Interrogation Reports 10 December 1943

HEADQUARTERS

UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES

IN THE MIDDLE EAST

AC of S, G-2

December 10, 1943.

Report of Interrogation of U. S. Air Force Internees Released from Turkey.

The following are the names of personnel comprising the released group which reported to this headquarters on December 5, 1943:

Capt. K. _. HEBERT; 1st Lt. R. L. WILKINSON; 1st Lt. J. M. SILVERMAN: Sgt. J. H. ALTIZER (all of 409 Sqn, 93rd Bombardment Group).

2nd Lt. C. T. HOLBROOK (328 Sqn, 93rd Bombardment Group).

S/Sgt. E. P. SPENCER, (567 Sqn, 389 Bombardment Group).

S/Sgt. G. A. EDMINSTON; Sgt. R. L. HAMILTON (both of 565 Sqn., 389 Bombardment Group).

The interrogation was held by Captains William N. WOOD and Eric E. OULASHIN, both of G-2, Hq., USAFIME, in the Security Office, at 1330 hours, December 7, 1943.
The first officer questioned was Lt. Wilkinson, pilot of B-24 No. 123754. He stated that his target designation had been “White 2”. His plane reached target at 1455 hours August 1. Heavy flak was encountered while this plane dropped its bombs on the assigned target from an altitude of approx. 150’. 40 mm AA fire knocked out the No. 1 engine, penetrated No. 1 and No. 2 fuel tanks, and damaged the hydraulic system. The rear gunner brought down a ME 109 over the target. Having accomplished his mission, the pilot, knowing that he would have insufficient fuel to return to his base, decided to make for the nearest non-enemy landing field. At 1730, having destroyed confidential documents, he landed at CORLU, Turkey, where two other B-24s had preceded him.
The crew was escorted by Turkish officers to a nearby mess. The crew of this plane consisted of the following:

1st Lt. R. L. Wilkinson (Pilot)

Capt. K. G. Hebert (Navigator)

Capt. E. C. Baker (Operations Officer)

Lt. J. M. Silverman (Bombardier)

Lt. Hoover (Co-pilot)

Sgt. Altizer

T/Sgt. Rolley (Engineer)

T/Sgt. Kentineas (Radio Operator)

S/Sgt. Butler (Gunner)

S/Sgt. Fultz (Gunner)

S/Sgt. Meseke (Gunner)

Capt. Hebert, Lt. Wilkinson, Lt. Silverman and Sgt. Altizer were in the group being interrogated by the undersigned. Capt. Baker and Lt. Silverman had been previously released; the remaining personnel of this plane are still interned.

Subjects were not formally interrogated at Corlu and were well treated. They stayed there for two days and then proceeded to Istanbul where they saw Capt. Seager, Assistant Military Attache. From Istanbul they proceeded to Ankara, arriving there August 5. They were given good quarters at the War Academy, where they stayed for several weeks, following which they were transferred to the Yeni Hotel, where their accommodations were satisfactory.
The Turkish Government allowed the officers 4 Lira (approx. $2.00)per day; the Enlisted Men 2 ½ Lira. In addition, the officers drew $6.00 per diem through the U.S. Legation and the Enlisted Men received a subsistence allowance of $2.25. These funds, together with the officers’ subsistence allowance, $.70 per day, were pooled and all members of the interned group drew $4.00 per day from this common fund.
On December 1, the T urkish authorities spread the word that some of the internees would be “transferred to another area” and that evening the subject group was taken in a taxi to the vicinity of the American Embassy. Subjects proceeded to the Embassy and from there under the guidance of Major Brown, Assistant M/A, they proceeded to the railway station and took a train for Aleppo. Here they were met by Major Maitland, British Field Security. Subjects were billeted in a segregated area until the arrival of the undersigned, who had been notified by wire from Ankara that secretly released internees would be brought to Aleppo. Undersigned arrived in Aleppo on December 6 and brought subjects to Cairo on same date.
All subjects agreed that conditions during their internment were satisfactory. Lt. Wilkinson had spent a couple of weeks in a Turkish military hospital with malaria, and later on was treated in a Turkish civilian hospital for jaundice. Conditions in both hospitals were satisfactory though it was evident that medical supplies were very low. Sgt. Altizer also spent several weeks in a Turkish military hospital being treated for blood poisoning incurred through a cut in his hand which he had made while cleaning his quarters.

9. Lt. Holbrook was co-pilot of B-24 No. ---608. Other members of the crew were:

2nd Lt. De Arrond (Bombardier)

Sgt. Hood (Gunner)

Lt. Turner (Pilot)

Lt. Marquis (Navigator)

S/Sgt Long (Engineer)

Sgt. Ruddell (Gunner)

Sgt. Dunkell (Gunner)

T/Sgt. Weinberg (Radio Operator)

Sgt. Hobson (Gunner)

Lt. De Arrond and Sgt. Hood are still interned; the others had all been previously released.

10. This plane had same target as Lt. Wilkinson’s and arrived over target at 1500 hours and dropped its bombs to right of pin-point from an altitude of approx. 100 feet. Heavy flak over the target knocked out the number two engine and badly damaged the number one engine. The hydraulic system was put out of commission and controls were badly damaged. Four large holes were made in the fusilage. On the return run there was some fighter opposition 20 minutes from the target and the right and left waist gunners were wounded. At first the pilot trid to make for Cyprus but the condition of the plane and the fat that there were wounded aboard convinced the pilot that he should make for the nearest non-enemy landing field, and heput in at Corlu at 1740.

11. Events subsequent to the arrival of this plane at Corl were identical with those experienced by thecrew of Lt. Wilnson’s plane.

12. Sgts. Edminston (Bombardier) and Hamilton (Gunner) were B-24 No. ---171. Other personnel were:

1st Lt. James (Pilot)

Lt. Schwellinger (Co-pilot)

Lt. Gilliad (Navigator)

Sgt. Thompson (Engineer)

T/Sgt Zimmerman (Radio Operator)

S/Sgt Cawley (Armorer-Gunner)

Sgt. McClaren (Gunner)

Sgt. Morris (Gunner)

Lt.s James and Schwellinger have previously been released; os are still interned.

13. This plane had “Red Target”. It arrived over target an dropped its bombs at 1530 hours from approx. 100 feet. A fu leak had left the plane gas for another four to four and a h hours, so the pilot decided to make for Cyprus. Since it wa growing dark, however, and since he was unfamiliar with the Cyprus landing grounds, the pilot gave this up and landed at 1930 hours at Izmir. Turkish authorities took the crew to hls in town and on December 3 they were sent to Ankara. From th point on their experiences were those of the personnel previly interrogated.

14. S/Sgt. Spencer (Asst. Engineer) was in plane No. ---44. Other personnel were:

Capt. R. C. Mooney (Pilot)

2nd Lt. J. Gerits (Co-pilot)

1st Lt. J. D. Wilson (Navigator)

1st Lt. Trianafullur (Bombardier)

- 3 -

T/Sgt. Charles Garrett (Engineer)

T/Sgt. A. Lubin (Radio Operator)

S/Sgt. E. H. Henderson (Asst. Radio Operator)

S/Sgt. E. J. Ayers (Armorer-Gunner)

S/Sgt. A. Liebowitz (Gunner)

Ayers and Wilson are still interned; the others had been prevously released.

15. This plane had “Red Target”, over which it arrived at 1530 and dropped its bombs (results unobserved) from a height of about 100 feet. Capt. Mooney was hit by flak and killed instantly. Lt. Gerits, Sgt. Lubin and Sgts. Garrett and Liebowitz were wounded. Number 3 engine was knocked out; the hydraulic system was damaged; and many fuel leaks were caused by flak.

16. The co-pilot, Gerits, who was not seriously wounded, attempted to land at Izmir but could not make it and force-landed in the mountains some 15 miles from the town, at 1730 hours. Peasants assisted in bringing the wounded on burros to the town where they received treatment at the Turkish military hospital. The three wounded sergeants were sent from Izmir to the American hospital at Istanbul for further treatment.

ESCAPE ATTEMPTS

17. On October 4, acting under instructions from Major Brown, who contacted internees several times a week, Capt. Baker, Lt. Holbrook, Sgt. Brummage, and one other sergeant whose name Lt. Holbrook does not recall, proceeded to a dark-alley rendezvous with Major Brown. At 11:30 P.M. Major Brown appeared and gave them railway tickets to Islahiye. The four then took a train at about midnight and rode it until, on Oct. 6, they reached Bahce, about 70 miles north of Islahiye. They got off here and proceeded on foot, intending thus to evade police and troops who might have been notified of their intention. They had no food and practically no water and were therefore forced to approach some Turkish peasants on the third day out of Bahce, who sold them a little food and water at exorbitant prices.

18. On Oct. 10, they reached Islahiye and continued beyond it, almost to the frontier. The Turks who had sold them food and water, however, reported them to the border patrol and they were arrested just before making their way across. They were taken to the patrol’s camp, where soldiers stole most of their money, and on Oct. 11, they were sent back to Islahiye and turned over to the police who took t hem to Adana, where they were put up at the Yeni Hotel.

19. The Turks notified the British Consul at Adana and he contacted subjects, giving them money and advising them to escape at night and make for the British rest home nearby. Subjects escaped on Oct. 12, proceeded to the British rest home, spent the night and on the following day rode a British construction contractor’s truck to a British camp. It was subjects’ intention to catch another truck from there to Iskanderun. Turkish police were on the scent again, however, and came to search the British camp. Lt. Holbrook made a break, attracting the attention of the police who took up the pursuit, thus giving Capt. Baker and the two sergeants an opportunity to leave the camp unmolested. These latter then made good their escape across the frontier.

20. After a considerable chase, during which the police took several pot-shots at Lt. Holbrook, this officer gave himself up. He was handcuffed and taken back to Adana. From there he was sent back to Ankara under guard. (The British Consul at Adana was, naturally, unable to render any further assistance at this point).

21. It should be noted that internees in Ankara were allowed a certain freedom of movement, i.e., they were allowed to leave the Yeni Hotel on a “parole pass” for the greater part of each day. This privilege was refused Lt. Holbrook following his Islahiye – Adana escapades.

22. On the night of Oct. 26, having been told by Major Brown to try again, Lt. Holbrook escaped via a rope from his third floor room in the Yeni Hotel, but did not get very far before encountering two guards who recognized him as an internee whose “parole pass” privilege had been revoked. Lt. Holbrook resisted arrest and inflicted some injuries upon the guards before finally being subdued. For this Lt. Holbrook was put in the Ankara jail for fifteen days. He made no further attempts at escape before arrangements were made for his release together with the three other officers and four enlisted men of the subject group.

WILLIAM N. WOOD,

Captain, Infantry.

ERIC E. OULASHIN,

Captain, CMP (Inf).

Interrogation Reports 10 December 1943

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