COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
MAJ. JOHN CLARENCE EGAN SERVED THE 100TH AS ITS FIRST AIR EXEC AND LATER AS COMMANDER OF THE 418TH BS. HE PASSED AWAY ON 16 APRIL 1961 FROM A HEART ATTACK.
Major John C. Egan
March 29-Aug 30, 1940- Flying Cadet Randolph Field TX - (with Gale Cleven and Ollen Turner)
Sept 9-Nov 14, 1940- Flying Cadet, Kelly Field TX -( With Gale Cleven, Ollen Turner)
Nov 15, 1940 Kelly Field, promoted from Flying Cadet to 2nd Lieutenant ACR ( Air Corp Reserve) -( Egan, Cleven and Ollen Turner)
Nov 15, 1940 -March 3, 1941- 2nd Lieutenant ACR
March 4, 1941-April 24, 1942- 2nd Lieutenant ACR
April 25, 1942- Promoted to 1st Lieutenant, AC (Gale Cleven, John Egan and William Veal)
May 25, 1942- McDill AAF, 29th Bombardment Group,
Lt John Egan, Lt Gale Cleven Lt William Veal Instructors
August 1942- Promoted to Captain
October 1942- Gowan Field Army Air Field , Boise Idaho, Operations Officer for 100th Bomb Group (H)
November 1942-Walla Walla AAF, WA
December 1942- Wendover AAF
January 1943-Promoted to Major,
Sioux City, Iowa
Feb-April 1943-Kearny Nebraska
March 1943 cross country flight fiasco and Col Darr Alkire is relieved of Command
April 1943- Col Howard Turner takes over command
May 1943- Flies with advance party to England, Podington to prepare base for 100th BG
May 19, 1943-Kiel Flies a mission with Lt McDaniel from 305th Bomb Group at Chelveston
May 21, 1943-Wilhelmshaven- Flies a mission with Lt McDaniel from 305th Bomb Group at Chelveston
May 23, 1943- Flies Training Mission with Capt L. C. Smith
June 1943 Major John C Egan takes over command of 418th Bomb Squadron
October 10, 1943 Shot down while leading the mission to Munster,
October 1943 – April 1945 POW-Stalag Luft III
Promoted to Lt Colonel in 1946
HE FLEW THE MUNSTER (10 OCT 1943) MISSION WITH THE JOHN BRADY CREW AND BECAME A POW. THE 100TH HAD THREE "BUCKIES", EGAN, ELTON, AND CLEVEN. TWO OF THEM, EGAN AND CLEVEN, WERE LOST IN A TWO DAY PEROID; CLEVEN WITH DeMARCO AT BREMEN ( 8 OCT 1943) AND EGAN AT MUNSTER WITH BRADY. CAPT. ELTON TOOK OVER CLEVEN'S 350TH AFTER THE MUNSTER MISSION AND COMPTETED HIS TOUR. CLEVEN ESCAPTED FROM A POW CAMP AND RETURNED TO THE 100TH BUT NEVER WENT BACK ON OPERATIONS, BEING RETURNED TO THE STATES AS WAS THE CASE WITH ESCAPING POWS.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH BUCK CLEVEN (JAN 2001), HE REVEALED THAT HIM AND EGAN WERE ROOMATES THROUGHOUT FLYING SCHOOL. IN FACT, IT WAS EGAN WHO GAVE GALE CLEVEN HIS NICKNAME "BUCK". SEEMS THAT MAJ EAGAN HAD A FRIEND IN WISCONSIN THAT WAS NAMED BUCK WHO LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE CLEVEN. EVERYTIME EGAN INTRODUCED CLEVEN TO PEOPLE, HE SAID "HERE IS MY FRIEND "BUCK" CLEVEN. CLEVEN SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH HE DID NOT LIKE IT, THE NICKNAME STUCK AND FROM THAT POINT ON, HE WAS "BUCK" CLEVEN. CLEVEN SAID THAT JOHN WAS A QUITE PERSON WHO WAS QUICK WITTED AND A GOOD DRINKER. A VERY LIKEABLE INDIVIDUAL. BOTH OF THEM SPENT TIME IN SEBRING FLYING B-24 SUBMARINE PATROL. JOHN ALSO BOUGHT HIS FAMOUS FLEECE LINED FLYING JACKET WHILE TRAINING PILOTS AT SAN ANGELO TX. SEEMS IT WAS ARMY AIR CORP ISSUE AND WAS BEING DISCONTINUED. JOHN LOVED THAT JACKET AND IS SEEN IN MOST PICTURES WEARING IT, CLEVEN THOUGHT IT ALWAYS LOOKED DIRTY. BOTH MEN REMAINED CLOSE FRIENDS AFTER THE WAR, UNFORTUNATELY JOHN PASSED AWAY FROM A HEART ATTACK AROUND 1961 AT THE AGE OF 45. HE HAD TWO DAUGHTERS AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM.
MORE REMEMBRANCES FROM GALE "BUCK" CLEVEN: POW experience on Mooseburg march.
During the march to Mooseburg from Stalag Luft III, we came to a rest in a building used by Polish and Russian Slave labor, the straw mattress on the bunks were so infested with bugs they could have moved by themselves. We burned the straw mattress's and then washed down the concrete building with cold water. Now come night time this buiding was damp and cold and we only had one banket each and had to sleep on cold springs. Well that night, John Egan came up to me and said" Buck, I think there are some strange things going on in this camp", to which I replied he was crazy. Llater he was on the lower bunk and I was on the upper bunk on metal springs and one banket and the building getting awefully cold. John says to me, "Buck, can I climb up into your bunk, and my reply was "John, I think there are strange things going on in this camp!"
Egan at Stalag Luft III
Upon John's shoot down over Munster (led the mission to avenge his frind Gale Cleven bing shot down two days earlier) and arrival at Stalag Luft III, the first thing Cleven said to Egan was "What the Hell took you so Long" and he replied, "That's what I get for being sentimental"! John was my roomate in Primary pilot training, we were Squadron Commanders in the same group and roomates in POW camp.
ON -MAY 21ST 1943, MAJOR JOHN EGAN BECAME THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE 100TH TO PARTICIPATE IN A COMBAT MISSION. TARGET AND GROUP HE FLEW WITH ARE UNKNOWN ( believe it was the 305th BG out of Chelveston) EGAN HAD BEEN REPORTED MISSING BUT FORTUNATELY CAME THROUGH A ROUGH MISSION AND HIS PLANE LANDED SAFELY AT A STATION DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE HE LEFT.
MISSIONS OF MAJ. JOHN EGAN (mpf 2001) (According to records, Maj Egan flew 14 missions total, 12 with the 100th Bomb Group.
DATE TARGET A/C # & NAME
1. 19/05/43 KIEL (flew with 305th BG at Chelveston-Pilot Lt McDaniel)
2. 21/05/43 WILHEMSHAVEN (flew with 305th BG at Chelveston-Pilot- Lt McDaniel)
23/05/43 Training Mission with Capt L.C. Smith (Believe this is Capt Les C. Smith 61st FS, 56th FG at Halesworth)
3. 28/06/43 St NAZAIRE 230061 JUST-A-SNAPPIN (with Lt Ev Blakely Crew)
4. 04/07/43 LaPALLICE 23237 STYMIE( with Kiessling Crew and Gen Anderson?)
5. 10/07/43 LeBOURGET 230061 JUST-A-SNAPPIN (with Lt Blakely Crew)
6. 25/07/43 WARNEMUNDE/KIEL 230061 JUST-A-SNAPPIN (with Lt Blakely Crew)
7. 15/08/43 MERVILLE/LILLE
8. 17/08/43 REGENSBURG 230066 MUGWUMP (with Capt Cruikshank Crew)
9. 31/08/43 MEULAN Les MERUEAUX 23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN with Capt Blakely Crew)
10. 06/09/43 STUTTGART 23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN with Capt Blakely Crew)
11. 09/09/43 ARTH 23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN (Com P with Capt Blakely Crew)
12. 27/09/43 EMDEN. 23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN with Capt Blakely Crew)
13. 02/10/43 EMDEN 23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN with Capt Blakely Crew)
14. 04/10/32 HANAU
15. 10/10/43 MUNSTER 230830 M'lle ZIG ZIG (WITH LT JOHN BRADY CREW) Shot Down, POW
1ST LT JOHN D. BRADY P POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
MAJ. JOHN C. EGAN COM P POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
2ND LT JOHN L. HOERR CP; POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
2ND LT DAVID SOLOMAN NAV POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
2ND LT HOWARD B. HAMILTON BOM; POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
S/SGT ADOLPH BLUM TTE; POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
S/SGT HAROLD E. CLANTON WG; KIA 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER ROG POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
PVT ROLAND D. GANGWER BTG; POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
S/SGT JAMES A. McCUSKER WG; POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
S/SGT GEORGE J. PETROHELOS TG; POW 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER
NOTES:
T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER REPLACED SGT SAUL LEVITT AS ROG AFTER LEVITT WAS INJURED IN JEEP ACCIDENT. SAUL LEVITT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE STAFF OF "YANK" MAGAZINE UPON HIS RECOVERY. HAFER WAS TAKEN PRISONER. LT DAVID SOLOMAN, THE REGULAR NAVIGATOR ON CREW #29 REPLACED 2ND LT. HARRY CROSBY FOR THIS MISSION AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER AS WELL.
CREW #32 LED THE 10 OCT 43 MISSION AND MAJ JOHN C. EGAN, THE 418TH CO, FLEW IN THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT. NEAR THE I.P. "MLLE ZIG ZIG" WAS HIT BY FLAK KILLING SGT CLANTON AND BADLY WOUNDING HOWARD HAMILTON AND ROLAND GANGWER. THE SURVIVING CREW MEMBERS SUCCEEDED IN BAILING OUT AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER. HAMILTON AND GANGWER SPENT A LONG TIME IN THE HOSPITAL.
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON
18 APRIL 1961
SUBJECT: FUNERAL SERVICE
TO: ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL, HEADQUARTERS USAF
1. Requiem Mass for the late Colonel John C. Egan, 3781A, USAF, Will be held at 1000 hours, 19 April 1961 in the Fort Myer Chapel. Internment will follow in Arlington National Cemetery with military honors. Friends who desire to view Colonel Egan may call at the Administration Building, Arlington National Cemetery at 0930 hours on 19 April 1961.
2. Colonel Egan was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin on 9 September 1915. He entered the Army Air Corps in March 1940, graduating from pilot training as a Second Lieutenant on 15 November 1940. During World War II he served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign and was a Prisoner of War in Germany. During the Korean conflict he was assigned duties in FEAF. During World War II and the Korean conflict he was credited with eighteen combat missions. In August of 1957 he returned from duties in the Far East and attended the National War College, Washington D.C. In July 1958, he was assigned duties in the Hq USAF as Chief, Policy Division, Directorate of Plans, DCS/Personnel. Colonel Egan was promoted to his present grade in August 1951 and was awarded the rating of Command Pilot on 14 November 1955. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. For his military service Colonel Egan was presented the following awards and decorations: Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters; Commendation Medal; Purple Heart; Distinguished Unit Citation; American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; WWII Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal; United Nations Service Medal; Air Force Longevity Service Medal with three bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; Korean Service Medal; China Service Medal and Korean Pilot Wings.
3. Colonel Egan is survived by his wife, Mrs Josephine A. Egan and two daughters of 4307 Crestwood Lane, McLean, Virginia.
4. Flowers are graciously declined. Contributions may be made to the Heart Fund.
R.J. Pugh
Colonel, USAF
Deputy Director of Administrative Services
Stalag Luft III
Here is the attached doc.
By the way, I found Egan in West compound this morning. Here are the two men's entries from the West compound book.
Gale H. "Bucky" Cleven
Major
0099782
POW#2804
MIA 14/10/44
Entry date to West Cpd. C27/04/44 - The C is for Center compound. Just as Egan's, states S for South Compound. Michael, remember we found Egan in that South during the reunion. There's the six months that Egan was missing. This morning I found an entry stating Cleven came into Luft III on October 23, 1943.
8th Air Force
100th BG
350th Sqdn
B-17P "Phartzac"
64/10
John C “Bucky” Egan
Major, Squadron Commander
0399510
POW#3157
MIA – 14/10/43
Entry date to West Cpd. - S27/04/44 – We have confirmation of Egan being in South Compound
8thAir Force
100thBG
418thSqdn
B-17 pilot
Block 164/10
Egan's Walk to Moosburg
It is uncertain to me if Egan walked from Luft III to Moosburg. I am attaching a document from a POW's book that states that he heard that some POWs did walk the full distance to Mossburg. It is a possibility. After all in this was war where anything could happen. I still question that Cleven and Egan marched the full distance. To me it seems uncertain because all of the men's oral histories and books say they took filthy 40/8s railcard from Spremberg to Nurnberg. The doc is entitled "WalktoMoosberg.pdf". It provides the info on men walking the full distance. It is the only source I found that states some walked that distance. From the attached document, "The men in West compound were left behind at Maskau or Spremberg and would be proceeding south on foot".
Most of those people, all though not all, taken to Nurnberg were from the West and North Compounds of Stalag Luft III." Egan mentions Ed Tovrea in a Krieigie log entry. Ed Tovrea was one of three Americans that dug on Tunnel Tom, one of the three tunnels being built in the North compound. At that time the escape Committee was tunneling three tunnels - Tom, Dick and Harry, the Great Escape Tunnel. Tovrea, Bob Inghram and Doolittle Raider Davey Jones were in the North Compound and the only American tunnelers that served the X-Committee, the Escape Committee in North Compound. North was the British and Common Wealth compound that also held Americans that were shot-down early on. In October of 1943, the South Compound, the American Compound, was completed, and the Americans were moved there. When the march began Tovrea was a member of South.
I am attaching maps so you can see the typical routes the men marched. The first, map1.afa.png (Air Force Academy map), shows the West Camp's march to Spremberg. At Spremberg, all of the men I have interviewed took trains to Nurnberg or to Moosburg. If Egan walked the entire way, WOW, for him. I just have a hard time proving it.
Here is the dates of occupation for the five compounds at Luft III:
East Compound - March 21, 1942 - British prisoners
Center Compound - April 11, 1942 - first occupied by British Sergeants and later in 1942 with Americans. Senior American Commanding Officer was Colonel Delmar T. Spivey
North Compound - March 29, 1943 - occupied by British officers. After this camp was constructed Americans were moved in to this compound. This is where the Americans first participated in the X-Committee efforts. The knowledge they garnered allowed them to continue the escape activities in South Compound. First American Commanding Officer was Colonel Alpert P. Clark. Later C.G. "Rojo" Goodrich served as CO.
South Compound - September 1943 - An all American compound.
West Compound - July 1944 - Another all American compound. Delmar Alkire
Starvation:
Please ask the writer to read the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. I've a paper written by a student that explains the psychological effects of starvation on the POWs. I think that is an important part of the men's experience. Psychologically, the men were profoundly affected by lack of food. All were slowly starving. Note: I can only imagine the men in the Pacific and how starvation made it easy for them to give up and die within a few days.
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/6/1347/4663828
https://eatingdisorders.dukehealth.org/education/resources/starvation-experiment
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/10/hunger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment
This is an important experience for the men. One of my favorite POWs, Jack Kappmeyer with the 306th. He went down on the 2nd Schweinfurt mission. We inherited his books and his standard poodle. Jack told me he would never be hungry again. His executor told me that there were thousands of pounds of food in his basement. It was all given to a food bank to feed others.
Bob Neary's book
I am sending you, via WeTransfer, a scanned copy of Bob Neary's book. Page 1 and 2 talk about Luft III, West Compound, the forced march and Nurnberg Stalag XIIID. Note, his comments on the vermin they lived with during their entire incarceration at Stalag XIIID. It shares his recollection of the forced march, and the 40/8s that transported them from Spremberg to Stalag XIIID - it begins on page 25-29. Life at Stalag XIIID begins on page 30 The entire book is scanned and quite detailed. I do not have his permission to share this book . It has great illustrations and the written content reflects what I know about most men's stories. In Neary's account he mentions that at Stalag VIIA there were no vermin. Many of the men I have interviewed stated they were plagued with lice, fleas and bed bugs.
Food
When the men talk of the black bread. They had it at Luft III and possibly at Nurnberg. Food was in such scarce supply at Moosburg, Stalag VIIA, I doubt a continual ration existed while they were there.
Black Bread recipe:
50% Bruise rye
20% Sugar beets
20% Tree flour - Saw dust
10% Minced leaves and straw (usually oak leaves and straw)
At Luft III, a standard German ration was black bread, blood sausage, and green death soup. The soup contained minimal woody vegetables. The POWs ate soup with maggots. That was normal. It also added protein to their diet. The blood sausage, many couldn't eat it. Sometimes they had horse meat in their soup. Most of the men hated cabbage and kohlrabi as these veggies had the maggots in them, and they were always the toughest and barely edible veggies. After the war few men could eat cabbage, kohlrabi and other root vegetables because of their experience during the war.
March from Nurnberg to Moosburg
Men were marched out of Stalag XIID at 11:30AM on April 4, 1945, a little over two months (January 27-28, 1945) after leaving Sagan and Luft III. They were relieved to be on the road again and away from the vermin, daily bombing and lack of food and supplies that plagued them at Stalag XIIID. The men still had trepidation over their future but were glad to be out of XIIID and in the open air and travel through villages where they could barter. The whole experience was fraught with danger. If the men were caught without a guard nearby, they could be shot. So many scenarios could have occurred.
The Neary book is quite good at describing the march that many of the men I've interviewed also shared. At Gammelsdorf the men traded for food with the German population there. Neary makes the comment that many, by trading for food, gained back the weight they lost at XIIID. It would have been a time when Cleven, Aring and Neithammer had resources to physically to take off.
Escape
According to information in the link below, it states that Airing escaped on April 18th. I believe that date is incorrect. I believe Aring, Cleven and Neithammer escaped on April 12th or 13th, the day most of the men marched into Moosburg and Stalag VIIA. The article's typo or Aring's memory could have caused the error.
http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=1277
In Neary's book, he mentions that March 13th would have been the best time for an escape as the POWs had few guards, and they were spaced out widely along the line of prisoners. April 13th ended the POWs march to Stalag VIIA, although men trickled in to that camp over the next few days. The men's trip of ten days covered approximately 91 miles.
Wilbur W Aring - O&020458 - 319th Bomb Group - Flew B-25s -
Five Doolittle Raiders served in this unit. Major David M. Jones (pilot), 1st Lt Donald G. Smith (pilot), 1st Lt Griffith P. Williams (pilot), 2nd Lt. Richard E. Miller (bombardier), 2nd Lt Thomas C. Griffin (navigator). On 7/4/43, the US lost the last two Doolittle Raiders serving were shot down - Williams and Griffen. Aring was the Group Commander of this unit.
From South compound roster - Behind the Wire, South Compound
1004. Aring, Wilbur W, Lt Colonel, USAAF, pilot, Dayton, Ohio, POW #1731, downed 7/4/43,
Dulag Luft-7/4-7/16/43, Stalag Luft III-7/19/43, Shot down by flak, Bailed out, landed at Gerbini, Sicily. Captured immediately by German Infantry. Married, Protestant, 13 Missions, blood type A.
Aring was held in West Compound and served the West Compound Administration as A3 - Operations. He must not have been reprimanded for abandoning the march or perhaps had permission to escape.
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107781/brigadier-general-wilbur-w-aring/
https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=18192
I have Egan's records from the National Archives. It is a disappointing series of documents because so much of his service was classified. Perhaps Matt can get more information from NARA.
Egan, JC, Major- 00399510, Block #137/Room 7, Pilot, 415 14th Street, Manitowac, Wisconsin, 10/10/43-shot down. Dulag Luft 10/16-10/26, Stalag Luft III 10/28/43. Direct hit on engine by flak. No. 3 engines destroyed. Bailed out-landed near Munster, Germany. Free 4 days. Captured by Gestapo 50 miles from where he landed. 20 MM frag in face and legs. Feet frozen. Mission unknown. Air Medal, 2nd Class, DFC, Single, Catholic 15 missions, Blood type O. He was initially held in South Compound then transferred West when it opened.
George Niethammer - O-805963
A/C#42-50423. POW 5881
https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=129269
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56360069/george-fred-niethammer
George was with the 454th Bomber Group, Heavy 738th Bomber Squadron, B-24H sustained heavy flak damage, rash landed near Kokoti, Germany on May 31, 1944. The entire crew became POW's after the crash.
Reportedly killed during an escape, prisoner of war. Found one of his crew member's daughter. Wrote her to learn if she has any information on George.
Gale Winston Cleven - 0-399782
I requested Cleven's documents from the National Archives last October and have contacted them once after that relative to when I would receive those documents. I have heard nothing.
That's all for now. I will send the Neary book later. Please use it for info and not for sharing.
Val
---
Val Burgess, Toastmaster, ACS, ALB
Sheridan, WY 82801
***************
Family in 1940’s
- Egan’s dad, John Sr worked as a game warden for the state of Wisconsin. Sadly, John Sr. passed away on November 21, 1942 (he was 66 at the time)
- Frances Egan (his mom)
- Egan’s older sister: Also named Frances (she was 30 in 1943, and worked as a nurse)
- Egan’s younger sister: Eileen (she was 22 in 1943 and worked as a stenographer)
Both sisters lived with their parents until at least until 1940. I hope this is of some value, and I previously sent Jess some info on what John was up to in his high school days, so we’ve got some decent bio info for him.
- Matt
RE: Egan writing home; take a look at these attachments. One of these articles specifically notes a letter that Egan sent home to his mother, which arrived in early 1944. Additionally, we know from separate press reporting that his mother first received word (via Telegram) around November 20, 1943 that John was alive and was a POW.
Interestingly, one of these articles cites Egan's time trying to evade capture, where he discusses trying to head for the Spanish border but was eventually captured.
Lastly, I sold Egan's dad short when I said he was a game warden. That was his job, but he was also a state assemblyman in Wisconsin, and died of a heart attack while in office in 1942. (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Egan_(Wisconsin_politician)
- Matt
MEMO 2:
Original 100th
Future Wife to be Josephine Pitz Egan was a WASP who ferried B-17's, PT-19, C-47. Was assigned to New Castle Army Air Base.
**********************************
From the Archives… Originally printed in: Vol , Number 4, Winter 1980 Splasher Six
ONE MAN AND HIS DOG
By John Archer
Editor’s Note: John Archer is a longtime British friend of the 100th and its veterans. Various articles by John have appeared in Splasher Six over the decades, and he continues to stay in touch with this Editor and likely with others of our group through cheerful cards and notes. The occasion of John’s Christmas greetings spurred me to re-read some of his stories. First written at Christmastime, 1976 and published in The Diss Express (Diss, England), Harry Crosby reprinted it in Splasher Six, Winter 1980 issue. In early October 1943 when missions were tough and losses were heavy, 100th BG legend Major John Egan had the following memorable encounter.
The Major was a lean, dark young man with a wisp of moustache. He was 27, but looked older. He could turn on the charm and turn it off whenever he liked. It’s the kind of thing one experiences in foreman of construction gangs and traffic managers at airports, in jobs where contact and participation with the men is the prime factor.
Major Egan was involved in the case of “Meatball vs the Pullet” a few days before he went down on a raid over Germany. Now Meatball was a half-grown husky dog which the crew of the B-17 brought over from Labrador on their way to Thorpe Abbotts during the summer of 1943. It seemed that Meatball was a bad dog, and all of a sudden turned into a chicken killer. And when did he decide to become a chicken killer? At a time when the personnel were involved in the toughest flying missions the group had yet undertaken. Deep raids as far as Danzig against desperate opposition.
And in this tense atmosphere Meatball got playful one morning and mangled a chicken dead. The nearby farmer went bustling up to the orderly room to see the Major. Major Egan was sitting in with his pilots having an informal briefing with the men about new tactics in aerial combat. It was the afternoon following a raid on Emden, October 3, 1943.
The farmer from down the road described “a light brown dog” that had killed a pullet. “Light brown. That’s Meatball, all right,” said the Major. “And you say he got a pullet?” asked the Major sympathetically. “Well, a pullet is pretty important, isn’t it?”
“It is,” said the farmer, calming down by this time. Where did you ever hear of a Major who knew anything about pullets, and what is more, who would talk about loss sympathetically in the middle of a grim military operation? Clearly the Major was now pulling out the charm act. He could, of course, have turned the whole matter of Meatball, pullet and payment over to the Adjutant. But the affair seemed right down the Major’s alley. All the new crews who had just arrived at Thorpe Abbotts were by that time listening with amazement.
“That pullet, did she look like a layer?” asked the Major. You could see by his face that he was rather tired, after all, it was only an hour or so since the raid was over.
“She did, Sir, for a fact,” said the farmer.
“Well, what would you say she’s worth?” asked the Major.
“Twenty bob,” said the farmer.
“All right,” said the Major. “I think that’s a pretty reasonable sum for a good pullet, don’t you?” he inquired looking around at the crews who flew the big bombers. They looked at him quite dumbfounded, not quite figuring it out, and wondering who was pulling whose leg. And the Major was aware he had everyone right there in front of him. He was the actor and the rest were the audience. The farmer had departed by this time, very pleased, and the Major was rocking back and forth on his chair and looking around. And from the subject of the Germans using rockets and guns, the conversation was not on pullets.
One of the young officers piped up and remarked, “A pullet, isn’t that some kind of… a rooster… like…” The Major glared at him and the officer’s face grew red. By now the class was sitting quite quietly.
“A pullet,” said the Major patiently, “is a half-grown female chicken which lays a small egg with a very small yolk.” And he showed them just how big with his fingers. “Then,” continued the Major, “the machinery inside the pullet goes to work and all of a sudden – one fine day it lays an egg twice as big as the usual and it is no longer a pullet.” The briefing closed at that point.
A few days later, Major Egan said goodbye for the last time to Meatball before climbing into his B-17. On October 10th, during a raid on Munster, the Major became a guest of the German forces, spending the rest of the war in a prison camp.
There was a certain pub in Dickleburgh that missed Major Egan. Sometimes he drove down in a jeep and sang songs in the bar with the locals and Irish laborers. With the affair of Meatball and the pullet, and the grim task of flying missions, Major Egan rounds out into a real example of an American who once walked the lonely lanes at Thorpe Abbotts.
Egan served as Air Exec for the 100th, as Commander of the 418th Squadron, and on the Munster raid flew as Command Pilot on John Brady’s lead crew. After being shot down, all but one of Brady’s crew survived as POWs. Egan stayed in the USAF following the war, attaining the rank of Colonel before dying suddenly of a heart attack in 1961 at age of 45. He earned the respect of all with whom he served.
PHOTO CAPTION (Egan in cockpit, smiling):
After it is all over and a man is gone, for good, it is difficult sometimes to think of him exactly as he was. Sometimes little incidents that seemed unimportant at the time begin to constitute his whole personality and his being – as in this remembrance of Major John Egan, a Squadron Commander of a B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed at Thorpe Abbotts during World War II
PHOTOS:
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USAAF press release photograph of John C. Egan. This type of photograph was used for distribution to home town newspapers. Almost all photographs of this type were taken in the States. (100th Photo Archives) |
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John C. Egan on the flight line. Photograph is thought to have been taken at Walla Walla, Washington (100th Photo Archives) |
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John C. Egan, the 418th Squadron Commander photographed at Thorpe Abbotts shortly before becoming a POW 10 Oct 1943. This is one of the latest photographs of "Bucky" Egan in the 100th Archives.Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives)
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L-R Ann Sue Egan, Cathleen Jo Egan, Josephine & John Egan |
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Cleven and Egan re-enacting classic photo 10 years later. |
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Major John C. Egan, 22 August, 1943 (AP photo) taken at Thorpe Abbotts, AP story titled ARABIAN KNIGHTS RETURN- Men who flew the Shuttle Bombing mission to Regensburg ,was not run, unknown why. crew returned 5 days later with their red fezs and Arabian knives |
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Matt Mabe , 100th BG Historical Staff, had the honor of placing this wreath on John C. Egans grave at Arlington National Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America. (Photo courtesy of Matt Mabe) |
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John & Josephine Egan in November 1945 before being married (photo courtesy of the Egan family). |
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Display at Mighty Eighth Museum in Savannah of John C. Egan's Medals. |
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From Big Joe Armanini Collection |
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Western Union MIA notice sent to Parents after Munster Raid. |
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Western Union notice that Maj John C. Egan is a POW. Those are an agonizing days for the Family waiting for this news. |
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Last Letter John C. Egan sent home to his Mother before he was shot down. Believe the photo he sent his mother was of him sitting in MUGGS. |
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John Egan's mother wrote this on the back of the letter. |
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Maj John C. Egan reported MIA. |
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Newspaper reports of Missing in Action |
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Newspaper article about Maj Egan visiting his former College. |
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Primary Training Course Completion Diploma (100th BG Photo Archives) |
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Page from the rare book " Kriegie Life" written and published by Carl H. Holmstrom. He did sketches for lots of POW's. |
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In the Front Row you have Lt Woodward Crew, Frank Murphy, Charles Cruikshank Major John Egan (CO 418thth BS) Alvin Barker (351st operations officer) , Eve Blakely, James Douglas, |
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John Egan (left) and John Brady (right) in North Africa (from the collection of Jim Potts) |
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John Egan in North Africa (from the collection of Jim Potts) |
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The Original Fez cap Maj John C. Egan wore in Africa after Regensburg Shuttle Mission Aug 17, 1943. |
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Lt Josephine "Doty" Pitz (Egan) WASP. |
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Annie and Katy Egan holding Josephine Pitz Egan’s WASP Award. |
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Josephine Pitz Egan WASP info |
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Article noting the wedding of John C. Egan |
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General Anderson; John Egan is in the background (from the collection of Norman Miller) |
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Major John C. Egan, 418th Squadron Commander, left and Gale W. Cleven, 350th Squadron Commander. They were two of the 100th's three Buckies. The third was Albert Elton, the only one of the three to complete his tour. Cleven was shot down at Bremen, Oct 8, 43 and Egan was to follow him into captivity 48 hours later, 10 Oct 43 at Munster. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Major John "Bucky" Egan, Photograph probably was made for Egan's private collection. (100th Photo Archives) |
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John Egan in the "hangar Queen" MUGGS (230184) (100th Photo Archives) |
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Photograph from John C. Egan's personal collection. Not an official USAAF photograph. (100th Photo Archives) |
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John C. Egan and Josephine Ada Egan headstone at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Matt Mabe |
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Backside of headstone at Arlington national cemetery |
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Major John "Bucky" Egan, photograph was on the front page of Stars and Stripes August24, 1943, one week after the Regensberg mission. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Frank D. Murphy and John C. Egan photographed at the Mamounia Hotel, Marrakesh, Morocco 20 Aug 1943. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Major John C. Egan, left, and Anthony "Augie" Gospar in Marrakesh, Morrocco, August 20, 1943 (100th Photo Archives) |
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Lead Squadron flying over the Alps on 17 Aug 43. Command Pilot Jack Kidd (Group Operations Officer) & Ev Blakely in Just-a-Snappin A/C 23393 LD-Y, John D. Brady & John L. Hoerr in Stymie A/C 23237 LD-R, Command Pilot John Egan (418th Squadron Command Officer) and Charles Cruikshank in Mugwump A/C 230066 LD-U, and Bob Wolff & Charles Stuart in Wolff Pack A/C 230061 LD-Q. (Photo courtesy of Big Joe Armanini) |
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A/C 230061 Wolff Pack with damaged stabilizer, A/C 23393 Just-a-Snappin in lead, and A/C 230066 Mugwump at the bottom on the 17 Aug 43 Regensburg mission. (Photo courtesy of Big Joe Armanini) Wolff crew information | Blakely crew information | Cruikshank crew information | Regensburg mission information |
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August 20, 1943 in Marrakesh, Morrocco. Augie Gaspar, back to camera, Glenn Graham and John Egan discuss a fare with a Marrakesh hack driver. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives) |
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Lead Squadron Regensburg 17 Aug 1943. The damaged B-17 in the center was flown by Robert Wolff. In September 1943 the Germans were to fish Bob and his crew out of the English Channel. Wolff's water landing was one of the most successful of the war. There were no injuries, either in the landing or egress. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives) Bob Wolff's damaged B-17 over Italy 17 Aug 1943. Detailed information (100th Photo Archives) |
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Stars and Stripes article on Regensburg. |
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Charles B. Cruikshank crew wearing Fezzes and pith helmets from North Africa. This is a public relations photograph made at Thorpe Abbotts some weeks after the Regensburg mission. John Egan is shown kneeling wearing his white flight jacket, Cruikshank is on the extreme right, kneeling on the left,with a dagger in his pocket is Frank Murphy. This photograph appeared in Stars and Stripes. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives) |
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100th aircraft in Africa LD-U - 42-30066 Mugwump - Charles Cruikshank/ John Egan, EP-A, Thomas Murphy & Beirne Lay Jr (Foreground) this is the famous "PICADILLY LILLY," 42-5864, XR-J 25861 Cowboy Roane - "LADEN MAIDEN," XR-D,230611 Henington - "HORNY" (100th Photo Archives) |
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Four 100th B-17s over the Alps, top "Cowboy" Roane in "LADEN MAIDEN," 2nd from top (smaller image) Henry Henington in "HORNY," center Bob Wolff in "WOLFF PACK, lower "Bucky" Egan and "Crankshaft" Cruikshank in "MUGWUMP". Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives) |
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M'lle Zig Zig on October 10, 1943 Munster Mission |
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John Egan Luft III escape maps |
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John Egan Luft III escape maps II |
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John Egan Luft III escape maps III |
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John Egan Luft III escape maps IV |
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John Egan Luft III Map of compound |
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John Egan Luft III signature page to verify a person was alive and a POW in case of German reprisals against prisoners. |
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Stars and Stipes article Part II on Regensburg with Cruikshank Crew and John Egan. |
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The first reunion of the 100th after WWII. Bolling Field -- 22 Nov 1946. Pictured are many notables of the group -- Standing L-R Buck Cleven, John Egan, David Lyster, Jack Wallace, Butch Rovegno,
Sitting: Al Paul, Butch Goodwin, Harry Cruver, Horace Varian to name a few. |
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John Brady, John Egan, and Charles "Chankshaft" Cruikshank in Algeria, following the Regensburg Mission (photo courtesy of the Edmund Forkner family and James Blakely). |
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General Curtis LeMay presenting medals to John Egan, William Veal, and Jack Kidd (courtesy of the Veal family) |
SERVED IN:
- BRADY, John D. - P
- HOERR, John L. - CP
- CROSBY, Harry H. - NAV
- HAMILTON, Howard B. - BOM
- BLUM, Adolph - TTE
- HAFER, Joseph E. - ROG
- LEVITT, Saul - ROG
- EGAN, John C. - COM
- GANGWER, Roland D. - BTG
- CLANTON, Harold E. - WG
- MCCUSKER, James A. - WG
- PETROHELOS, George J. - TG
