Oral history interview with Donald A. Kaplanek, 2000.

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Oral history interview with Donald A. Kaplanek, 2000.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/85362353

Donald A. Kaplanek, a Deerbrook, Wisconsin native, discusses his World War II service as a tail gunner with the 740th Bomb Squadron, 455th Bomb Group stationed in Italy and his experiences as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft IV. Based at San Giovanni Field (Italy), Kaplanek talks about duty as a replacement tail gunner for several different crews. He speaks about several of his missions including the Ploesti Raid, a mission over Austria where he saw six of seven escort planes shot down, and a situation when he was being targeted by three enemy planes. He details getting shot down after a mission to Blechhammer (Germany): the engines getting damaged by flak, his crew bailing out over Hungary, being taken prisoner by the Hungarian Home Guard, and almost being hung from a tree by a mob of civilians. Kaplanek talks about being taken to jail by a German soldier and getting spit on by Hungarian civilians. He speaks of the trip by train to a prison in Budapest (Hungary), ten days of interrogation, and his train trip to Stalag Luft IV. Kaplanek describes the prisoner of war camp, food and coal rations, showers, German guards, and Red Cross packages. Leaving camp on the 6th of February, he recalls the long, cold march away from the Russian advance and being freed by the Russian Army. He touches upon getting food from Germans by threatening to report them to the Russians, seeing freed prisoners from Dachau, and drinking with a couple of Russian soldiers. Kaplanek mentions being in Rheims (France) when the war ended and witnessing German fight pilots come in to surrender. He describes being deloused, his hospitalization at Camp Lucky Strike (France) for an infected foot, and returning home. Kaplanek touches on his discharge from Camp Kilmer (New Jersey), attending bomb group reunions, and using the GI Bill to take flying lessons.

Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Videorecording : 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.) ; sd., col. ; 1/2 in.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 60 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 31 p.Military papers : 0.1 linear ft. (1 folder)

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

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SNAC Resource ID: 8333229

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

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