The following evasions are from the Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society (AFEES). The AFEES was founded in the Winter of 1953 by Ralph K. Patton who himself was a downed pilot who evaded German capture (keep reading) with the aid of HELPERS (host country civilians and Underground Networks).
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Ralph K. Patton travelled back to Europe to meet the people who helped in his successful evasion. Mr. Patton contacted other evaders throughout the US and AFEES grew along with the HELPERS throughout Europe.
To be a member of the AFEES, you had to be shot down behind enemy lines and evade back to friendly lines. Also, HELPERS were part of the AFEES organization.
The following are just a small fraction of the successful evasions of downed US and Allied Airman during World War II. We can all learn from their evasions so You’re Ready Anytime Anywhere (see Overall Summary at the end of this blog post).
Before we cover several evasions let me give you some World War II Stats – Air Campaign Against Germany. These Stats will give you a much better respect for the following evasions. The Stats are staggering. And these are just the Stats for US & Great Britain Air Forces fighting in Europe.
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World War II Stats – Air Campaign Against Germany!
Germany Stats
Focke-Wulf Fw F-190: German made, fighter, crew of 01, range – 800km (497 miles), speed – 636km/hour (395 miles/hour), armament –.02 20mm machineguns and 02 13mm machineguns.
Messerschmitt Bf 109: German made, fighter, crew of 01, range – unknown, speed – 755.14 Km/h (463,92 mph), armament – machine guns & canons.
Junkers Ju 88: German made, multi-role fighter, crew of 04, range – 1,55, speed – 317mph, armament – 02 7.92mm machineguns, bombs,…
Most Decorated German Ace Pilot: Major Erich Hartmann, flew the Bf 109 and was credited with 352 aerial victories.
Number Of Total Estimated German Aircraft Destroyed: 57,405 (by US & Great Britain)
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USA and Great Britain Stats!
Flying Fortress B-17 Bomber: American made, crew of 10, 04 engines and carries 4,000 pound bomb load (several bombs). Armament – 13 .50 caliber (1/2-inch) Browning M2 machineguns. B-17 also had armor plating in several locations to protect crew and the planes vital working parts.
Number of B-17 Bombers Built: 12,731.
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B-24 Bomber: American made, crew of 10, 04 engines and carries 8,000 pound bomb load (several bombs) and armament – 10 .50 caliber Browning machineguns.
Number of B-24 Bombers Built: 18,500.
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Avro Lancaster: Great Britain made, crew of 07, 04 engines and carries 14 1,000-pound bombs, and armament –04 turrets with machineguns.
Number of Avro Lancaster Bombers Built: 7,377.
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Escort Fighter Plane – P-51 Mustang: Starting in 1944, Bombers were escorted by P-51 Mustangs fighters with the range to fly to Berlin, Germany and back to England.
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Number of Total Bomber Sorties Deployed Against Enemy (Germany, Italy,…): 754,818 (USA) and 687,462 (Great Britain).
Number of Tons of Bombs Dropped On Enemy Targets (Germany, Italy,…): 1,463,423 tons (USA) and 1,307,117 tons (Great Britain).
Most Destructive Bombing Campaigns:
- Berlin, German: Berlin, the capitol of Germany, was targeted between 1940 and 1945 with 363 air raids from American, British and Russian bombers. The death toll of Berliners is estimated between 20,000 to 50,000.
- Hamburg, Germany: Hamburg was an important strategic target because of its major shipyards and more important its U-Boat pens. Hamburg was bombed throughout the war, but the later weeks of July 1943, Operation Gomorrah – a combination of 3,000 American and British bombers, bombed Hamburg for 08-days and 07-nights. An estimated 9,000 tons of bombs were dropped causing firestorms that reduced the city to ashes. An estimated 42,600 people were killed, 37,000 wounded and an estimated 1,000,000 people fled the city.
- Dresden, Germany: Dresden was an industrial center that supported Germany’s war effort. On 13 – 15 February 1945, 1,300 American and British bombers dropped more than 3,900 tons of bombs (to include fire bombs) on Dresden. The massive bombing created firestorms that turned 15-square miles of Dresden to ashes. The German press, stated 200,000 Germans were killed, but actual accounts estimated the death toll at 25,000.
- Pforzheim, Germany: On 23 February 1945, 379 British bombers executed a 22-minute bombing on Pforzheim. More than 80% of the built-up area of Pforzheim was destroyed. Pforzheim was targeted because of it’s easy location to navigate to (southwest corner of Germany), Pforzheim was a center for watch-making trading and may have built precision instruments for Germany’s war effort and the city itself was susceptible to fire because it was a medieval city (made of wood). The 22-minute British bombing resulted in most of the city destroyed, 17,600 killed and tens of thousands more injured.
- Swinoujscie, Poland: This Polish city /port was controlled by German forces. On 12 March 1945, Swinoujscie city / port was heavily bombed by American bombers. Approximately 5,000 – 23,000 people were killed in the bombing.
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Number of Total Fighter Sorties Deployed Against Enemy (Germany, Italy,…): 991,750 (USA) and 1,695,049 (Great Britain).
Number of US Bombers Lost: 9,949
Number of Great Britain Bombers Lost: 11,965
Number of US Fighters Lost: 8,420
Number of Great Britain Fighters Lost: 10,045
Number of United States Army Air Force Personnel Lost: 79,265
Number of Great Britain Royal Air Force Personnel Lost: 79,281
Note: A Sortie is counted as a single aircraft deployed on a mission. For example, if 50 bombers are ordered to fly to Germany and back – that’s 50 sorties.
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Now let’s carry-on with the following evasions:
- Paul E. Kenney (Bombadier)
- Edward C. Miller (B-24 Pilot)
- Ralph K. Patton (B-17 Co-Pilot)
- John C. Rucigay (B-24 Co-Pilot)
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Name:——Paul E. Kenney
Age:——-22-years old
Job:——-Bombardier
Aircraft:–B-17 Bomber (Salvage Queen)
Location:–12th Mission Over Frankfurt, Germany
Date:——February 1944
Flack knocked-out the plane’s oxygen system. Plane dropped out of formation at 26,000-feet AGL (Above Ground Altitude). Running battle with German fighter aircraft for at least 200-miles. Salvage Queen now located over northeast France and crash landed at approximately noon time in a wheat field with the entire crew.
The crew split up and evaded away from the crash site. Kenney, the pilot and the injured engineer evaded together. The 03 evaders found a barn and hid in it till dark. At night, Kenney and fellow evaders evaded into a small town and picked a school house to get help.
From prior intelligence briefings, they knew the odds were in their favor that people in the small French villages were friendly and would help American evaders. They also knew that more times than not an apartment was attached to the school house where the teacher lived.
The 03 evaders went to the school house and got help from a female school teacher. She told the 03 evaders to go across the way and hide in a cow barn but they must leave before dawn. The female school teacher gave the evaders 03 jugs of wine and a couple loafs of bread. The evaders stayed in the cow barn overnight and departed before dawn. The injured flight engineer was left behind due to his injuries. He was unable to evade any further.
Kenney and the pilot started their long evasion towards Spain – 500-miles away. They found another barn and hid there for 03-days. The barn was a storage barn for bales of hay. The 02 evaders used the bales of hay and constructed a hiding spot behind and high-up from the stored bales of hay. The 02 evaders continuously monitored their surroundings and observed a 15-year old boy near the barn for the 03-days they were hiding.
They decided to make contact with the boy and the 02 evaders hit the jackpot. The 15-year old boy had contacts with the French Underground. This was the beginning of their evasion back to friendly territory with support from the French Underground also known as HELPERS.
For the next 81-days, the French Underground secretly moved the 02 evaders from place to place. At one time German occupation was so dense, the evaders stayed at one location for 05-weeks. The evaders did what they could for the French Underground like repairing weapons.
At one point during their evasion, the 02 evaders were secretly being moved to Paris, France. The HELPER stated he would secretly take them to a hiding place in Paris and they would stay there till France was liberated from the Germans. The 02 evaders were secretly moved by the lone male HELPER to a German roadblock where Kenney and the pilot were captured by the Germans. It turns out the HELPER was a mole (double agent spy) and working for the Germans.
Kenney and the pilot were now POWs (Prisoner Of War) and taken to a prison camp in Poland. In the winter of 1944 / 1945 with the Russian advance, Kenney and other POWs were marched and taken by train eventually ending up in a prison camp near Munich, Germany. With every German pulled from the ranks to fight 02 Fronts (Russian Front & European Front), Kenney noted there was approximately only 01 German guard for every 1,500 POWs.
Approximately a year later after his capture, Kenney escaped from the Poland prison camp and eventually evaded into the arms of friendly troops.
Summary: The evasion of Kenney and fellow evaders was initially successful because of the intelligence they received on the friendliness of French people in villages and of the school teachers at school houses. They used that intelligence to take a chance and make contact for help.
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Name:——Edward C. Miller
Age:——-23-years old
Job:——-B-24 Pilot
Aircraft:–B-24 Bomber
Location:–5th Mission Over Germany
Date:——Unknown
Aircraft was taking flack going into the target and leaving the target over Germany. The plane lost engine after engine. Flying over eastern France, the B-24 took some more flack and lost the last working engine. The crew bailed out at 13,000-feet.
Miller knew German pilots often shot at parachuting downed crewman so Miller held off from opening his parachute. Miller waited till the last possible moment and pulled the cord to open his parachute. His parachute opened and a few seconds later, Miller hit the ground.
Miller landed nearly on top of a German radio station. Miller figured he was caught and climbed over the double barb-wired fence and into the sentry house. Miller found the place completely empty. He figured the Germans were looking for the other downed Americans.
Miller immediately evaded away into the woods. He later found a farm and figured they had money because of the farm itself and the owners had cows. So he decided to ask for help and knocked on the door. Miller able to speak French, asked for something to eat (J’ai faim. J’ai besoin de nourriture. J’ai faim et J’ai soif.). [I’m hungry. I need food. I’m hungry and I’m thirsty.]
Miller continued his evasion going from selected house to selected house asking for food. Miller evaded for approximately 05-weeks. One of his evasion techniques, Miller waited for daylight when people would walk to their workplaces. He’d mix-in with a group of people and walked with them pretending to be part of the work group.
Another evasion technique he used in Paris, France was to confidently ‘act like you belong there and nobody will bother you.’ Miller would walk about Paris, France among the French populace and German soldiers and have the attitude like he was a native there, he had a purpose. Miller walked among the populace with German soldiers all around. He also used the trains with German soldiers on board and never got caught because he confidently ‘acted like he belonged there and nobody bothered him.’
On one evasion, Miller came to a house and heard a woman’s voice and voices of kids so logically he figured it was a safe place. So he knocked on the door and said “I’m an American.” (Je suis Américain). And sure enough they invited him into the house. Eventually they brought over an old man, their nextdoor neighbor. As luck would have it the old man said “Where the hell did you come from?” in a perfect New York accent because the old man was from Manhattan Island, New York! Miller being from Brooklyn, New York, both men hit it off from the get go. What luck? What are the odds of an evading American from New York running into another American from New York in France during a World War? One in a billion I figure.
Miller got the red carpet treatment but his new HELPER wisely stated to Miller: “You can’t look for help but I can look for you.” And that’s exactly what his new friend did. Every day, he’d take off on his bicycle and try to make contact with the French Underground.
His new friend eventually made contact with the mayor of that town who made contact with some young men who were involved in the black market in Paris, France and they knew people in Paris who were members of the French Underground.
Miller was eventually secured by a member of the French Underground and taken to Paris, France where he was hidden. I’ve studied how underground movements are set-up and how they work but the French Underground had a set-up that is new to me. Miller had options of which French Underground group would get him to safety. There were different French Underground groups orientated and specialized toward different escape & evasion routes with each one of them having a different time table from several weeks to several months to arrive to safety. Miller had the opportunity to pick which French Underground group he wanted to join for his evasion to safety.
Miller decided to join a French Underground group that took him to Spain via the rough Pyrenees. Miller continued his evasion into Gibraltar. From there he got on a medivac plane of British wounded from the Northern African campaign. Miller’s evasion finally ended with the plane landing in Great Britain.
Miller arrived back in England 01 day before D-Day (06 June 1944 – Operation Overlord – 156,000 troops landed on Normandy Beach) and actually participated in D-Day by flying that day.
Note: Miller should have been transferred to working for American or British Military Intelligence Services. Miller had a knack of blending in so well during his evasion at one time, French civilians not only thought Miller was a French citizen, but also thought he was a German collaborator. French citizens kicked him, elbowed him,…
Summary: The lone evasion of Miller was successful on several factors and Miller’s own actions like waiting to open his parachute at the last moment instead of floating in the air for several minutes so the German forces could detect him and capture him. Military intelligence briefings supported his evasion. Miller’s ability to understand & speak French was a great asset. Miller’s attitude about ‘act like you belong there and nobody will bother you’ was surely instrumental in his successful evasion. And the French Underground was no doubt the final success of his evasion to friendly territory.
99 Ways To Speak French Right Now!
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Name:——Ralph K. Patton
Age:——-Unknown
Job:——-B-17 Co-Pilot
Aircraft:–B-17 Bomber
Location:–9th Mission Over Bordeux, France
Date:——Unknown
Note: Founder of the Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society (AFEES).
Flying over their target, their plane was hit by flack. Dropping out of formation, they inadvertently flew over a German airfield that deployed German fighter aircraft to intercept them. Their plane was hit by both flack and German fighter planes. The entire tail assembly of their plane broke off and the crew bailed out of the doomed aircraft at approximately 15,000-feet AGL (Above Ground Level).
A F-190 German fighter aircraft circled Patton but didn’t fire on him. Patton coming close to the ground heard dog barking and he landed near an old farmhouse with a couple villagers looking at him. Patton walked up to them and tried to ask for help. They couldn’t speak English and Patton couldn’t speak French.
Two other evaders, the bombardier and the pilot married-up with Patton and all 03 evaders evaded into the countryside and discarded any gear they didn’t need and would give them away as American airman. The 03 evaders decided to evade south to the Pyrenees so to evade into Spain.
That cold night, they cased-out a farm house to insure it was safe. They observed no German soldiers but observed 02 farmers going in and out of the house. The 03 evaders decided to ask for help and knocked on the door. The farmers invited the 03 evaders into their small farm house and they sat close to the fireplace and were given some hot soup and delicious wine.
That same night, 20-minutes later, the 03 evaders were moved to another location and were given a map and directions to a monastery. They stayed there that night and then moved-on enroute to the monastery. Along their evasion, they were aided with more food & drinks and hiding places.
The 03 evaders were walking down a street near a village and 02 men popped-up out of the vegetation off the side of the road. Initially the 03 evaders though they were German soldiers, but they turned out to be 02 more American Airman from another downed aircraft evading to safety.
Now we have 05 American Airman evaders walking down a French country road in broad daylight. At this time, in this area, German forces were practically non-existent as compared to other parts of occupied France.
The 05 evaders came to the outskirts of a small village called Plouray. To see if the village was safe, the 05 evaders patrolled around the small village looking for any signs of German occupation. The 05 evaders came in contact with a school boy who in-turn immediately to his female teacher (Toni) about seeing 05 Americans. The school teacher immediately gave control of her class to another teacher and set out to find the 05 evading Americans. The 05 evaders made contact with a wounded Frenchman. The 05 evaders were taken to a basement of a small restaurant where they were given food and wine.
The 05 evaders were moved to the school house in Plouray where they were hidden for 05-weeks. After 05-weeks hiding in the school house, the French Underground, split-up the evaders into two groups. One group was moved back to the restaurant and the other group to a hotel where they were hidden till they were moved again 04-weeks later.
Four weeks later the 05 evaders were moved to a town of Gurant to catch a train. They missed the train and rode the next train the following day. The train took them near the coast in northwestern France where they were hidden 02-nights in a house. The 05 evaders were picked-up and moved closer to the coast where they waited in a farmhouse.
The evaders were met by Captain Harris of the British Intelligence Services. Captain Harris instructed the evaders that if anyone stepped out of line they would be shot.
The 05 evaders and Captain Harris formed-up in a Ranger file and walked 2,000-meters through a minefield till they came to a steep cliff. There, they married-up with 21 more evaders at cliff of the French coast. The 26 evaders formed-up in a Ranger file and slowly slid down on their butts down a steep cliff to the beach below.
Reaching the beach, a signal was given to boats off into the dark distance. A torch (flashlight) was used to give a signal. BLUE for SAFE and RED for DANGER. At approximately 0200 hours, the signal BLUE was given and 05 small boats came to shore picking up all 26 evaders. The 05 small boats took all the evaders out into the ocean to marry-up with a British Gun Boat. The Gun Boat started-up its loud diesel engine and headed west to the eastern coast of Great Britain.
Patton goes on to state that the evaders were scared they would be discovered by the loud diesel engine of the British Gun Boat. But the sounds of the ocean muffles-out most of the sounds.
The British Gun Boat heading westward to Great Britain was evading 06 German Gunboats using their own bright search lights. Patton and fellow evaders finally reached Great Britain. The evaders were immediately secured
Ralph K. Patton and his 03 fellow evaders evaded for a total of 63-days. 63-days of successful evasion without being caught by German forces. Their evasion was a great success because of their HELPERS.
Summary: The evasion of Ralph K. Patton and his fellow 02 evaders was a complete success because of the HELPERS (French Underground and French civilians). It’s possible to evade without help but the success rate is greatly increased with HELPERS especially organized HELPERS like the French Underground.
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Name:——John C. Rucigay
Age:——-19-years old
Job:——-B-24 Co-Pilot
Aircraft:–B-24 Bomber
Location:–3rd Mission Over Germany
Date:——11 January 1944
Their aircraft was already having mechanical problems before they hit their target. Once at the target, lagging behind in formation, they dropped their bombs at 15,000-feet instead of the higher altitude of the main formation. Rucigay’s bomber had multiple problems:
- Electrical failure
- Lost an engine prior to arriving at their target
- Lost 2nd engine at their target
- Both engines out on the same side
- No radio communication
- No compass
- No power to turret gunners.
Flying near the Adriatic Sea, the 3rd engine quit and the crew of 10 timed their jumps with hand signals so 05 airman aft and 05 airman forward left the aircraft within seconds of each other. Rucigay landed just 25-feet from another crew member.
The crew landed in what was formerly Yugoslavia. Partisans were already on the ground and secured most of the crew immediately. The 10th crew member was secured by the partisans a week later.
The difference between the other HELPERS from the other evasions you read about, is Rucigay and the other 09 members of his crew were aided by partisans and not members from the Underground. Partisans are armed para-military fighters who overtly carry weapons and work in groups like a military organization. Underground members are unidentified and they blend into the populace and do no overtly brandish weapons and work very discreetly so not to attract any attention to their secret activities. However, Underground members can turn into fighters at the drop of a hat to defend themselves.
The partisans and the 10 American evaders, evaded at night patrolling 08-hours a night for 04-weeks in the mountains of what was formerly Yugoslavia (northern). The evaders and partisans arrived in a village which was behind German lines but controlled by the local fighters.
After 02-weeks at this location, a C-47 landed at night in an airstrip and secured all 10 evaders.
Summary: The evasion of John C. Rucigay and 09 fellow evaders was a complete success from beginning to end because of the partisans. The partisans knew the area of operations, knew locations and activities of the German forces, knew where to safely take the evaders to get them out of the country and had the contacts to set-up their complete evasion to friendly territory.
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OVERALL SUMMARY: The evasions you just read were successful because of:
- Prior intelligence briefings supporting evasions
- Aid from Underground, Partisan and / or civilian populace
- Airman asking for help from selected civilians (school teachers, children and elderly)
- Knowledge of French and German languages are also an important factors
When I was a young Special Forces soldier, I attended a 04-month Special Forces Course called Operations and Intelligence. 02-months was dedicated towards Special Forces Operations and 02-months was dedicated to the Special Forces Intelligence. It was all academically very intensive & non-stop. The Intelligence side was absolutely awesome and opened my eyes to what was secretly going on right in front of everybody all the time but nobody but the covert operatives doing the ‘underground’ actions knew about it.
Which brings me to this, if YOU feel threatened or need to ‘go off line’ ‘go off the grid’ – disappear, it’s very possible to do this if an ‘underground network’ is set up. However, when we were conducting our covert operations throughout Fayetteville, NC, the first rule was ‘not to get caught.’ Plus, we knew if we were caught, the local police were aware we were students in the Special Forces O & I Course, and if arrested, the O & I cadre would retrieve us from jail. But most important, we were told, ANY ‘UNDERGROUND’ TYPE ACTIVITY ON US of A SOIL IS AGAINST THE LAW.
You’ve heard of criminals running from the law and being hidden by their own family members, relatives and friends. The family members,… didn’t know what the heck they were doing, but they were actually doing unsophisticated ‘underground’ type activities that kept their family member hidden. Their activities were against the law, they were aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive. And these activities by the fugitive’s family members really do work. The fugitive could be hidden for months, years,… If they had really set-up a sophisticated ‘underground network,’ the fugitive could evade for decades and depending on the crime, just wait for the Statute of Limitation to expire and then the long-arm of the law can’t touch him.
Note: Here’s my Disclaimer. I’m not suggesting that you set-up your own illegal underground network or help a wanted fugitive that’s on the run. I’m just telling you like it is so You’re Ready Anytime Anywhere.
I want to end this blog post with an ‘Incredible Mystery’ concerning a British World War II airman who was shot down over German. This is a direct quote from my book – “55+ True Incredible Mysteries!”
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The Man Who Wouldn’t Die!
24 March 1944 – 0010 hours
Berlin, Germany
Subject: The Man Who Wouldn’t Die
Twenty-one year old Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade, was a lonely tailgunner on a 04-engine Avro Lancaster bomber for the British RAF Bomber Command – 115th Squadron. A veteran, already having 12 bombing missions under his belt, on 24 March 1944, the crew of Sugar and 299 other British and Allied bombers took-off heading for Germany for a massive bombing mission.
The armada of British and Allied bombers arrived above Berlin at approximately midnight. Flight Sergeant Alkemade was on alert in his very cramped turret. It was so small, it allowed just enough room for himself, his quad (04) Browning machineguns (M1919A6), and ammunition (.30 calibre).
His life-saving parachute was outside his cramped turret. Arriving over Berlin, he heard those magic words from the pilot Jack Newman – “Bombs Away.” Flight Sergeant Alkemade knew after the bombs were dropped, the bomber would head to safety back home. Two tons of bombs and incendiaries were let loose from Sugar and the bomber turned to home back to England.
Shortly after their homeward bound turn, Sugar was suddenly strafed by a lone German fighter plane – a Junkers 88. Canon fire strafed down the bomber’s fuselage toward the turret but Alkemade fired back with effective fire. The turret took 02 bullets sending fragments into Alkemade’s body. The bomber was being consumed in flames. The pilot wisely ordered the crew to “You’ll have to jump for it. Bail out. Bail out.”
Flight Sergeant Alkemade turned around to see his life-saving parachute being turned into ashes from the growing fire. Glancing for an instant to see his parachute turning to ashes, Alkemade knew he was a dead man – “My stomach seemed to drop out of my body, I knew that I was going to die. You’ve had your lot.” Alkemade was about to be burned alive – his oxygen mask already melting on his face. But he didn’t want to die a burning horrible death – Alkemade decided to jump.
Quickly deciding to jump – “Better a quick, clean death than frying” out he went into the black sky over Berlin. Somersaulting backwards, Alkemade fell to the Earth facing up.
Leaving crippled and dying Sugar at 18,000-feet, Alkemade figured in about 90-seconds he’d hit the Earth to an instant death. Free falling, he felt no sensation of falling, he felt a unique calmness – he felt peace then nothing.
Alkemade couldn’t figure out why he felt cold, he was dead. Opening one eye and then the other, above him through the giant fir tree he saw a star or two. Laying there, like a typical GI, Alkemade then reached for his lighter and a cigarette. Looking at his watch it read 3:10am. Alkemade then realized he was alive – “Jesus Christ, I’m alive.” Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade did the impossible of impossible, he free fell 18,000-feet with no parachute, no nothing and lived.
The giant fir tree with its multiple branches and 18-inches of soft snow on the ground saved his life. Alkemade hit the giant tree at a high velocity. Falling through the branches of the tree, they slowed down his velocity where impact with 18-inches of soft snow slowed him down just a bit more saving his life.
Alkemade suffered only a twisted knee and a few scrapes & burns here and there. Blasting his emergency whistle, members of the Volkssturm captured him. Taken to a hospital and then to a POW camp, Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade related to the doctor and interrogators (03-times) how he came to be captured near Berlin.
The doctor and German interrogators thought Alkemade was either crazy mad or a spy. For his unbelievable story, Alkemade was put in solitary confinement.
Transported to Dalag Luft POW Camp near Frankfurt Germany, his story was being investigated by Lieutenant Hans Feidal of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) who went to the crash site of the downed bomber named Sugar. Lt. Feidal’s investigation concluded that Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade did indeed survive the impossible of impossible – he freefell 18,000 feet and lived.
Alkemade’s fellow prisoners at Dalag Luft POW Camp presented Alkemade with an inscription on a page from a bible. It read:
“Dalag Luft It has been investigated and corroborated by the German authorities that the claim made by Sergeant Alkemade 1431537 RAF, is true in all aspects, namely that he made a descent from 18,000 feet without parachute and made a safe landing without injury, his parachute having been on fire in the aircraft. He landed in deep snow among fir trees.
Corroboration witnessed by:
Flt Lt H.J. Moore, Senior British Officer
Flt Sgt R.R. Lamb 1339582
Flt Sgt T.A. Jones 411 Senior British NCO
Date 25.4.44″
Nicholas Alkemade left the service and still defied death. Working at a chemical factory, a steel girder fell on him. Fellow workers came to his aid. Expecting him surely dead they lifted the steel girder. Alkemade got up and walked away with only a bruised scalp.
Alkemade was also drenched in sulphuric acid and lived. He was also hit by an electric shock that threw him into a hole where he lay for 15-minutes breathing killer chlorine gases. Finally rescued, he lived to see another day. Nicholas Alkemade had more lives than a platoon of 9-life cat critters. God called Nicholas Alkemade, he left this Earth after a heart attack in 1988, he was 65 years old.
Authors Comments: When freefalling, it’s true, there is no sensation of falling. It’s like standing in front of a giant fan (attended US Army Special Forces HALO School – 03 freefalls at 12,500-feet. I failed???). Falling 18,000-feet would take more than 90-seconds before hitting the ground.
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade freefalling from 18,000-feet (03+ miles), would take more than 02 minutes before his contact with the fir tree and snow. Nicholas Alkemade was blessed with an extra extra helping of luck. It gave him an extra 44-years of precious life on this Earth.
Most of us don’t have that kind of luck. We have to learn, be prepared, and remedy death threats by our everyday actions from routine automatic actions to studied & rehearsed actions. Welcome to life & IRISAP.
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World War II Downed Airman Evasions Points Of Contact!
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