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ROLL OF HONOR
GLIDER PILOTS KILLED IN ACTION
AND IN THE LINE OF DUTY
"...the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so
costly
a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."
--
From a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to Mrs.
Lydia Bixby of Massachusetts
who, at the time, was believed to have
lost
five sons killed in action while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Also inscribed on the
monument
at
the entrance to the Punchbowl National Military Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii.
WWII
Combat Glider Pilot Memorial - Arlington National Military Cemetery - In a place
of honor just down the hill from President Kennedy's tomb.
Plaque
which may be found in National Cemeteries where Glider Pilots are buried.
At the height of the
Glider Program, the American Combat
Glider Pilots numbered less than 6,000. 211 of them died in combat, approximately
636 were wounded, and another 140 died in
the line of duty, most in training accidents flying their dangerous
aircraft. This casualty rate of 987 Glider Pilots, 16.4% of
their total number, and roughly 20% of the number who flew in each combat
mission, was one of the highest of any combat specialty in World War
II.
Military doctrine
typically holds that 10% or more casualties are unacceptable and will render a
unit ineffective for further combat. The Glider Pilots routinely sustained
far more than that number of casualties in almost every mission.
A note on casualties: All the men listed on this page
were killed in action or in the line of duty. The exact number of Glider
Pilots who were wounded in the same operations is not known. However, a
military rule of thumb is that wounded typically number three times the number
killed.
Casualty list courtesy of the National World War II Glider Pilots
Association Membership Roster, 1999, and from corrections and additions from
site visitors.
Still partially under construction. More details to
follow.
"They came of age during the Great
Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America - men
and women whose everyday lives of duty, honor, achievement, and courage gave us
the world we have today. "
TOM
BROKAW
From a Special Warfare Memorial.
SICILY - Operation "Husky"
6 Killed. Approximately 18 Wounded.
136 American Waco Gliders, 8 British Horsa Gliders, 111
American C-47s, 25 British Albemarles, and 8 Halifaxes. (Silent
Wings Page 89).
July 9, 1943
Bordewich, Arnold, Flight Officer, White Plains, NY
Capite, Guisseppe Y., Flight Officer, New York, NY
Hollinshead, Kenneth L., Flight Officer, Santa Monica, CA
Jackson, Tracy H., Captain
McCollum, Charles, R., Flight Officer, Tulsa, OK
Petroulias, Gus T., Flight Officer, Gastonia, NC
BURMA - Operation "Thursday"
6 Killed. Approximately 18 wounded.
March 1, 1944
Dowe, Robert L., Second Lieutenant, Waukegan, IL
Sharrock, Robert P., Second Lieutenant
Wells, David Lee, Flight Officer, Shelton, WA
March 8, 1944
Le Fevre, Donald A., First Lieutenant, Troy, NY
McTique, Martin J., Flight Officer, Leechburg, PA
Ritzinger, William C., Flight Officer, Chippewa Falls, WI
NORMANDY - Operation
"Neptune"
This
was the Airborne Phase of the Overall Normandy Invasion Codenamed
"Operation Overlord."
44 killed in action. Approximately 132 wounded.
D-Day - June 6, 1944
Aigner, Norman Louis, Captain, Roxbury, VA
Birdzell, Ivan W., Flight Officer, Louisville, KY
Butler, John M., Second Lieutenant, Chattanooga, TN
Darling, Raymond, First Lieutenant, Stuart, FL
Davis,
Howard M.E., Flight Officer, Hollywood, CA
(Reported
KIA June 6, 1944 but would appreciate any additional corroborating evidence site
visitors may have.)
Doyle, Roderick, Flight Officer, Alameda, CA
Farmbrough, Edward C., Flight Officer, Atlanta, GA
Forbell, William H. Jr., Richmond Hill, NY
Griffin, Clinton H., Flight Officer, Seminole, OK
Griffith, Gus T., Second Lieutenant, Charlotte, NC
Herriage, Joe Willard, First Lieutenant, Bonham, TX
Huckleberry, Willis R., Flight Officer, Brownfield, TX
Kemper, Sylvester H., Flight Officer, Mishicott, WI
Kiel, Elmer J., Flight Officer, Emporia, KS
Loving, Adrian R., Flight Officer, Nomoni Grove, VA
Lund, Norman T., Flight Officer, Plentywood, MT
McCabe, William T., Flight Officer, Carlisle, PA
McMillian, Ernest D., Second Lieutenant, Lebanon, MO
Meleky, Joseph, Flight Officer, Farrell, PA
Mercer, Richard George, Flight Officer, Wichita Falls, TX
Metchicas, Jimmy Gus, Flight Officer, Newberry, SC
Myers, Richard Stanley, Flight Officer, Cathage, IN
Mills, John H., Flight Officer, Jamestown, CA
Nelson, Verl R., Flight Officer, St. Louis, MO
O'Haver, William Patrick, Flight Officer, Laurenceville, IL
Shapiro, Samuel B., Second Lieutenant, Chicago, IL
Smith, Robert Watson, Flight Officer, Webertown, SD
Van Houten, Ernest, Flight Officer, Newark, NJ
Weiss, Robert S., Flight Officer, New York, NY
Willoughby, Jack L., Captain, Kansas City, MO
D-Day + 1 - June 7, 1944
Bone, Adam, Second Lieutenant, Detroit, MI
Clement, Robert L., Flight Officer, Chicago, IL
Code, Dale, Flight Officer, Clarkstown, WA
Hoag, Richard M., Second Lieutenant, Chicago, IL
Jenson, Vernon, Flight Officer, Plaza, ND
Lindsey, Hubert W., Flight Officer, Fort Worth, TX
Reed, James Marion, Flight Officer, Waterford, OH
Rembes, Vincent J., Flight Officer, Buffalo, NY
Walls, John Frank, First Lieutenant, Oliver Springs, TN
Winks, Ben W., Second Lieutenant, Sumner, IA
D-Day + 2 - June 8, 1944
Baldwin, Hadley D., Flight Officer
Graves, Joseph Curtis, Second Lieutenant, Amarillo, TX
(Reported
KIA on June 8, 1944, but also reported shot with a group of 20 paratroopers
by German captors following their capture on or about June 12, 1944.)
Ahmad, Thomas, Second Lieutenant
July 4, 1944
Hutchinson, Robert M., Flight Officer
SOUTHERN FRANCE - Operation "Dragoon"
21 killed in action. Approximately 63 wounded.
August 14, 1944
Kimball, Paul R., Second Lieutenant, Sacramento, CA
August 15, 1944
Allen, Glen H., Flight Officer, Yankton, SD
Alto, Lawrence, Flight Officer, Traverse City, MI
Anderson, James W., First Lieutenant
Andrews, Joseph, First Lieutenant
Bell, Garland, Flight Officer
Bell, Orman G., Flight Officer, Ijamsville, MD
Billstrom, John E., Second Lieutenant, Pomona, CA
Boardman, Charles, Flight Officer
Coletti, Nicholas J., Flight Officer, Louisiana
Hardin, Robert, Flight Officer, Little Rock, AR
Hernden, William Harry, Flight Officer
Kern, William E., Flight Officer, Forest Park, IL
La Valle, Ralph, E., Flight Officer, Manistee, MI
Leaman, Horace F., Flight Officer, Pittsburgh, PA
Lehrman, Larry, Flight Officer, St. Petersburg, FL
Lieberman, David, Flight Officer, Stamford, CT
Sanchez, Max W., Flight Officer, Los Angeles, CA
Stephens, Preston, Flight Officer, Port Arthur, TX
Thompson, Alfred Graham, Flight Officer, Pittsburgh, PA
August 18, 1944
Bierbaum, Charles B., Flight Officer, Minneapolis, MN
HOLLAND - Operation "Market Garden"
41 killed in action. Approximately 123 wounded.
September 17, 1944
Baker, George W., Flight Officer, Roseville, CA
Brown, Elmore, Major, Elmore, IA
Burton, Philip, Flight Officer
Canova, Gene Evans, Flight Officer
Dziewialtowski, Otqut, First Lieutenant, Springfield, VT
Salemme, Dominic, Flight Officer, West Haven, CT
Schuffelberger, L.R., Flight Officer, Dodge City, KS
Welch, Samuel C., Flight Officer, Des Moines, IA
September 18, 1944
Chitwood, James A., Flight Officer
Collette, William, Second Lieutenant, Tampa, FL
Gilman, Robert C., Flight Officer, Portland, ME
Hill, Rees T., Flight Officer, Espanola, NM
Hinkel, Kenneth B., Flight Officer, Rosebud, TX
Jones, Carl Edward, Flight Officer, Salinas, CA
Lee, Perry, Jr., Flight Officer, Middlesboro, KY
McCann, Noel Clarence, Flight Officer, Norwood, OH
Moorehead, William M., First Lieutenant, Milwaukee, WI
Riscky, Adolf, Second Lieutenant, Fort Worth, TX
Van Sicklen, John, Second Lieutenant, Alameda, CA
September 19, 1944
Brown, Robert E., Captain
Davis, Robert P., Flight Officer, Indianapolis, MN
Dedloff, Herman H., Second Lieutenant
Delassus, Joseph H., Flight Officer, Cape Girardeau, MO
Donahue, George P., Flight Officer, Long Beach, CA
Ferguson, Jesse D., Second Lieutenant, Burkburnett, TX
Fry, Emory A., Flight Officer, Greensboro, NC
Griffin, Edward M., Flight Officer, Charlotte, NC
Henwood, John F., Flight Officer, St. Paul, MN
Huehls, Earl R., Flight Officer, Indianapolis, IN
Johnson, Alvin I., Flight Officer
Kile, Robert J., Flight Officer, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Pachico, John, Second Lieutenant, Eureka, MT
Reddick, Jacob A., Flight Officer, Atlanta, GA
Seymour, Douglas W., Flight Officer, River Falls, AL
Teders, Francis J., Flight Officer, Avilla, IN
Titus, Wilber Leon, Flight Officer, Johnson, VT
September 20, 1944
Carter, Wayne E., Flight Officer, Decatur, IL
September 21, 1944
Mudd, Dana T., Flight Officer, McKinney, TX
September 23, 1944
Bissell, John R., Flight Officer, Seattle, WA
Boyer, Vincent P., Second Lieutenant, Kingston, PA
Meyers, Eugene H., Flight Officer, Linden, NJ
RELIEF MISSION INTO BASTOGNE DURING THE
BATTLE OF THE BULGE TO RESUPPLY THE ENCIRCLED 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION
Operation "Repulse" (All
Volunteers)
3
killed in action. Approximately 9 wounded. Of 100 gliders that
took
part
in this resupply mission, only 65 made it through.
December
27, 1944
Bloomfield, Douglas C., Second Lieutenant, Fillmore, MI
Knott, Gerald D., Flight Officer, Monett, MO
Schott, Raymond G., Second Lieutenant, Columbus, OH
GERMANY - Operation "Varsity"
79 killed in action. Approximately 240 wounded.
1,348 gliders took part in this operation. A casualty rate of 24.2%.
March 24, 1945
The
most dangerous day for American Glider Pilots in the history of the Glider
Program - 79 killed.
Ammerman, Nelson V. Jr., Second Lieutenant
Anderson, Levi F. Jr., Flight Officer, Winchester, VA
Attebury, Eugene, T., First Lieutenant, Elkton, KY
Baker, Elbert O. Jr., Second Lieutenant, Nashville, TN
Barbaclough, A.P., Flight Officer
Bell, Donald DeWitt, Flight Officer, Watertown, SD
Blanche, Edwin L., Second Lieutenant, Dallas, TX
Brobst, LeRoy, Flight Officer, Enid, OK
Brown, William A. Jr., Major, Greensboro, NC
Bullpitt, Lorne F., Second Lieutenant, Galesburg, IL
Burton, Ivan, Flight Officer, Kaysville, UT
Butler, Wade H., Second Lieutenant, Chattanooga, TN
Casella, Clement A., Flight Officer, Long Beach, NY
Chamberlain, Gordon C., Second Lieutenant, San Diego, CA
Chandler, Walter R., Second Lieutenant, Safford, AZ
Crowell, George N., Flight Officer
Crozier, Emil M., Captain, Stillwater, OK
Daugherty, Fred H., Flight Officer, Middletown, NY
Davis, Thomas C., Flight Officer, Rice Lake, WI
Draycott, Arthur B., Second Lieutenant, McLean, TX
Duncan, Loys, Flight Officer, Moab, UT
Elliott, Claudie Lee, Flight Officer, Winneboro, TX
Ellis, Duane E., Second Lieutenant, Whitewood, SD
Ellmaker, Webb D., Second Lieutenant, Charleston, SC
Flaming, Lendon K., Flight Officer, Reedley, CA
Gephart, Raymond D., Flight Officer, Lakeville, MN
Giannobule, Frank W., Flight Officer, Des Moines, IA
Hammer, Arthur W., Flight Officer, Fort Wayne, IN
Hampton, John H., Flight Officer, Dallas, TX
Hanner, Francis Jackson, Flight Officer, Marshall, IN
Hassman, Morton, Second Lieutenant, Philadelphia, PA
Hays, David S., Second Lieutenant, Youngstown, NY
Heelas, William A., Flight Officer, Lockhaven, PA
Hornberger, Homer, First Lieutenant, Austin, TX
Howard, John, Edward, Flight Officer, Altro, KY
Hulet, Leonard E., Flight Officer, Throwan, UT
Hunt, Max Lee, Flight Officer, Bradford, PA
Hurney, Paul E., First Lieutenant, Cincinnati, OH
Hyman, Leonard O., Flight Officer, Dancyville, TN
Jacobson, Lind D., Flight Officer, Venice, CA
James, John Wilber, Flight Officer, Jacksonville, IL
Johnson, Arthur R., Flight Officer, Union City, NJ
Jones, Everette Ray, Flight Officer, Hollis, OK
Kearns, John G., Second Lieutenant, South Orange, NJ
Keiser, John B., Second Lieutenant, Bell Flower, CA
King, C.B., Flight Officer, Tahoka, TX
Kinnee, Gerald F., Flight Officer, Cadillac, MI
Klamser, Leonard F., Second Lieutenant, St. Joseph, MO
Lawley, Ralph H., Flight Officer, Birmingham, AL
Manget, Frederic D., Flight Officer, Atlanta, GA
Merriman, William T. Jr., Second Lieutenant, Springfield, MO
Miller, Warren R., Flight Officer, Charlotte, NC
Mullman, Herbert S., Second Lieutenant, Chicago, IL
Niland, William J., Second Lieutenant, Rawlins, CO
Noehre, Ernest John, Flight Officer, Roscoe, SD
Odell, Irvin S., Second Lieutenant, Norfolk, VA
Page, Warren, Flight Officer, Sioux City, IA
Paul, Francis J., Second Lieutenant, Boston, MA
Peterson, Donald V., Second Lieutenant, Miles, MT
Phillipson, Burton M., Second Lieutenant, Albuquerque, NM
Pittman, George G., Flight Officer, Etna Green, IN
Robb, Hugh C., First Lieutenant, Philadelphia, PA
Secaur Lee W., Flight Officer, Auburn, NY
Shaw, George L., Flight Officer, Houston, TX
Sweeney, John J. Jr., Flight Officer, Upper Darby, PA
Switzer, Delmar E., Second Lieutenant, Des Moines, IA
Thacker, Harvey D., Flight Officer, Myrtle Creek, OR
Van Eyck, Willard H., Flight Officer, Holland, MI
Walters, George J., Flight Officer, South Milwaukee, WI
Walters, John C., Flight Officer, Baltimore, MD
Ward, Warren W., First Lieutenant, Madison, WI
Warden, Alexander, Flight Officer, Jacksonville, FL
Weiss, Elliott B., Flight Officer
Wheelock, Lee A., Flight
Officer, Bakersfield, VT
Williams, Wendell George, Second Lieutenant, Madison, WI
Wojtal, Alfred J., Second Lieutenant, Chicago, IL
Wolverton, Jesse C. Jr., Flight Officer, Stephenville, TX
Wollwine, Richard H., Flight Officer, Wichita, KS
Zinn, John Walter, Flight Officer, Haddonfield, NJ
March 26, 1945
Rind, Robert R., Flight Officer, Hot Springs, AR
March 31, 1945
Joseph, Ford, E., First Lieutenant, St. Louis, MO
PHILIPPINES - Operation "Appari"
No casualty figures available
INDIVIDUAL OR SMALL COMBAT MISSIONS
The dates some of the men listed below died are not confirmed
but they died in combat nevertheless.
One of the untold stories about the Glider Pilots is that the
OSS - Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the CIA - used gliders
for covert missions behind enemy lines to deliver intelligence agents to their
areas of operations, and equipment and supplies to partisans, resistance
fighters and others opposing the enemy. These missions were extremely
hazardous and often required the glider to be retrieved and towed back to
friendly territory at night using the dangerous "snatch" maneuver
described elsewhere in this website. These missions were not reported for
obvious reasons and remained classified for years after World War
II.
The stories of some of the men listed below may never be
told.
April 12, 1944
Liston,
Charles B., First Lieutenant, Adel, IA
Glider
Pilot with the1st Air Commando Group. Crashed in the Chindwin River
(Burma) area on March 6, 1944. Captured by the Japanese and died in
Rangoon Central Jail on April 2, 1944. Information courtesy of his nephew,
Merle Bever. From an email from Merle Bever: In the Statement of
Investigation about this crash and the plane's contents dated February 7, 1949,
it stated that Lt. Liston, M/Sgt. Fletcher E. Hart, and Cpl. Julius F. Yackie
survived the Glider crash in the Chindwin River area on March 6, 1944.
It says all three were captured by the Japanese and taken to Rangoon Central
Jail. M/Sgt. Hart was eventually liberated and returned to the United
States. My Uncle and Cpl. Yackie died in the Japanese Jail. Another
document in the "Individual Deceased Personnel File" lists Cpl.
Yackie's ASN# as 17072536 and his date of death as August 18, 1944.
May 2, 1944
Lopez, Edmondo, Flight Officer, Las Cruces, NM
May 8, 1944
Baldwin, Hadley Dwinell, Flight Officer, Louisville, KY
February 14, 1945
Polovich, George C., Flight Officer, Detroit, MI
Yates, Jack Dempsey, Flight Officer,
Gainesville, GA
Killed
in action February 14, 1945 while serving on a volunteer recon mission in
the Philippines.
(Previously
reported to hail from Kingsport, TX. His son visited this website and
provided accurate information.) FO Dempsey and FO Polovich were both
killed in the same glider crash. The below information and image of the
grave marker is provided by Suzette Genzler: "I was visiting your
site, researching information on the death of my uncle during WWII. The above
information is taken from your website. My Uncle, Robert Lee New, was killed in
the same crash as the above two men. I have enclosed a photo of the grave marker
with the two names above listed on it as well as the others that were killed in
this crash."
FO
Yates, FO Dempsey, and the passengers in their glider were buried in a mass
grave located in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (Just outside of St.
Louis, Missouri) in a formal burial in 1950.
Date Unknown
Briffet, R.P., Flight Officer
Derflinger, James, Second Lieutenant
Krohn, Irving William, Flight Officer
McCue, John, Flight Officer, Chicago, IL
Melvin, Henry, Flight Officer, ND
KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Gliders were dangerous aircraft to fly in combat or in
training. The 140 men below lost their lives in the line of duty, a great
many of them in crashes and accidents while they trained for combat
missions. The Waco CG-4A was designed and built quickly, sometimes by
furniture, kitchen appliance, or other non-aviation companies, to meet the urgent
needs of war. Manufacturing and design defects were discovered only after
many of the men below purchased that valuable information with their
lives. In doing so, they gave the Glider Program knowledge that helped
improve a dangerous aircraft so it was less dangerous for those who would eventually
fly and ride them into
combat.
Their ultimate sacrifice is no less than that of the men who
died in combat.
| Andrews, Daniel W. |
Croke, Harry R. Jr. |
Griggs, Preston |
Lebsook, Victor C. |
Pierson, Howard S. |
West, Paul |
| Bailey, John Carson |
Davis, Charles H. |
Grigsby, Chester L. |
Levandoski, Charles J. |
Ravbinger, Fredrick |
Williamson, James L. |
| Bain, Clarence |
Dazey, Edward M. Jr. |
Grzesiek, Edward |
Levine, Martin |
Roberts, Zail E. |
Wright, John E. |
| Barringer, Lewin |
Deathridge, Allen |
Haas, Bernard B. |
Lindberg, Walter B. |
Rogers, Edgar D. |
Wyatt, A.C. |
| Bayley, Ariel K. Jr. |
DeShurley, Chester L. |
Haley, James M. |
Llewellyn, Edgar E. |
Root, Bradford K. |
Zenoby, Roger R. |
| Bean, Lloyd C. |
Dimond, Frank M. |
Hamilton, Robert Gray |
Longbottom, Lawrence |
Rose, Vincent |
| Beanson, George |
Douglas, William |
Handley, Oscar Jr. |
Lucier, Sylvan Ralph |
Roth, Harold D. |
Bennett, Everett L.
|
Drasher, Kenneth |
Herr, London A. |
Luke, LeRoy Claude |
Russo, Nuncio A. |
| Black, Beryl A. |
Drummond, Daryl E. |
Hokett, Luther H.L. |
Magistro, John |
Shaver, John Hiskey |
| Boggs, Harold L. |
Duckworth, Joe L. |
Holmquist, Edward A. |
Martin, Floyd G. |
Shaw, Martin |
| Branson, George |
Dunham, Harry H. |
Horkavi, Emil Michael |
McCartt, William E. Jr. |
Smith, William Lewis |
| Bronson, Gilbert G. |
Dupont, Richard |
Horr, Robert H. |
McFarland, Richard M. |
Snow, Robert D. |
| Bruce, Claude C. |
Dutcher, Edward Hamilton |
Hunter, Albert C. |
McGlockin, I.M. |
Sokloski, Rinaldi W. |
| Buchheit, Orville Merle |
Eads, Elton E. |
Hyatt, James A. |
Melarvie, James G. |
Steim, Ben |
| Buckner, Alfred C. |
Eden, Roy Kenneth |
Izlar, Beverly Welford |
Montemeyer, R.J. |
Storm, Harold V. |
| Bunch, Harold S. |
Elston, Ralph A. |
Jones, Thomas Justice |
Moomau, Bryan F. |
Sutherlin, Robert T. |
| Burus, Robert W. |
Emerson, Clifford L. |
Kalamatas, Christ |
Morgan, Walker K. |
Swinggi, Joe S. |
| Burruss, Nelson K. |
Fenwick, Steven A. |
Kinney, Harry Engert |
Mueller, Eden W. |
Tarrant, Ellsworth C. |
| Calvert, Thomas A. |
Fernandez, Bernando |
Klein, Edward L. |
Mueller, Wayne |
Tainter, Jeremiah B. |
| Campbell, Cullen Rupert |
Finnen, Raymond |
Kline, Benjamin L. Jr. |
Murphy, James Eugene |
Totten, Franklin |
| Campbell, Malcom B. |
Flaherty, William E. |
Klugh, Milton C. |
Oberg, Lawrence B. |
Travis, Keith Wendell |
| Cannon, Boyd M. |
Fleak, Marvin |
Kramer, Forrest F. |
Odell, William B. |
Vogel, Arthur A. |
Cekola, Carl
|
Forbes, Ernest J. |
Kramer, Wilber Alfred |
Oland, Douglas Carlton |
Waite, Herbert Lyle |
| Cole, Woodrow W. |
French, Philo N. |
Krohn, Irving W. |
Orkney, Donald Robert |
Wallace, Howard N. |
| Coons, William S. |
Gardner, John Westley |
Kuehm, Karl |
Orton, Edward Wallace |
Watson, Edward E. |
| Cotropia, Frank L. |
Goeghegan, Thomas N. |
Lagerquist, Lorence C. |
Picker, Harold |
Weber, Norman Henry |
| Craig, Tunis H. |
Goldin, David Bernard |
Larson, Harley |
Picker, William Edward |
Weese, Paul W. |
In
Flanders Fields
1915
By
John McCrae, MD, Captain, Canadian Army Medical Corps
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
During World War I, on 6 December 1915, this poem appeared in "Punch,"
a popular British periodical. Published anonymously, it was later
discovered to have been written that spring by Canadian medical officer Captain
John McCrae. During the second battle of Ypres, fought in Flanders, the
French and Belgian lands bordered by the North Sea, McCrae's best friend, a
young officer, had been severely wounded by enemy shellfire and McCrae was
unable to save his life. He took charge of his burial and the grave was
dug and the service conducted in a field where poppies softly trembled on their
slender stalks in the gentle spring breeze. His friend's death, one of so
many Captain McCrae had already witnessed, inspired him to write these words,
which have since become characterized as forming the best-known poem ever
written about war and the price it exacts from those -- mostly young -- who are
called upon to wage it. (From an email)
Please report any inaccuracies or
omissions with name, rank, date of death and hometown, if possible.
Please
click on the hyperlink to email this information to the website
author.
Link to page of messages and email
addresses of people who have visited this site and are interested in
networking with others with common interest in the WWII Glider Pilots.
Some are looking for information on family, friends, and others who were
involved in the Glider Program.
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