LOUIS LOEVSKY
|
 Len, Lou and Wayne Beigel at Stalag Luft III Reunion Norfolk, VA 29, April 1990. The the three (3) living survivors of (20) Aircrew Members of the B-24's "Terry & The Pirates" and the "BRAND". (Still Going Strong!) Lou and his Wife Molly are very active in Veterans
Organizations. |
LOUIS LOEVSKY, born 1920, enlisted U.S. Army Air Corps December 26, 1941. Graduated Aviation Mechanic School and B-26 Specialist School. "Washed Out!"…pilot training. He graduated Navigation School, Hondo, TX, November 1943, he joined the 8th Air Force 466th BG. Stationed at Attlebridge, England. On March 22, 1944, 466th BG flew their first mission. . . to Berlin. Our B-24 the "Terry and the Pirates" was hit by flak over Berlin and we lost the #1 propeller. A mid-air collision ensued causing "Terry" to lose props #2 and #3. The "Brand" a B-24 lost its tail, causing it to go into a tight spin. Len Smith, a Bombardier, was trapped in the "Terry" nose turret, the electrical and manual systems rendered it inoperable by the crash. The turret would not turn so that its doors could open to let Len out. Len had sustained substantial injury. For me to extricate Len from his predicament was most difficult since he was in shock and kept removing his gloves (at –35oF or below) and oxygen mask (at 23,500’). I tried putting his mask and gloves back on repeatedly while trying to spring the nose turret door open, I put an arm around his chest and pulled him out, that was quite an achievement. Eventually Lou got Len out and released the bombs in train. Thirteen of 20 crewmembers were KIA, 5 "Terry" and 8 "Brand." After assisting Len to bail out, our pilot "Bill" Terry yelled, "Hey, Lou wait for me!" I waited until he left the control column then bailed out through the bomb bay. Distrusting the Germans I free fell and saw one parachute open above me which had to be Terry’s. While free-falling I realized that with the "H" (Jewish) on my dog tags I risked being shot as a spy, if I ripped them off and threw them away… and risked being shot as a Jew if I left them on and fell into the hands of the Gestapo or S.S.! I left them on. While free falling I thought of the gross of condoms scattered in every pocket of every uniform… "My parents will think they raised a sex fiend!" Continued - click here |