Crew wintered in the King's lodge
       By PETER J. HAKIM, 107 Falcon Road Livingston, NJ 07039
                           973-597-114
     In May 1944, a B-17 was hit by ackack fire while on an bombing
 mission over Germany. While trying to return to its base in the U.K.,
 it crashed landed in Rochefort, Belgium. All 10 flyers survived the
 episode although the tailgunner was slightly wounded by shrapnel.
     Six flyers took off in one direction and the other four in
 another. Both groups were fortunate to meet with members of the
 Belgian underground who hid them from German search parties.
     The local Belgian underground contacted an American who had been
 living in Belgium and who was hiding from the Germans with his wife
 and seven children in Eprave, a small village seven kilometers from
 Rochefort.  Joseph Hakim, the American, immediately decided to take
 over the hiding of the 10 flyers. A couple of men from the under-
 ground broke into a boarded-up house within walking distance of
 where Joseph Hakim lived in hiding himself.  The 10 flyers were
 brought there and told not to come out during the day time.
     At night, however, they were allowed to take a stroll. Some of
 them tried to milk cows, steal potatoes from fields in the vicinity
 and made enough noise that the local farmers became suspicious of
 their presence. The flyers never realized the danger that they were
 placing their rescuers in.
     Because of this, it became necessary to move them to a more
 secure location. Joseph Hakim was the proud possessor of a surplus
 World War I American army tent that could easily sleep ten people.
 An area was cleared in nearby woods and the tent pitched there for
 the 10 flyers. They remained there for the entire summer but the
 weather turned cold in September and it was decided to move the 10
 flyers once more.
     A few kilometers away was a large property belonging to the King
 of Belgium. The Chateau de Ciernion was used mostly by the King and
 his entourage as a summer residence and for hunting purposes in more
 normal times. A hunting lodge was forced open and became the new
 hiding place for the flyers.
     They stayed there until later in the fall of 1944 when the front
 lines of the approaching American army became close and the sound of
 cannon fire made it obvious that liberation was at hand.  The 10
 flyers, against the advice of Joseph Hakim and other members of the
 underground, decided to walk towards the American lines.  Going
 through the lines, one man was wounded, another taken prisoner, but
 the rest made it.
     There is so much more to this saga of heroism, both on the part
 of the entire crew of the Flying Fortress as well as the members of
 the Belgian underground. The American civilian, Joseph Hakim, who
 risked his life and the lives of his entire family, was rewarded
 with a commendation from General Eisenhower and Air Marshal Tedder.
     I, Peter Hakim, my sister Olga and my brother Bill actively
 participated in this adventure. Now that I am retired, I am able to
 devote some time in putting on paper these events. My father, Joseph
 Hakim, passed away a long time ago but, in his memory, we would like
 to communicate with any of the flyers still alive to exchange
 memories of 53 years ago.
     The last information I have for some members of the crew:
 SHYMANSKI Wallace (SHY), Pilot. Used to live in Florida
 but may have moved to Wausau, Wisconsin.
 SULLIVAN David (SULLY), Navigator. 222 North Pearl Street, Spiceland,
 Indiana.
 GOODLING Paul E., 8910 West Flora Road, Tampa, Florida.
 PETERSON Maynard, 601 West Pierson, Flushing, Michigan
 SANDERSON Thomas E. (TEX) 4900 Earl Street, Wichita Falls, Texas
 GRIP Gordon (GORDIE?) , was from Ohio, but I believe that he passed
 away in 1985.
 GOLDMAN (GOLDIE) used to live in the Bronx, New York.
 ALLIE , no other information, but was told that he may have passed
 away.
 DOBSON (DOBBIE) , Lawrence, Massachusetts.
 I would be very grateful if anyone who knows anything about any of
 these men would communicate with me.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FURNISHED
 BY RESEARCHERS SCOTTY & CLAYTON DAVID
 E&E 1924 Wallace Shymanski, 5720 16th St., West, Bradenton, FL
 34207; Ph. 813-755-3055. Deceased 1995 or '96
 E&E 1930 David Sullivan, 222 N. Pearl St., P0 Box 433,
 Spiceland, IN 47385; Ph. 765-987-7121. (AFEES Member)
 E&E 1931 Paul E. Goodling, 8910 West Flora Rd., Tampa, FL 33615;
 Ph. 813-885-4264
 E&E 1932 Maynard Peterson, 601 West Pierson, Flushing, MI 48433
 E&E 1927 Thomas E. Sanderson, 900 West Grand, Whitewright, TX 75491
 E&E 1926 Gordon A. Grip, mail returned in 1992/deceased
 E&E 1929 Solomon Goldstein, died Feb. 7, 1994
 E&E 1928 Alexander Engelman, died Jan.18, 1985
 Kenneth Dobson, deceased
 E&E 1925 Vernon A. Montrose, died May 25, 1985
 U.S. Air Forces Escape/Evasion Society Communications March 1, 1998
 Page 29
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