Hi All, I've found out through some research that my grandfather, Gerhard (Gary) Baum, was a passenger in Chalk #5 of Mission Keokuk. He didn't speak much about his participation in WW2 but I was able to find an excerpt from a book in which he describes his war-time experiences. I have attached a copy of the excerpt (two parts). I also know that he was a POW at Oflag 64 in Poland and was liberated around January of 1945. Hopefully some of you will find this useful and maybe someone could actually provide me with a little more information with regards to my grandfathers experience. Thanks, Andy Baum
Hi Andy, The drain (not a 'canal') which chalk #5 hit is likely to be in an area of low ground such as we see in cover flown over the Vierville marshes. Guys, did we carry over the ground photos of the 'Big Dipper' group from the old Battlebus forum? Regards, Pat
Hi Andy and Pat, My first thought was also that this could be the "big dipper" group of horsas. Andy, I do have some doubt that your grandfather was marched through through Saint mere Eglise after his capture as the book states. Sainte mere Eglise was in American hands at the time with roadblocks everywhere. Respectfully, John
Hi John, I think we can safely assume its Saint Come du Mont. We know that F/O John C. Ballintine was interrogated in this village, so its probable that this was the route taken by the Germans to move PoWs southwards from the LZs. Regards, Pat
OK, I found the ground photos of the 'Big Dipper' Horsa group. They are in post #24 of the 'Brigadier Don Pratt's Waco Crash Site' thread. I can't see any of them nose down in a drain though! Regards, Pat
Guys, I see there is a member on Fold3 who has uploaded a collection of glider related photos. The first one in the collection can be viewed here. Some Normandy and some Holland as far as I can see. Regards, Pat
Pat, If you recall, there is a Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) available for Keokuk, Chalk #5 (AAF Serial Number HG-915). That report lists 1st Lt Gerherd Baum as one of the passengers along with T/4 Harold Fuhrman, father of Forum member Randy Fuhrman. An Enclosure to the MACR includes a February 19, 1945 statement by then 2nd Lt Joseph King (Keokuk, Chalk #2 pilot). In that attachment, King states: I saw the glider land (in) a field containing a wooded area. The right wing struck the wooded area damaging it severely. The fuselage and left wing were undamaged. I did not see any of the occupants get out of the glider although it is known that the Pilot F/O Remington M. Ketchum and the Co-pilot Clarence A. Baldwin were seen running towards a wooded area closely followed by some German soldiers. To the best of my knowledge I do not know if the passengers of the glider ever left it. In Don’s Mission Keokuk Landing Locations – A Comprehensive Attempt thread, he states: F/O King in Chalk #2 reported seeing the right wing of Chalk #5 break off in landing. I strongly believe Chalk #5 is the Horsa just north of the Big Dipper group – just across the skirt of willows and missing part of its wing. I don't see a better candidate for the specific detail of right wing damage. In US7GR 1857 4052, just to the NE of the Big Dipper group, there is a Horsa with what appears to be some right wing damage. This glider doesn’t appear to be “face down in the water”, but there are several nearby drainage ditches with one running to the west of the crash site along a possible landing roll-out track. Comments? 1st Lt Gerherd Baum’s status as a POW is listed in the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters Morning Report dated June 13, 1944. The report includes the comments: “(Atchd fr Hq First U S Army), Dy to CAP 7 Jun 44” I’ll try to prepare that document for posting later in the week. R/Kevin
Hi Kevin, Thanks for refreshing my memory on this candidate for Keokuk #5 and my apologies to Don for the oversight. The glider in question is the un-labelled Horsa at the top to the zoomed extract below to the left of the 'Willow Tree Stand' label: Image Credit: The WWII 300th Combat Engineers / www.300thcombatengineersinwwii.com In the unlikely event that Don don't read this. I think I may have gotten away with the oversight Regards, Pat
More from Bing Maps... The whole corner of that field is showing as lighter toned grass when compared to the rest of the field, probably due to wet soil conditions: <div id="mapviewer"><iframe id="map" scrolling="no" width="500" height="400" frameborder="0" src="http://www.bing.com/maps/embed/?v=2&cp=49.360800~-1.257338&lvl=18&sty=h&form=LMLTEW&emid=20129f76-4765-6d74-9ece-119b5ba16f55"></iframe></div> Live Map - Press F5 to Reset There is most definitely a drain under the 'Willow Stand' and another behind the glider, forming the western boundary of that field - the glider having landed with the nose pointing to the east (to the right in the aerial reconnaissance photo). It's difficult to be sure, but the western most cow in the Bing cover is beside what may be another drain cutting across the field - about where the nose of the Horsa came to a stop. I have no hope of Don not seeing this now Regards, Pat
Andy, As I promised in my last post, below is the 101st Airborne Division Morning Report (MR) dated June 13, 1944 that documents the capture of your grandfather. If you are not familiar with MRs, a more detailed description of MRs is available on a website link (provided by John S) dedicated to the 327th Engineer Combat Battalion of World War http://www.327engineer.com/MorningReports/MorningRportsIntro.htm#Abbreviations and the Lecaudey Farm thread (Post #102) on this Forum. R/Kevin
Andy, As I promised in my last post, below is the 101st Airborne Division Morning Report (MR) dated June 13, 1944 that documents the capture of your grandfather. If you are not familiar with MRs, a more detailed description of MRs is available on a website link (provided by John S) dedicated to the 327th Engineer Combat Battalion of World War II: http://www.327engineer.com/MorningReports/MorningRportsIntro.htm#Abbreviations and the Lecaudey Farm thread (Post #102) here on this Forum. R/Kevin
Hi everybody ! I get out the old records. The area at the time was held by German paratroopers who were at the farm in the municipality of PILLONERIES, ANGOVILLE IN PLAIN. Prisoners US on SAINTE MARIE DU MONT sector, VIERVILLE, ANGOVILLE AU PLAIN, was sent to SAINT CÔME DU MONT and CARENTAN. I am already visited me on the spot and the area is flooded in winter. Located in the hollow of a small valley. On occasion during my next trip to Normandy I would take pictures of the field. The small river close to 'Willow Tree Stand' measuring about 2 meters wide in summer and some deep place minimum 1 meter. See you
Hi Guys, Doc's mention of Saint Come du Mont reminded me of work we done back in 2011 on the old Battlebus forum for the family of F/O John C. Ballintine (T-60701), who flew as co-pilot in chalk #10 (Horsa) of Mission Keokuk. F/O Ballintine was wounded in a shoot out with German paratroopers on the LZ and taken to an aid station by them in Saint Come du Mont. Unfortunately a server crash lost us the entire thread about a year later so I only have the images used in my posts, not the text - except for one MS Word doc which I just found in my 'Ballintine' folder I used to run my posts through MS Word to check for typos back in those days and must have saved this particular post: I'll do some more digging and ask the Ballintine family if its OK to post the oral account given to them by F/O John C. Ballintine of his Normandy landing, subsequent capture and eventual release. Regards, Pat
Hi Pat, Do I understand correctly, that it is determined that the Horsa glider next to the Willows and what appears to be a drainage, is the glider flown by Pilot F/O Remington M. Ketchum and the Co-pilot Clarence A. Baldwin with 1st Lt Gerherd Baum as a passenger? Just wanted to be sure. Thank you Be Well Dave
Hi Dave, Its my belief that this Horsa is no more than a good possibility; other members may disagree however. I have not come across any other ground photos of the cluster to which this glider belongs, so in my mind, we have no confirmed identification or tie to crew listings. Recently I came across an extended version of the glider snatch footage which shows a Waco being picked up by a C47. I am trying to locate the scene therein and the Vierville marshes is one location under consideration. However, there is no sign of any Horsa gliders in the footage. Regards, Pat
Thank you Pat for the information. I'm still in the process of reading the posts. So much interesting information being exchanged! Are these marshes located on a map? If possible, I would like to georeference the map and create a layer in the ArcGIS project. Be Well Dave
Hi Dave, The watercourse marked 'Ruisseau du Pont Perrat' is running through what remains of the willow stand here. The Horsa marked 'H2' above is (or was) sitting at the top left corner of the field centered. Hope this helps, but let me know if you need 'then & now' screenshots. Regards, Pat
Thank you Pat, Sorry, my fault I was not clear. I was thinking of how the landscape was in 1944. I went ahead and grabbed "Map8" 4th Infantry Division D Day http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/utah/maps/MAP8.JPG UTAH BEACH TO CHERBOURG (6 June-27 June 1944) http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/utah/utah.htm It is just a general idea where "wetlands" were located. I understand some areas were flooded but, this will have to do for now. Thank you again Pat. Be Well Dave