My Father's WWII Story

My father's crew in front of their plane

My father, 2nd Lt. Henry J. Eich, was the pilot of a B-17F bomber (ID 42-3448) in the 303rd bomb group, 359th squadron.Most of his 8 missions were over Germany, His last over Oschersleben, Germany.

The B-17F was very similar to the B-17G (in the video above) except it didn't have the Chin Turret under the nose of the plane

A B-17F

On his way back from the mission, his plane was shot by enemy aircraft near Rehburg, Germany and lagged behind his squadron. The plane ultimately crashed in the northern edge of Steinhuder Lake on November 1st, 1944. My father and his co-pilot, William E. "Woody" Woodside, were severely injured by shrapnel resulting from the attack.His crew, with the exception of radio operator: Dan Harvey (KIA), whose body washed up Neinburg, Germany, was transported to a Luftwaffe prison camp (Stalag Luft III), where they stayed for sixteen months when they were liberated by the Russian Army.

Stalag Luft III

When my father arrived at the prison camp, German doctors performed a rudimentary operation and removed much of the shrapnel in his chest. What was left ended up migrating throughout his body. I remember as a child feeling some of the remaining shrapnel under the skin of his wrists

When ne returned to the states, he was told that, if he wanted to remain at his current rank (Captain) and continue to fly, he had to leave the service and finish his college education and reenlist in the Army Air Forces, as it was then known. During WWII, the Army Air Corps accepted many young men for flight training who had finished only two years of college. He was also told that, because there were so many officers at the time, there was a chance that he may not be allowed to enlist as an officer. Another option presented to him was to stay in the service at a reduced rank (Chief Master Sergeant) and change career fields. He chose the second option and became a meteorologist until his retirement after 20 years of service.

Because of the hardships he experienced as a prisoner of war and his prolonged career in the service, my father was the most cold-hearted person I've ever known.