Czech MIA story coming to light
     When Scotty David was contacted by "Unsolved Mysteries" in De-
 cember 1993 about a story they were working on which originated in
 Czechoslovakia in 1943, it triggered a series of events that
 continues to this day.
     The Americans that could possibly be involved most likely had
 flown with the 15th Air Force. This took Scotty and Clayton in March
 of 1994 to the archives of Maxwell Air Force Base at Montgomery,
 Ala., to search for information on men MIA over Czechoslovakia. In-
 formation on MIAs returning to their units in the 15th Air Force was
 not centralized the way it was in London for men returning to Eng-
 land. Therefore, it had to be located in bits and pieces.
     During the month of September 1944 word reached 15th AF head-
 quarters that Czechoslovak Partisans had captured the airdrome at
 Banska Bystrica in Slovakia. The Partisans asked for transports to
 pick up several American and British prisoners of war who had evaded
 capture or escaped from the Germans.
     Under the umbrella of heavy fighter protection, two secret mis-
 sions were flown into Czechoslovakia by the 483rd Bomb Group. On
 Sept. 17, 1944, Col. Willard Sperry, deputy group C.O., piloted a
 plane loaded with weapons and ammunition for Partisan forces to a
 secret base in Slovakia.
     In the second B-17, Lt. Howard Dailman made the same trip, fly-
 ing as co-pilot for Col. Pritchard, assistant operations officer,
 5th Bomb Wing. After the supplies were off-loaded, 19 men got aboard
 and were flown back to the 483rd base.
     On Oct. 7, 1944, the second mission was accomplished. Six ships
 were dispatched from the 483rd with Maj. Fred J. Ascani, 816 Sqd.
 Cmdr., leading the formation. Other pilots included 1st Lt. James E.
 Cinnamon and 2nd Lt. Marion C. Street, 815th Sqd.; Capt. Colin J.
 Walder, 818th Sqd.; Major John J. Gorman and Capt. Hugh M. Rowe,
 817th Squadron.
     Upon reaching the Partisan-held airdrome the planes received no
 recognition check. However, Maj. Ascani decided to land his formation
 at the field.  They were met immediately by the Slovak patriots who
 began the task of unloading the guns and ammunition which the ship
 carried. A few minutes later the escapees and evaders appeared and
 climbed aboard the waiting ships.
     While taxiing for the takeoff Maj. Gorman's plane bogged down in
 the mud, but rather than abandon his plane, he transferred some of
 his passengers to Capt. Rowe's plane. While the work on extricating
 the plane from the mud continued, the aerial gunners kept on high
 alert.  The escorting fighters had departed due to a lack of fuel.
 After an hour of difficult labor, the planes took off and returned
 to the Bari Air Base without further incident.  Eighteen men were
 flown out of Slovakia on this mission.
     The two groups flown out on these two secret missions make up 32
 of the 40 American airmen known to have evaded from Slovakia. They
 were the lucky ones. History paints a very sad picture on the demise
 of most who were MIA over or in Czechoslovakia.
     Scotty's research has continued off and on since 1993 as she
 finds or learns about survivors. To date, as a result of her efforts
 on this project, AFEES has nine more members and some men have
 renewed contacts with fellow crew members and evaders. Several are
 expecting to be together again at our May reunion in Falls Church,
 where they may be joined by a helper from Slovakia.
     (The 483rd was my group and I had posted this story about the
 secret mission here from previous 483rd Newsletter.  Jim)
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 U.S. Air Forces Escape/Ecvasion Society Communications March 1, 1998
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