HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE

APO 520 - U.S. ARMY

31 October 1944

Ref: USA/SKP/151

ESCAPE STATEMENT

1. Fournier, Fernand, Cpl., 31310497, 720^th Sq., 450^th Bomb Group

Born - 5 January 1925 Interrogated - 31 Oct 1944

Enlisted - April 1943 MIA - 7 Oct 1944

Home Address - 165 Nasaway St. Fall River, Mass. RTD - 21 Oct 1944

Peacetime Profession - Mechanic Missions - 4

Duty - Gunner

1. Fournier, Fernand, Cpl., 31310497, 720^th Sq., 450^th Bomb Group

Born - 5 January 1925 Interrogated - 31 Oct 1944

Enlisted - April 1943 MIA - 7 Oct 1944

Home Address - 165 Nasaway St. Fall River, Mass. RTD - 21 Oct 1944

Peacetime Profession - Mechanic Missions - 4

Duty - Gunner

2. On 7 October 1944, source was flying in a B-24 piloted by Lt. Feebach, on a bombing mission to Vienna. After the bomb run, and after about an hours flying on the homeward run, the pilot decided that, as he was nearly out of gas, to leave the formation and head for Vis, or an emergency landing field in Yugoslavia. Finding no field on which to land he gave orders to bail out N. of Livno Yugoslavia. Source saw six other chutes in the air and does not know if all the crew bailed out. The ship was still flying when source last saw it.

3. After landing source immediately contacted S/Sgt. Norman Arnold (r/gun) and both were met by peasants, who after taking their chutes and "Mae Wests", led them up into the hills to avoid capture by Ustache troops in the vicinity. Within an hour or so source and Arnold met Partisan Troops, who took charge of them, and after two days walking handed them over to a British mission. Two days after arrival, 12 or 13 Oct 44 - Source was joined at the Mission by four other members of his crew and a F/O (all repatriated).

4. The mission was short of equipment and all men slept on the floor with blankets and parachutes, to keep warm. Two meals daily were provided, and consisted mainly of Partisan food as the Mission was out of food and evacuating. On 21 October, 1944, a British "C-47" arrived with some food supplies and evacuated all the "evaders". The mission was to be moved the same day to another location in Yugoslavia.

HEADQUARTES FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE

APO 520 - U.S. ARMY

31 October 1944

Ref: USA/SKP/157

ESCAPE STATEMENT

1. Greer, John D. Cpl. 34735714, 720^th Bomb Sq. 450^th Bomb Group

Born - 21 January 1923 Interrogated - 31 October 1944

Enlisted - 4 June 1943 MIA - 7 October 1944

Home Address - Burrville, Tennessee RTD - 21 October 1944

Peacetime Profession - Student Missions - 4

Duty - Nose Gunner

2. Mission was to bomb oil dumps in Vienna. Dropped their bombs and were on their way back when they ran out of gas. Source does not know the reason for this but stated that he was told later by the Engineer that it was probably due to the fact that it was an old ship and that it had been necessary to push it hard in order to keep up to the formation. Source bailed out and landed 15 miles No. of Livno in Yugoslavia.

3. Source was in hands of Ustachi for 2 ½ days.

4. Source was met by peasants who started to lead his to Partisans. On the way, they were stopped by Ustachi who stripped him of his weapons and sundry articles of clothing. Before meeting the Ustachi, source had been joined by three others. All four were brought to Livno. They were put into a room where they were joined by a fighter pilot, F/O Hanson who told them that they were prisoners. They stayed here awaiting interrogation for 2 ½ days when the Partisans attacked and took the village of Livno. The Partisans marched them to an English mission. They stayed here from the 12^th to the 21^st of October when an English supply plane took them off to Beri.

C.N. Kalgounos

1^st Lt., Signal Corps

Interrogater

7 Oct 1944

Greer, John D., Cpl., 34735714, 720^th Bomb Sq., 450^th Bomb Group

APPENDIX F

Source was joined by 5 other members of his crew:

T/Sgt. Eugene Remmell - Cameraman

T/Sgt. Gordon P. Brown - Engineer

Cpl. Frank T. Haggard - Sperry Ball man

S/Sgt. Norman F. Arnold - Armor Gunner

Cpl. F. Fournier - Asst. Engineer

All above came to Bari with source. Met F/O Foushner, bombardier at 26^th General Hospital. Source does not know what happened to the others but was told by bombardier that he thought all the rest of the crew were prisoners of the Germans as he last saw the plane headed in the direction of German held territory.