CAPTURED

"For you the war is over" A phrase we heard very often.

I did not know when the Germans picked us up. Whether it was a few minuets or a few hours. When I was in the Hospital, WILHEMINA GASTHAUS This was a LUFTWAFFE HOSPITAL for treating of German wounded Air men. Sgt Freeman our engineer gunner was in the bed to my left. He said I was quiet for a few days. He told me I would stir a little of I don’t remember. When I did remember I found myself with my head all bandaged up and a cast on my right leg. My left shoulder was paining me real bad. We were not allowed any water and we were given something called “EARSAT’ which was taken for coffee. The Doctor just keep me bandaged up and applied water to my wounds. Boy did I want a drink of that water but it was not given to us. I asked to let me go to the bath room and when I got there your bet I did a lot of drinking of the water that was in that place. The first words I remember was "FOR YOU DER VOR ISS OVER, JAH “. My right leg had been wounded and it broke the bone which was now in a cast and I had a head wound which was bandaged up real tight. The Doctor told me that I would not be able to see and just to lie quiet. What the hell did they do to me ? I just know I was not blind for just after the crash I remember seeing our Co pilot Lt. Reswebber or was I just dreaming. Did I see him or not? As my head was all bandaged up and I could not see then I managed to get a hole in the right side of that bandage and yes I could see with that eye anyway. I looked around and shouted to the other POW’s who was in that room. I can see, I can see. By this time a Nurse came in and plugged up the hole. I was happy anyway that I could see with one eye any way. I now have a large scar on my left shoulder and I tell every that is where I was vaccinated against the war. It was reported by Col. W. R. Purinton That Col. Stillman and his crew was all dead. That he witness the crash and he could not see how any one could get out alive. But there were three of that made it anyway.

STILLMAN TRIES TO CHEER US UP
Colonel Stillman came soon after this to see us. There were fourteen of us in that Hospital room all from that one raid.
Yes there was
Sgt. Freeman
Sgt. Thompson
Sgt. Walas.
Sgt. Jones
Sgt. Nash
Sgt. Dempsey
Sgt. Willis
Sgt. Gunther
Sgt. Duhasor
Sgt. Miller
Sgt. Legan
Sgt. Longworth
Cpl. Heski, who lost a foot.
There was one more who I can’t remember his name. Colonel Stillman (Moose, no I did not call him that) walked around talking to each of the Airmen. And I said to my self "Look at this guy trying to keep up our spirits". I think he had a broken finger and That was all I though at that time. I later learned he had a few broken ribs and a bad head wound. He said nothing about that to us though. But he was better than the rest of us as he received the silver cross for that raid and the others got nothing. He tried to talk to me but I told him “to get lost as it was his fault that I was in such a bad shape. If he had not wanted to pick the best crew I would not have been on the raid as I did make the first one. And he picked me as his Radio Operator for this mission. Well I guess I was to blame for that as When we got to England the next day he wanted to check us out. He made some speeches in the briefing room just like we were going to go on a mission. Then when we went out to the ship he said that he would take “Too Much of Texas” of course I was the radio Operator on that ship. He asked for the Radio operator and I stepped up and said “Here Sir”. Did you do thus and so he asked to which I did not so I said NO. Did you do that which I told you at the briefing to which there was another no. Well he gave on of the worse tongue lashings I have ever had. Heck I knew just what I was to do and I though he did not have the right to act like that. But he was a Col. And the commander of the 322 BG. Well we were on a low level mission and he did put the planes through a lot of low level flying. I was so angry that I picked out four stations in the north and south of England sent them a coded message and asked that they notify Col Stillman of the 322BG at any time of the day or night and tell him they have the message. Well at the next day’s briefing Col asked where the Radio operator who was with him yesterday and I would not stand up as I did not want another bad tongue lashing. But Lt Fry said OK Willis stand up. Well I was taken back as The Col. Said if he ever led a mission this was the operator he wanted as he was awaken with phony messages all time during the night. All the crew on “Too Much of Texas” got sick except me and I was too busy and too angry to even get sick. Col. Stillman was sent to STALAG III an officers POW camp. He stayed in the Air Force and made General. He told me he tried to escape three times and each time he was captured and brought back to STALAG III

WHERE THE HECK WAS I
Knew I was in a German Hospital as I had been seen by some German Doctors who wrapped me with bandages and treated my wounds. No they did not give me any pain medicines as it was for the German soldiers who were wounded in battle. We had to put up with the pain as they worked on us and they did believe in using water and burning pencil to burn off the proud flesh. I guess they did the best they could as my leg is now OK and my shoulder is doing fair. I still have night mares and very bad pains mostly at night. Yes it did no good to complain as I was a prisoner and they could do what they wanted to. When I was there around a week they moved me to the sun roof and there let me have some sun. I still had all my bandages on and was still in bad shape. But I still could see out of my right eye. As I looked around and saw there were a lot of beds up there and all were getting some sun. I was set side from the others but that made it so I could see them better. No I could not talk to them. There was a fellow who came up to me and offer me a smoke. I did not smoke so I thanked him and asked if all of the other people who was there on the sun roof were POW’s. He said no that they were German Airmen who was wounded while flying over England. Hey I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. What if they wanted to kill an American. What could I do. But all went just fine and I was treated me like any other wounded Airman.

OUT OF THE HOSPITAL
In about a month and half I and about twenty other prisoners was placed on a train to be taken to DULAG LUF an Interrogating center where the POW’s was taken. While at the station in Holland a group of ladies gathered around us and gave some sweets. It was sugar beet jam on bread. I do believe it was the best I have ever had or I needed the sweets. They asked if we wanted to escape but we were all shot up and could not walk so good so we thanked them. I do believe they would have done something to help us to escape. We were loaded on a train and started to go up the Ryan River. The train just took it’s time and stopped at most of the little towns along that river. I still could see out of my right eye as the other one was all bandaged up. It was a good trip as I could see the castles along the way up on the mountains. While on the trip there was a little girl who was a couple seats from me and I took out a candy bar and offered it to her. She looked a little worried so I took a bite of the candy and then she took it and went back to her mother. Then I could see the fear in her eyes as her mother told her who we were. There was one place in that river that there was a small Island and the river ran on both sides. There was a large Castle built on this Island. The German interrogation center was a large castle like structure and I found out it once a mental hospital. Used for the mental insane. The windows were so strong that a guard took a chair and threw it against the window and it did not break at all. I tried to move but I was strapped down and could not. I just had to stay there strapped to that bed which was real hard and I though to myself “is this the way I am going to spend the rest of my stay here as a POW. When I did talk to the guard I asked him why I was strapped down like this and that my legs was feeling num. He looked at me like I was one of the insane and said “ for you the war is over” That was what he said as we went through the game of questions. All I would say was "Clyde D. Willis Tec. Sgt. 14071397". The next fellow who came in told me I was being foolish not to talk to them What did I know. I was only a radio operator and was not the top brass. I knew my name and my serial number and that was about all. He acted tough and said "we have ways to make you talk” Well I guess they have, so let it be. I may not live to see this out any way the way I was feeling then. Take these straps off of me and I may be a little more friendly and we could talk. This Interrogator talked to me like he knew all about the United States. He told me that he helped build the bridge over Pearl River at my home town Columbia, Mississippi. And about the places we young people used to go to for our fun “Red Bluff” He joked about our Flack Vest we wore. He said the only thing we needed was a sword and a lance and we could be the knights of old from Briton. In fact he was about to get to me when another soldier came in and said “It is a shame we have a prisoner who won’t talk and we will have to take care of him.” At that time the both of them walked over to the window and I heard a loud bang like a rifle fire. They turned back and shook their heard and said “too bad and he could have saved his life” Hey do I have “Stupid” written across my forehead. Boy were these Interrogators good. They knew what buttons to push and just what to say. I know I did not talk about and thing they could use but I am sure they got something out of me. They showed me a picture of every one in my Group that they had in a large book. Yes there I was and when it is taken I don’t know but I bet a dollar to a do nut it was some times when I was in England. The only thing wrong was I was place in the wrong Squadron in their book. Yes those pictures could have been given to the Germans by the Irish men who was all ways hanging around our base. Well we got rid of some of them one day pretty fast. While there were a few at the south part of our base taking pictures we started to checking the guns on our planes. It did not take too many burst to let them know we did not like that kind of doings. Gee you should have seen the guys running away. I guess that did teach them not to take pictures of our base and the planes.
My Time at STALAG IX-C

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