Скачать или смотреть George Sterler's WWII Experiences - 96th Bomb Group, 338th Squadron, 8th Air Force - B-17 Pilot

This presentation is an oral history of photos, letters, documents, and drawings of the World War II experiences of Captain George Sterler, a B-17 pilot from Sheldon, Iowa. This oral history was compiled by Dean and Joan Hansen in 2005.
Capt. George T. Sterler
338th Squadron, 96th Bomb Group, 45th Combat Bombardment Wing, 8th Air Force
POW in: Dulag Luft (Oberursel), Hospital (Obermasfeld), Stalag Luft III (Sagan), Stalag XIII-C (Nuremburg), and Stalag VII-A (Moosburg)
Medals awarded: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple
Heart, POW Medal, ETO Ribbon
Two Ironies:
Upon landing and breaking his ankle, several farmers with pitch forks came running at him. He thought this would be the end. However, just in time, two German soldiers showed up to "save" him from any fate intended by the farmers.
It turns out that Sterler landed in a farm field around Sehlem/Hildesheim, which is approximately 58 miles from where his grandfather, Tom Sterler, was born and raised (Bunde, Oftfriesland) before emigrating to America.
Midair Collision:
The midair collision on May 8, 1944 was between Capt. Sterler's B-17 and a German Messerschmitt Bf-109, reportedly flown by Lt. Leopold Munster, a legendary German fighter pilot ace who claimed 95 victories over enemy aircraft. Munster had been a recipient of Germany's second highest medal, the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. There exist speculative records that Munster collided with a B-24 in the vicinity of Sehlem on May 8th, but further review of the MACR's (Missing Aircraft Reports), area pilot interviews from that day and geographical analysis comparing the German account with the American account seem to indicate that the collision was likely with Sterler's B-17. The conflicting account is likely due to the fact that the 96th was mixed in with some B-24s on that mission due to a mix-up on the way to Berlin (https://www.fold3.com/page/110664659).
Summary of WWII Experience:
http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/s...