2nd Lt.

Oscar Gabriel Richard III

Bombardier

547th Bomb Squadron

384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

Serial Nr O-746610

POW 14/01/1944 - 30/04/1945

Missions Credited - 3

Resting place - Greenoaks Memorial Park, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Oscar Gabriel Richard III was born on 7th December 1921, at the home of his maternal grandparents in Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He grew up in Sunshine, Louisiana where his mother was the Postmaster, and his grandfather owned a general stores.

Oscar graduated from Louisiana State University's School of Journalism in June 1942, before enrolling immediately as an Aviation Cadet the very next day. He had tried for Marine Corps Officer training but had been rejected on medical grounds - according to Oscar, he suspected this was simply as he was missing two teeth!

Oscar worked at the Louisiana State University (LSU) press in the interim, before leaving in the autumn of 1942 to work at Golden Gate Cane Syrup Mill, which had been founded by his grandfather. Finally, on 27th November 1942 he received orders to report to New Orleans on 7th December 1942, his 21st birthday.

Training took him initially to Santa Ana Army Air Base for basic training, and for classification of roles that new intakes were deemed suitable for. After qualifying for all three Officer roles (pilot, navigator and bombardier), he was selected for Bombardier training, based on the service requirements of the time. He graduated Bombardier School at Victorville AAF base in Victorville, California on the 29th May 1943. A short spell at Kingman, Arizona followed for gunnery training, before moving on to Ephrata, Washington where the eventual combat crew were to come together for the first time, under the command of pilot 2nd Lt. Neill L. Britt.

On the 8th December 1943, 2nd Lt. Oscar Gabriel Richard III was initially assigned to the 545th Bomb Squadron of the 384th Bombardment Group, based at Station 106, RAF Grafton Underwood, in England. Co-Pilot of the crew, 2nd Lt. Raymond John Haley, had a twin brother already serving with the 547th Bomb Squadron - it was common practice that family members could ask to serve in the same squadron, and Raymond's request was duly accepted, meaning the crew of 2nd Lt. Britt transferred across to the 547th.

2nd Lt. Richard III's first mission was on 7th January 1944, with a flight to Ludwigshaven in Germany, targeting a powerplant. His 2nd mission came on 11th January 1944, to Halberstadt in Germany, this time targeting a Junkers Ju-88 factory.

On 14th January 1944 2nd Lt. Richard III flew his third mission. The target today was a 'Noball' target, a V1 launch site at Le Meillard in France. At approximately 15.10, shortly before bombs away, his aircraft was struck by flak causing the number 3 engine to feathered, and number 4 engine suffering a runaway propellor. The command to abandon the aircraft was made, with all ten crew members successfully exiting the aircraft at an altitude of around 12,000 feet, with the majority of the crew landing in wooded areas near to the target. Of the ten crew members who exited the aircraft, nine were to become Prisoners of War (POW's). Navigator 2nd Lt. Ernest V. Lindell was able to evade capture, eventually returning to England on 8th June 1944. He was able to confirm that the aircraft had crashed close to where the crew landed, near St. Valery-sur-Somme, France. The B-17 was seen to crash into the site of a German flak gun position, completely destroying it.

2nd Lt. Richard III was captured by German forces shortly after landing on enemy soil. He was to spend the next two years as a POW, at Stalug Luft 1, Barth, Germany. The camp was eventually liberated by Soviet forces on the evening of 30th April 1945. He was to arrive back home to Sunshine, Louisiana in July 1945, being discharged from the USAAF as a 1st Lt. Oscar was to join the Air Force Reserves, eventually rising to the rank of Captain.

On 20th September 1947, Oscar was to marry Billie Ruth Gathright. They were to have five children.

Shortly after getting married, Oscar returned to Louisiana State University to restart his career there, initially as a Publications Editor. He was to retire in 1983 as Director of Public Relations.

After retirement, Oscar spent much time designing and crafting pieces of furniture. He was a passionate follower of LSU football, and also served on the Board of Directors of The Foundation for Historical Louisiana.

In 2000, LSU Press published his memoir of his time as a USAAF airman at Grafton Underwood with the 384th, and also about his experiences as a POW. This book is called "Kriege - An American POW in Germany", from which much of this story has been derived. From this, his services as a speaker were in high demand. An oral interview with Oscar is also available on this link Oscar G. Richard Collection | Library of Congress

On 9th December 2005, Billie passed away aged 77, after 58 years of marriage. Oscar passed away on 7th May 2013, aged 91. They are both buried at Greenoaks Memorial Park, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

Research courtesy of Keith Andrews on behalf of 384th Bombardment Group Museum.

With kind thanks to the 384th Bomb Group website www.384thbombgroup.com for permission in using material from their records in the making of this story. It holds a wealth of information, documents and photographs of their activities during World War 2.

Further information courtesy of www.newspapers.com, www.ancestory.com and www.findagrave.com