ALVIN H. HENDERSON
Escape and Evasion Report |
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S
E C R E T
HEADQUARTERS
EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS
PW and X Detachment
Military Intelligence Service |
SECRET
by authority A C of S, G-2
Initials WSH
Date 21 August 1944 |
Alvin H. HENDERSON, Cpl, 38271077
508 Parachute Infantry Regiment
82 Airborne Division |
E
& E REPORT NO. 911 (I.S.9(WEA) 7/31/72
ESCAPE FROM FRANCE |
MIA: 6 June 1944
arrived in UK:
9 August 1944 |
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TAKE
MORTAR POSITION |
I left the plane at 9231 hours on 6 June and dropped just north of
GOURBESVILLE. ETIENVILLE was our objective. I was
isolated from
the rest of the men in my plane, but three more ships had dropped
their load in the near vicinity; so I joined up with some of those
men. That day 20 of us led by a 1st Lt took four machine gun
positions and a mortar position. By that evening only nine of
us were left. The remainder had either been killed or
captured. |
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MAKES
FIRST BREAK |
On 7 June
the Lt, myself and seven men were surrounded. The lieutenant
was killed trying to make a getaway. That night we were taken
to a farm near PICOUVILLE [sic] where there were more American
prisoners. When we were being taken in trucks to a
prison camp that night, we were strafed by American and BRITISH
planes, and 11 enlisted men and five officers were killed among the
prisoners. Some of the Germans got it at the same time.
I made my first break when we were strafed. I hit the ditch
and ran along a hedge, but I ran into a German bivouac and was
recaptured. I was put into a house alongside the road with
some other prisoners, when American planes strafed us again.
This time only the Germans got hit. From there we were marched
to within three miles of ST LO, arrived there on the night of 8
June. We stayed there until 10 June and then were marched to a
monastery called NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES and were put behind barbed
wire. |
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ESCAPE |
On 26
June the Germans marched all the prisoners down the road to PONFARCH
[sic] and there stopped the column for a break. The prisoners were
backed up to a building to rest. There was a deep ditch along
the road ad I lay down in it and covered myself with leaves as well
as I could. When the break was over, the Germans marched the
remainder of the prisoners away. After the column gad left, I
headed SE because I didn't think I as strong enough to make it all
the way to our lines.
At daybreak I stopped at a French farmhouse and told them who I was.
They gave me food but politely refused to hide me. I
believe this was about 27 June, I walked about two hours
through the fields and stopped at another farmhouse. I watched
the farmhouse for sometime and saw that only four people lived
there. Then I went up to the farmer while he was milking
and told him who I was. He was glad to see me and took me into
his house to give me food and fit me out in civilian clothing.
When I asked if I could stay there to rest, he agreed. I was
careful that no one else should know that I was staying at the farm
as I was told there were many collaborators in the district.
Now and then Germans stopped at the house, and the Frenchman always
told them I had lost my hearing from concussion.
When the Germans established a headquarters on the farm for about
three weeks, I was moved to a neighbors farm. Later I was
moved back to the first farm again. On one occasion German
officers came to the
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