Hi All, Our newest member, Alane Alden, has kindly allowed me to post some documents from his private collection pertaining to a B-24 navigator with the 15th Air Force in Italy. His name was Leavitt Shertzer (Lev for short) of the 464th Bomb Group. Even though Lev's story is not directly Normandy related, he did end up in Barracks #44, Center Compound in Stalag Luft III along with at least one Normandy glider pilot, Alfred J. Sapa (Pilot of Horsa #10, 'Mission 'Keokuk'). The first image below shows a photograph of Lev's POW ID card issued to him by the German authorities: Image Credit: Alane Alden The next image shows a cover letter issued with a 'Wartime Log' to all Allied POWs by the Y.M.C.A. through the Red Cross: Image Credit: Alane Alden I love the phrase "...this is intended to be kept as a permanent souvenir of the present unpleasantness" - I bet that line alone consigned hundreds of these documents to the stoves The last photograph below shows the said 'Wartime Log' and Lev's POW personnel file (a different document to the ID card above): Image Credit: Alane Alden It would be interesting to build up a fuller picture of this USAAF officer. If anyone comes across anything, please do add it to our knowledge base here. Regards, Pat
Hi All, Alane has sent on some more documents from his Lev Shertzer collection and asked that I post them in the following order. First, the inside title page of the Wartime Log: Image Credit: Alane Alden Next, page 73 from the Log, showing the names of fellow POWs whom he knew with their home address, date and location of capture: Image Credit: Alane Alden Note Al Sapa, pilot of Horsa #10, Mission 'Keokuk' at top left. The last image from today's delivery shows the commencement of Al's account as written up in the Log on page 91 by Lev: Image Credit: Alane AldenI get: Please report any errors in my transcription. Can't wait to turn the page Alane Regards, Pat