Oral history interview with Robert J. Widmer, Sr., 2004 June 11.

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Oral history interview with Robert J. Widmer, Sr., 2004 June 11.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/431369309

Interview with Robert J. Widmer, Sr., Army Air Forces veteran (738th Bomb Squadron, 304th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force), concerning his experiences as a B-24 pilot in the European theater during World War II; also his experiences as a prisoner-of-war of the Germans. His youth during the Great Depression in Toledo, Ohio; college at the University of Toledo and Columbia University; his decision to enlist in the Aviation Cadets, December, 1941; basic training, Santa Ana, California, August, 1942; primary flight training, Oxnard, California, September, 1942; basic flight training, Taft, California, January, 1943; advanced flight training, Stockton, California, March, 1943; B-25 training, Mather Field, Sacramento, California, June, 1943; B-17 training, Hobbs, New Mexico, July, 1943; B-24 training, Tucson, Arizona, August, 1943; B-24 crew training, McCook, Nebraska, fall, 1943; assignment to Italy, December, 1943; reminiscences about various missions; his bomber being shot down on a mission to Budapest, Hungary; Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany; evacuation and forced march to Moosburg, Germany; liberation by General George S. Patton's troops. Appendix consists of photocopies of Certificate of Consent (one leaf), various military documents (eight leaves), letters (four leaves), plane crash eyewitness statements (two leaves), oral report from interviewee about crash (five leaves), photocopy of articles from the Columbus dispatch (one leave), photocopy of USAF investigation into crash (three leaves), location of hospital in Budapest (one leaf), maps (two leaves), photocopies of parts of books (twenty leaves), one drawing (one leaf), miscellaneous information (eight leaves).

170, [57] leaves : facsims. ; 29 cm.

University of North Texas Library, UNT

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SNAC Resource ID: 7514945

University of North Texas Library, UNT

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