15th Army Air Forces; WWII
15th Army Air Forces; WWII

Morris King

99th Bombarment Group 10/01/1943

HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE APO 520, U.S. Army

12 October 1944

ESCAPE STATEMENT

  1. King, Morris W., S/Sgt., 17088079, 416 SQ., 99 Group. Born - 24 December 1923 Enlisted - 25 August 1942 Home Address - 1221 N. Corona St., Colorado Springs, Colorado. Peacetime Profession - School Duty - Armour Gunner MIA - 1 Oct. 1943 RTD - 12 Oct. 1944 Missions - 26
     
  2. Carroll, Joseph R., T/Sgt., 32405233, 416 SQ., 99 Group. Born - 22 April 1921 Enlisted - Home Address - 9 Jones Place, Yonkers, New York. Peacetime Profession - Restaurant Mgr. Duty - Radio Operator MIA - 1 Oct. 1943 RTD - 12 Oct. 1944 Missions - 26
     
  3. Source 1, Sgt. King, Source 2, T/Sgt. Carroll. Mission was to Ausburg, Germany on Oct. 1, 1943. Pilot of the airplane was 1st. Lt. English and the mission took off from a base near Tunis. Went over target and couldn't drop bombs due to 10/10 cloud cover. Turned back and were attacked by fighters and heavy flak. Fighters forced the group towards Switzerland. 20mm entered nose and went right through to tail. All fighter attacks were nose attacks. Interphone was out before these fighters attacked. Source thinks pilot and copilot were killed or badly injured by the 20mm burst. Ship started to dive over and then turned over on its back continuing to dive. Then ship righted itself and leveled out some. Opened doors into bomb bays and then noticed bombs were gone. At that moment the ship exploded. Altitude was about 10,000 ft. Sgt. Carroll found himself in midair, pulled cord, landed Weinfeld. Sgt. King was knocked out by the explosion and came to in a small waist about 300 ft. off the ground. He fell out of waist window which was facing ground right then and had no sooner pulled the ripcord when he hit a tree. Suffered a slight brain concussion. So did Sgt. Carroll plus some face lacerations.
     
  4. Hospital "Villa Flora", Badragaz Internment Camp, Macolin.
     

APPENDIX B

No names recalled. Border Guard. Taxi Man. English Lt.

APPENDIX F

Three 8th AAF men came across Swiss border at same time, flown to England from Annecy. Entire crew KIA but Sgts. King and Carroll and Sgt. Pratt who was caught the night before at the border. Sgt. Pratt was captured by Swiss guards about 6 or 7 Oct. 1944, while attempting to cross border. Will now be in WAAL Wilermoos Camp for 6 months.

Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Morris King of the 99th Bombarment Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Morris King's combat experience.

Arrow  99th Bombardment Group