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

John Wakeman

14th Fighter Group 06/22/1944

HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE

APO 520 - U. S. Army

15 October, 1944

ESCAPE STATEMENT

  1. Wakeman, John Stafford, 1st Lt., O-759121, 48 Fighter Sq., 14 Fighter Gp.

Born - 14 July 1922                                                                            Enlisted - 26 June 1942 Home Address - Lafayette, California.

Peacetime Profession - Student

MIA - 22 June 1944            RTD - 23 Sept. 1944           Missions - 35

  1. Never in prison camp.
  1. On 22 June 1944, source, flying a P-38, was on a high altitude escort duty with a group of B-24’s.

Target was Bologna. Source was attacking an Me 109 over the target area, when he was attacked by a second Me 109 which shot out his right engine and put holes in the wing. The coolant radiator was completely shot off on the right-hand engine.

The engine caught fire. The fire went out again when the engine was feathered. Lt. Wakeman then headed for Ancona on one engine, calling “Big Fence” on “D” channel, but received no answer. Source’s receiver was working but he could make no contact with other fighters in his group. N/W of Ancona at 1500 to 2000 ft., losing altitude, - at 110 to 120 mph, source decided he could not make his base or the front lines, so he rolled the ship on its back and fell out. Source landed uninjured in a wheat field. The plane crashed nearby, exploded and was completely destroyed.

  1. As soon as Lt. Wakeman had discarded his parachute harness an armed Italian took charge of him and called up a German soldier. Source was searched, had his escape kit removed but was allowed to retain all his other personal possessions. He was then taken to a German Hq. nearby (Ancona area). A German S.S. Inspector took source at once through Ancona to Iesi where he was given a mid-day meal at German S.S. Hqs. He was well treated and then interrogated. Lt. Wakeman was then taken to a camouflaged house, occupied by a small German unit and had one young German placed over him as a guard. After three hours, source was put in a German truck pulling a trailer and headed north. The young German guard rode in the back with Lt. Wakeman. After Ostra was passed darkness set in and they traveled all night. At dawn they passed through an unknown town. Lt. Wakeman was told he was on his way to Bologna. A stop was made at a farm where source shared field rations with his guard. At the farm source was allowed to sleep in the open while his guard and several other Germans slept on the truck. When all were asleep, source got up and walked quietly away (23 June). Lt. Wakeman travelled across country, crawling whenever he saw anyone nearby. Walking for an hour and a half, he then hid until nightfall, when he was seen by an Italian woman who gave him food and told him there was a manhunt on and that he must keep off the roads.

Lt. Wakeman traveled S/E by night for two days, getting food from farmers. He was told by Italians that he was in the Forli area and must head S/W into the mountains. South of Forli source obtained civilian clothes from an Italian farmer and was then able to travel by day through the mountains to join the Partisans whom Italians reported were at Ranchio. He reached the Partisans on the evening of 28 June. Here he contacted Lt. Zaden O. Lee and both were housed by an Italian family until 7 July 1944. At this time, Germans arrived in the area and source moved out for a few days. Lt. Zaden O. Lee joined another party of Partisans at Santa Sofia and source did not see him again (Lt. Lee has since returned to Allied control).

Lt. Wakeman then joined a British trooper, and they stayed in the Ranchio area with one of the Partisan bands. On 2 August 1944 they were joined by Lt. Johnson, S/Sgt Johnston and Lt. Alridge. In the middle of August they were taken by the Partisans to the Republic of San Marino, where they hid out in a cave. They remained here until British forces approached, then passed through the Allied lines and returned to Allied control.

T.A. Fell,

1st Lt., A.C.

Interrogator.

Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by John Wakeman of the 14th Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of John Wakeman's combat experience.

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John Wakeman: Personnel File

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