Home Front – Big Timber, Montana
These two articles are from The Big Timber Pioneer newspaper, Thursday, August 30, 1945
Prisoners Hanged
Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Aug. 25 – The Army Saturday hanged 7 German prisoners-of-war in the Fort Leavenworth disciplinary barracks for the murder of a fellow prisoner whom they had accused of being a traitor to the Reich.
All 7 went to the gallows after receiving last rites of the Roman Catholic Church. They were executed for killing Werner Dreschler at the Papago Park, Arizona prisoner of war camp, March 13, 1944.
The hangings took less than three hours. The executions brought to 14 the total number of Nazi POW’s executed at Ft. Leavenworth during the last few weeks.
The 7 went to the gallows without showing any signs of emotion. They had signed statements admitting their guilt. Their defense was that they had read in German newspapers that they should put to death any German who was a traitor. At their trial they said Dreschler had admitted giving information of military value to their captures.
***** ***** *****
Sgt. Nat Clark was on Pioneer Mining Mission
313th Wing B-29 Base, Tinian – One of the 6th Bomb Group fliers who participated in the pioneer mining mission to northern Korean waters on 11 July was SSgt. Nathaniel B. Clark, son of Mr. & Mrs. J.F. Clark, Big Timber, MT. it was revealed here today with the lifting of censorship rules. He is a left blister gunner and by war’s end had flown 29 combat missions in the war against Japan.
On the longest mission of the war, to deny the use of the eastern Korean ports to the already partially blockaded Japanese, Sgt. Clark explained that the crews were briefed to fly 3,500 statute miles to their mine fields just south of Russia, and back to Iwo Jima where they would have to land for fuel. Then it was still 725 miles back to the Tinian base.
The flight was planned to take 16½ hours which in itself was not out of the ordinary, but the length of time the full mine load would be carried was a record 10 hours and 35 minutes.
The job called for hair-splitting navigation, Midas-like use of the available gas, penetration of weather about which little is known and finally a precision radar mine-laying run over a port whose defenses and very contours were not too well known.
“We sweated that one out from our briefing one morning until we landed back on Tinian almost 24 hours later.” Sgt. Clark recalled.
One crew was forced to return to Okinawa because of engine trouble, but the other 5 on the pioneer flight landed within a few minutes of the briefed time. One landed at the exact briefed time. The closest call on gas was reported by the crew which landed with only 24 gallons left, scarcely enough to circle the field.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Herman Brown – Virginia Beach, VA; US Army, WWII, ETO, 385/76th Division/ 3rd Army
Lester Burks – Willis, TX; US Army, Co. B/513/17th Airborne Division
Pedro ‘Pete’ Contreras – Breckenridge, OK; US Army, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, Lt.Col. (Ret. 30 y.)
Paul Jarret – Phoenix, AZ; US Army, WWII, ETO, Medical Corps, Bronze Star / US Air Force
John ‘Nick’ Kindred – Scarsdale, NY; US Navy, Lt.
James Lemmons – Portland, TN; US Army; Korea, HQ/187th RCT
Charles McCarry – Plainfield, MA; CIA, Cold War, undercover agent
Howard Rein Jr. – Philadelphia, PA; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Morton Siegel – Rye, NY; US Navy, WWII
Eldon Weehler – Loup City, NE; US Army Air Corps, WWII / US Air Force, Korea & Vietnam, Lt. Col. (Ret. 30 y.)
Posted on March 18, 2019, in Home Front, WWII and tagged 1940's, Air Force, History, Home Front, Military, Military History, Pacific, Pacific War, veterans, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 107 Comments.
Amazing stories
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Thank you. I appreciate reading your legal advice too.
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Thank you
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Enjoyed reading that post of snippets personalities and incidents of the war years gp.
Wonder if those seven Germans would have faced the death penalty in this day and age, let alone by hanging. Wonder when the punishment of Hanging was finally removed from the American Defence list of accepted Punishments ?
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Until 1961–the last military execution to date–hanging was the sole and official method. Later the military introduced the electric chair, which was never used. Currently, lethal injection is the only method. Pvt. Eddie Slovik was executed by firing squad in 1945 for desertion.
Thanks for all your interest, Ian!
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Thanks for your like of my post, “Tribulation Conflict;” your kindness is greatly appreciated.
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Certainly.
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Please know how much I appreciate you for all that you do with your blog.
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Thank you for that!
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You are very welcome.
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How you be, GP?
Just stopping in with some (((HUGS))) 🙂
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Thanks, one can always use a hug! I’m okey-dokey!
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The Fort Leavenworth story is quite interesting. First, I find it quite peculiar that all 7 soldier were sentenced to death by hanging. I wonder if all were equally culpable or if there was a ring leader. Second, the US didn’t blink in dispensing justice! They all admitted their guilt and a judgement was rendered. Third, the fact that the article mentions that they didn’t show any emotion is haunting. Did they sincerely believe that they were following their conscience? If so I wonder how well or ill informed was their conscience. Finally, although what they did was clearly wrong, I’m glad that they received the last rites…hopefully showing/implying repentance for what they did…
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Hitler’s rise to power and indoctrination of male children was comparable to brain washing, plus there is always a dedication to duty involved. I am not a student of the ETO, but of what I have read and seen in documentaries, that would be the logical course of action for a traitor during wartime and the US dispensing justice. Nowadays we might put them in jail or supermax, I suppose, might even let them go home to live and free to start another war like we did with gitmo prisoners..
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Very true!
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I am sorry, GP! Had a short delay. Something like a rural asymmetric war. 😉 Wonderful information. Thank you for all the very informative information, i never read before. Have a nice Friday! Michael
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Never feel you need to apologize, my friend!
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Thank you!
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I learn something new every time I stop by
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I am very glad to hear THAT, Rick. Thank you for saying so.
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Reblogged this on depolreablesunite.
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Much appreciated, Rick.
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Wat een speciale verhalen weer.Dingen waar ikme helemaal niet bewusr van was
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Als je bent zoals je me altijd toont en leert, ben ik erg blij dat ik iets interessants voor je kon vinden.
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These stories coming to light really does fill in those gaps of the basic history books and shows. Indoctrination really works, and I guess Soviet Union and Kampuchea are two stark reminders it can crop up anywhere.
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It most certainly can. We are lucky to have a system of checks and balances, but you still have the human factor involved.
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Yes, the human factor, playing well in countries near by as we speak.
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Remarkable stories about past conflicts.
Followed by ‘humour in uniform’ which, in itself, is a good enough reason to visit your blog.
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Thank you for your kind words, Ankur.
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As my father-in-law noted, running out of gas while flying wasn’t much fun. –Curt
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I couldn’t even imagine!!
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Me neither, G. I find running out of gas in a car mortifying. 🙂 I’m one of those guys who starts looking for a gas station when the gauge falls below half.
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We’re certainly alike in that respect!!!
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Yeah, and you also like birds! (grin)
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Ya got me!
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What a terrible tragedy – most of the WWII combatants were drafted. There was no reason to be loyal to a dictator.
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But what if Germany won the war and the POW’s were sent home to face the consequences?
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You have a fair point.
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Amazing how some POW still obeyed orders while in captivity. Giving info to their enemy reminds me of someone in Hanoi.
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I think I know who you mean, he’s gone now. The POW’s were still soldiers, just as our men in captivity were. Duty doesn’t always stop after capture.
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Yes, he’s gone but not forgotten for his deeds. The POW were murdering their fellow German soldiers. Well, the Reich were as bad as the Japs.
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Both interesting articles, GP. Incredible how German POWs so far from home still kept up their belief in that ‘final victory’.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hitler took them from the WWI losers into a massive empire, I guess it gave many Germans hope of grandeur?
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Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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Thank you, John!!
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You are welcome.
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WOW! Interesting.
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Thanks.
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Americans have never been very good or efficient when it come to executions.
I notice that the execution of those 7 Germans was completed in under 3 hours.
Had they have asked Albert Pierrepoint to come over and officiate he would have despatched the lot in under 3 minutes,
I kid you not GP, He holds the record. from time of going into the condemned cell, to the drop and immediate death, was 7 seconds, true 7 seconds.
His rope, that he used many times did not have a noose as such, but an eye through which the rope ran.He actually executed over 200 Germans in Europe after the war for their war crimes
Pierrepoints history is well worth reading GP, and those that he executed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pierrepoint
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Thank you for the link, Beari. I don’t know the exact circumstances of these executions, I thought 3 hours was a long time too. Something had to be going on.
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Probably left them to dangle and die slowly GP
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I love th story of the mining run. Thanks for including the details on how that contraption works. I am always amazed at the missions these guys accepted. That one had to be scary.
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The lack of fuel would foremost on my mind – that Pacific is an awfully big ocean!!
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When stationed at FE Warren AFB (formerly Fort DA Russell) in Cheyenne , Wyoming in the 70s, I was detailed to ‘redress’ the headstones of six Nazi POW’s that were buried outside the walls of the base cemetery. As the story goes, they died of ‘natural causes from injuries recieved during combat and capture.’ Wishing now that I’d tried to learn more about these men.
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So many on both sides have been lost in the halls of history. That’s I and so many like me try to collect as many stories as we can.
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At least one German POW in England was tried by a kangaroo court and then executed….a fate which ultimately befell those who had murdered him, except it was a properly constructed court martial. The SS in a camp to the north west of London also had a James Bond type plan to have a mass break out and then be armed by U-boats arriving in Suffolk and Essex. There was some kind of contact between the two…the prisoners and the German Navy but it all came to nothing.
Overall, hard core Nazis were crazy people who would kill anybody they saw as betraying the Reich, whether civilians, fellow soldiers or fellow POWs.
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So I gather. Thank you, John, for adding this story to the post. You are such a valuable resource!! (and a nice guy as well!)
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Reblogged this on Dave Loves History.
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Much appreciated, Dave.
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Thank you for the insight, this is good reading. I love what I see on this site.
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I’m very happy to hear that. This history still affects us today.
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It absolutely does, this was something I didn’t know, and I am grateful for this knowledge.
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Very interesting about the German POWs. There was a POW camp up in the San Luis Valley, and back in the 90s, one of the men who had been held there returned to see the place. There isn’t a lot left (the site is now occupied by a produce company). The Center area is a big producer of potatoes, something he knew something about. Since he could work the machinery, he was able to work and made some money doing so (not much, but when the war was over he had enough money to start a business in Germany). I recall reading in the interview that the first time he ever tasted whiskey was in a store owned by one of my relatives.
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Thank you for the story, William. I love it when we get even more info on that era.
Perhaps this story is similar…..?
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So much valuable information to be knowledgeable about. Thank you for keeping us aware.
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I pop in 2 or 3 times a week to help keep these troops in our thoughts and memories. I can only hope I succeed.
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You do.
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Thanks.
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You are with us. Thank you.
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I’m glad we swear an oath to the Consitution and not an individual. Way too scary to owe fidelity fo a person (except to the US Marine Corps or your spouse.)
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That’s why I can’t see comparing presidents or Congress’. I should think they should just get to work each day and do their best – like we, the working class, do!!
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Amen, GP
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You are a never-ending fount of all things WWII in the Pacific. Another great post. Do you ever take your show on the road and talk to libraries or other groups?
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Me? Talk in public to more than 2 or 3 people? hahahahaha
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Bet you could do it if you wanted to, but I don’t think you want to. Do what makes you happy.
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I have set up a legacy with the National WWII Museum in New Orleans for all my father’s memorabilia and all the items I’ve accumulated by myself or from the readers. Knowing that they will be cared for and viewed by people long after I’m gone is all I need.
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Good for you GP. Best way to continue to teach history lessons of the Pacific theater in WWII which are so few and far between. Most I see are ETO.
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Most people can associate with the ETO because many of their ancestors were from there. It does tend to bother me though because the Pacific was larger, harder to wage and lasted longer. Those troops deserve more air time, but they only seem to show the USMC in the Pacific. I can’t imagine how people who fought in Alaska (The APO – american Theater of Operation) feel about it all.
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When I started researching the PTO, there were not much around. Everything seemed to be ETO which was frustrating for me until I found your blogs. That was a lucky day!
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Thanks, Rose. You are always so nice!! We have some pretty good talks, don’t we? 🙂
All my best to your husband, I hope he’s feeling better today.
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Yes, we do. I wish you were close by. If you ever get to Charleston, please drop by. I’m afraid he is not doing too well. I try to cheer him up most of the time.
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Sorry to hear that.
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I can’t see the aerial minefield having a high degree of success (can’t find data on actual use). It seems too complicated a strategy for it to reliably. I read where Aerial mines were used (for a bit) against land and naval targets.
. . . which makes that whole mission (objective and execution) read a bit weird, at least as described. I mean, the mission was (apparently) to mine waters but the system described in the drawing is for an aerial minefield. Interesting reading nonetheless.
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It was new to me as well, so I’m not much help in explaining it. I posted it more to show the planning and daring of the airmen.
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Love that call in the air stirke. LOL
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Well, when all else fails!! I keep wondering if I can call them in to help with some of my chores!! 🙂
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Haha
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Amazing stories, GP. The mining run was a miracle of planning. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for reading it, John.
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😊
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Amazing skills of those airmen!
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I agree, Helen. They’re something else!
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What an interesting way to bring down enemy planes.
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They were quite ingenious back then. They felt necessity was the mother of invention.
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That was terrible about the POWs—both that they murdered someone and that they were all executed. Sometimes the viciousness of human beings is so depressing.
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They felt they were doing their duty as German soldiers. I can’t judge them.
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Nevertheless, it is still awful that human beings willingly kill each other no matter what the circumstances (except self-defense or defense of others).
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As long as there are 2 people in this world, there will be conflict. I don’t know how or why it is.
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I’ve “come in on fumes” a time or two, but never in such harrowing circumstances. The level of precision required — and achieved — is amazing, too.
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I guess that’s where the talents of engineers and pilots come into perspective, eh?
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24 gallons! That IS flying by the seat of your pants!
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haha, good way to put it!!
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So the German P.O.W.’s still obeyed the Reich when they were held in safe captivity
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Obviously some did. Dedication to duty just as our men felt.
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Hello
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I appreciate you linking up, Ian.
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