The Life of Bomber Crews Captured as POWs in WWII
by Blog Contributor | July 30, 2024 | Biography, Uncategorized, World War II | 0 Comments
Photo by Eric Ward
One of America’s most famous offensives against Nazi Germany were the bombing runs spearheaded by the B-17s. Over 12,000 of these massive planes were produced and many an aviation veteran would find themselves assigned as part of a bomber’s crew.
However, that also meant that plenty of them would be shot down and become a POW in a German prison camp in WWII. The most infamous of these camps was Stalag Luft III, a camp established in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1942.
The camp was run by the Luftwaffe itself, and they not only oversaw captured crews from America but also members of Britain’s Royal Air Force.
Many of the crews captured as POWs in WWII are often those who came from Stalag Luft or other similar camps. It’s been argued that the Luftwaffe were better jailors compared to their other counterparts in the Wermacht, but life remained nonetheless bleak until liberation came near the end of the war.
From Crash to Capture
Of the thousands of B-17s sent out on bombing missions, the Air Force would lose roughly a third to Nazi defenses and inevitably result in the capture of surviving crewmen. For despite their historical reputation, the B-17s were far from invincible. The Luftwaffe fighters were quick to adapt their tactics towards taking down their formations. And on the ground, the fighters were further bolstered by the notorious flak guns that were more or less a mainstay of the German anti-aircraft defense.
Picture from the “Handbook of German Military Forces” by the U.S. Government.
Ideally, the crew of a doomed B-17 would parachute to safety. But in reality, it would be a harrowing experience for many WWII aviation veterans. Many crews captured as POWs in WWII are often veterans who fly at high altitudes, freezing temperatures and the overarching threat of flak shrapnel flying about as they attempted to land.
Granted, it can be said that the Nazis preferred any surviving B-17 crewman captured alive than dead. One of the reasons would be the Kampfgeschwader 200, a Luftwaffe special operations unit that specialized in capturing, studying and hopefully re-using downed enemy bombers. This gave them the motivation to interrogate the POW crew members in the hopes that any information would lead to more effective countermeasures.
Of course, there was also the simple reality that the Allies had Axis POWs of their own and capturing the B-17 crewmen was just one more leverage they could have during negotiations.
The Two Sides of Being in the “Better” POW Camp
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
The crews captured as POWs in WWII often present two sides to living in camps like Stalag Luft. On the one hand, the conditions weren’t completely uncivilized. Like prisons today, they even had libraries where prisoners can pursue studies. The POWs also had plenty of advocates for their welfare, primarily the members of the Red Cross. These facilitated the supply of food and other essential supplies. There were also athletics facilities and even a theatre at some point, where the prisoners could make regular performances for entertainment.
The POWs also had systems of organization that rivalled (and at times even surpassed) that of their German overseers. Those trustworthy enough to be inducted will be shown how they’ve kept track of the guards’ movements and how it allowed for all kinds of subterfuge.
Still, the Germans wouldn’t allow escape so easily and any of the prisons were also designed in a way that made conventional escape attempts very easy to detect. They also hesitate to use brutal interrogation methods as far as the B-17 crewmen were concerned. Asides from physical beatings, some officers would also resort to blackmail, intimidation and every other dirty psychological tactic to squeeze whatever information they could.
How the POWs Found Freedom
Photo by Robert Gourley
Despite the designs of the prisons, however, the German officers running the POW camps had their hands full with a number of both major and minor escape attempts. At least two of these attempts had found themselves adapted into books and immortalized in film.
These daring plots often exposed just how better organized the POWs were compared to their wardens. The hidden systems of surveillance as well as the different ways they supplied tools and planned out the routes of their escape was said to have event sent Hitler himself flying into a rage.
On the other hand, many of the Luftwaffe personnel assigned to these camps were also either too old to serve in combat or worst, out of commission. Some had even become sympathetic and allowed for the relaxation of certain rules.
By the time the war was near its end, the Soviets were closing in on the prisons and Nazi high command began ordering their transfer. This was at the point where Luftwaffe morale was so low, some POWs were even allowed to make their escape in the midst of the chaos. Still, most of the crews as POWs in WWII often recall their more formal transition into Soviet custody before ultimately making their way back home.
Want a real firsthand glimpse of a WWII veteran’s life as a POW? Check out Letters from World War II as they describe the journey of one B-17 navigator as he escapes with his downed crew and eventually finds his way back home. Find it today on both Barnes & Noble and Amazon!
