A Story of War and Survival (In His Own Words): Part I – IV

Posted on May 28, 2012 by admin_hhs

By Harborcreek Military Veteran Carlton Pierce

We were stationed in “Toonerville,” France. The date was March 25th, 1945. The mission was an eight ship recognizance over Germany with the briefing time approximately 8:30 a.m. Garber and Setterlund gave us the last minute dope and made some worthy comments. It was mostly routine with one exception. General Patton had started his push across the Rhine and our bomb-safe line extended across the Rhine in the vicinity of Mainz. This was welcome news to all and especially to me, as this was my 97th mission and I was “sweat’in ’em out.”

Take-off was made on time and after a quick join-up we headed for Germany with Colonel Lee flying high top cover. Forward control had no targets so we proceeded with our recognizance. While detouring around Mannheim and Heidelberg, Roy Hall called in some box cars in a small marshalling yard east of Heidelberg. The cars looked undamaged so I decided to take red flight in on them with white flight flying cover. As I released my bombs, intense 20 MM fire greeted me. I knew my aircraft had been hit.

The cock-pit filled with smoke and as normal flight was regained, the controls became less and less responsive. I shut off the supercharger and hoped to reach the front lines, but as I soon had full left stick in a bank to the right and flames were creeping up the left side of the cock-pit, I reasoned it was time to leave. The canopy was already open and I unfastened my safety belt and put my heels on the seat. I remember nothing of the bailout, but a slight jerk brought me to my senses and I looked up to see the gleaming folds of my open parachute. At the same instant, I glanced downward in time to see my plane hit the ground in a mass of flames. In a few seconds my chute had tangled in a tree stopping me a few inches from the ground. My only impulse was to get away from the chute as fast and as far as possible. So, unsnapping my harness, I took off like a scared rabbit.

Before long I grew tired, so finding a dense thicket of underbrush, I dug in and covered myself with twigs and leaves. According to my watch, the time was exactly 11:30 a.m. It wasn’t long before someone or something came charging through the brush on either side of me. I never knew what it was because I couldn’t see more than a few feet without exposing myself, but I surmised it was someone looking for me, and I felt like a hunted animal. I remained in that spot for the rest of the day and saw no one although I could hear women’s and children’s voices incessantly. With the aid of my escape kit map, I estimated my position a few miles from Heidelberg, that is, to the southeast of that city. As darkness fell, I headed west with my little compass as a guide. I walked for what seemed to me hours, stopping at every little stream for a drink of water.

I finally tired and decided to try and get a little sleep. The weather wasn’t very warm so I made a little lean-to out of pine boughs and leaves. I slept very little and as day began to break, I decided to find a better hideout. With good luck, I figured I could make the front lines in another night, but as day grew brighter, I saw things differently. I was perched on the top of a hill overlooking a flat treeless plain with the Rhine about 10 or 15 miles away.

Knowing nothing of the fortifications on the plain or the frontlines, I decided it was best to remain at my present location. I selected a tall pine tree to serve as my look-out and built myself another small lean-to. As luck would have it a heavy mist rolled in and remained for about three days. During that time I saw no aircraft with the exception of two P-51 recce. planes.

The only food I had with me was one peanut candy bar with which I rationed myself one bite per meal. After two or three days I no longer craved food but began to get thirsty. The only water I could see from my lookout was what appeared to be a lake a few miles out on the plain. One night my thirst drove me to attempt to find the lake. After going down the hill, I was confronted with a main road which I would have to cross. The traffic was heavy, civilians on foot and heavy army tanks. During a short break in traffic, I managed to cross the road and headed for the lake but didn’t get far when I nearly walked into a battery of heavy guns. Fearing detection I retraced my steps and headed back to the hills. On my return trip I found some water in a wheel track on a dirt road and quenched my thirst. The return across the main road was as before a long wait for a break in the traffic. I reached the point of exhaustion on the climb up the hill being able to go only a few feet at a time. However, I found a spring part way up the hill so I was now assured of a water supply and could turn my attention to food.

During the day I had illusions of raiding a German house, but in the inky darkness of the night I became confused about directions and never found a house. I did however manage to find a garden with some old cabbage heads, rhubarb and onion tops, and that was my diet for three days.  My appetite had left me and I ate very little. The next few days were uneventful. But from exhaustion, dampness and nerves, I developed a case of the shakes and my nose ran like a leaky faucet. Being cold and damp all the time I figured on pneumonia but didn’t even catch a cold.

I saw many civilians cutting logs in the woods. Two of them saw me but were evidently not interested enough to follow me. On the morning of the sixth day I was awakened by the sound of many motors in Heidelberg. There had been heavy gunfire in that vicinity all night and a brilliant display of fireworks from the 20mm, so I knew something was going to happen. Climbing my high tree I could see many tanks tearing down the main road, but at that distance I could not identify them. I started down the hill with heavy shells going over my head and landing in the valley behind me. After moving closer I could hear some of the boys who were having trouble with one of the tanks using English, and believe me, it was music to my ears.

I was very cautious as I crept up to the last vehicle in line – a Jeep with two boys inside. I looked over the Jeep which was covered in big white stars, stepped up to the side and blurted out, “What language do you speak?” They both looked at me oddly and replied “American.” At that moment I became so deliriously happy that I could have kissed them both. But I was so nervous I could hardly talk. They made me some coffee and broke open a C ration. Although the cheese and crackers looked like a T-bone steak to me, I could swallow no food so I had to be content with the coffee only. I was taken back to Tank Co. in Heidelberg and interviewed by the C.G. Another Jeep ride took me back into Mannheim where I spent the night and was flown back to our squadron the following day, April 1st.

Everyone was glad I returned safely. I was certainly happy and thankful to get back. The War Deptartment had sent a MIA telegram home, so I immediately dispatched one myself saying I was o.k. The happy ending came when both telegrams arrived at home at the same time, sparing my parents an untold amount of worry.