of prisoners, swelling its ranks from 1,500 to nearly 10,000 airmen by January 1945. Stalag Luft VI, situated outside Hedekrug, Lithuania, initially held prisoners from Belgium and France before receiving British, Canadian, and American airmen, reflecting the diverse nationalities of POWs held by the Germans.

As Germany’s collapse neared, camps like Stalag VIIA in Moosburg became final gathering points for thousands of Air Corps officers and enlisted men from other camps. The overcrowded conditions and constant influx of prisoners posed challenges for camp administrators, with protests against overcrowding falling on deaf ears.

Despite the adversity, the resilience and resourcefulness of Allied airmen in German POW camps underscored one of the most overlooked chapters in American history.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!