Best Friends
U.S. Naval Reserve Master Chief Joe Beam and Chief John Crawford World War II Veterans Serve in U.S. Naval Reserve By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Barrie Barber / Pacific Northwest Public Affairs District
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (NNS) ? Most people their age travel to exotic locales or enjoy a life free of the daily grind, but two World War II veterans are back in uniform in the U.S. Naval Reserve - and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Master Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Joe Beam, 76, of Marrowstone Island, Wash., and Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John Crawford, 81, of Tacoma, Wash., couldn't stay away.
?It's one of those things where you like to be with your own kind, especially after you get a lot of years in,? said Beam, who has 54 years of duty between the active-duty U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve.
Crawford flew World War II bomber missions with the Royal Air Force over Germany and France. He later joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and returned to ranks this year at the urging of Beam.
Both men serve on authorized special permissive orders through Naval Reserve Center Tacoma, Wash., and receive no pay for drill time or most expenses.
?It's not really an obligation, because we want to do it,? Beam said. And there is one important bonus. ?We don't have to do PT [physical training] very much. I don't think the chart goes to 60, 65, 70, 75 [years old].?
The two recently traded their chests full of ribbons for Hawaiian tropical shirts to play government leaders in the fictional archipelago of Mondo during Naval Coastal Warfare Exercise Seahawk '03, a joint and combined harbor defense exercise in Puget Sound, Wash.
During the exercise, they worked with active-duty and reserve personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington National Guard and U.S. Army, along with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Canadian Navy and Army.
?It's all new and just kind of a learning process,? said Crawford, who rejoined the Naval Reserve in June after he retired in 1982 with 33 years of service. ?It's just amazing, all these guys together.?
Crawford, a Canadian native, signed on with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and was sent to England to serve with the RAF. He and his seven-member Lancaster crew were shot down over northern France a few weeks after D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944.
Crawford joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1949. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War, flying reconnaissance missions Patrol Squadron (VP) 892 in Japan. He later retired from the lumber industry.
Beam also served in World War II and Korea. During World War II, he was a sailor on USS Adams (DD 739), a destroyer minelayer. He and his shipmates kept Adams afloat after a kamikaze attack blew a hole in the fantail during the invasion of Okinawa.
After a stint in college, Beam rejoined ranks during the Korean War aboard USS Carmick (DD 493). He later returned to the enlisted reservist ranks and earned a bachelor's degree, before he retired from his civilian job with an aircraft manufacturer.
Best Friends
U.S. Naval Reserve Master Chief Joe Beam and Chief John Crawford World War II Veterans Serve in U.S. Naval Reserve By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Barrie Barber / Pacific Northwest Public Affairs District
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (NNS) ? Most people their age travel to exotic locales or enjoy a life free of the daily grind, but two World War II veterans are back in uniform in the U.S. Naval Reserve - and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Master Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Joe Beam, 76, of Marrowstone Island, Wash., and Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John Crawford, 81, of Tacoma, Wash., couldn't stay away.
?It's one of those things where you like to be with your own kind, especially after you get a lot of years in,? said Beam, who has 54 years of duty between the active-duty U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve.
Crawford flew World War II bomber missions with the Royal Air Force over Germany and France. He later joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and returned to ranks this year at the urging of Beam.
Both men serve on authorized special permissive orders through Naval Reserve Center Tacoma, Wash., and receive no pay for drill time or most expenses.
?It's not really an obligation, because we want to do it,? Beam said. And there is one important bonus. ?We don't have to do PT [physical training] very much. I don't think the chart goes to 60, 65, 70, 75 [years old].?
The two recently traded their chests full of ribbons for Hawaiian tropical shirts to play government leaders in the fictional archipelago of Mondo during Naval Coastal Warfare Exercise Seahawk '03, a joint and combined harbor defense exercise in Puget Sound, Wash.
During the exercise, they worked with active-duty and reserve personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington National Guard and U.S. Army, along with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Canadian Navy and Army.
?It's all new and just kind of a learning process,? said Crawford, who rejoined the Naval Reserve in June after he retired in 1982 with 33 years of service. ?It's just amazing, all these guys together.?
Crawford, a Canadian native, signed on with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and was sent to England to serve with the RAF. He and his seven-member Lancaster crew were shot down over northern France a few weeks after D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944.
Crawford joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1949. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War, flying reconnaissance missions Patrol Squadron (VP) 892 in Japan. He later retired from the lumber industry.
Beam also served in World War II and Korea. During World War II, he was a sailor on USS Adams (DD 739), a destroyer minelayer. He and his shipmates kept Adams afloat after a kamikaze attack blew a hole in the fantail during the invasion of Okinawa.
After a stint in college, Beam rejoined ranks during the Korean War aboard USS Carmick (DD 493). He later returned to the enlisted reservist ranks and earned a bachelor's degree, before he retired from his civilian job with an aircraft manufacturer.
Other Memories
1950 KOREAN WAR HISTORY: John Crawford/Naval Air Reserve Pilot: Patrol Squadrons VP-892 were among the first from the Naval Air Reserve to deploy overseas to Korea. Recalled to active duty on 20 July 1950, VP-892 reported to NAS San Diego the following month, and on 18 December logged its first mission, the first by a reserve squadron during the Korean War. Eventually, seven recalled patrol squadrons served during the conflict, flying PBM-5 Mariners, PB4Y/P4Y-2 Privateers and P2V-2/3 Neptunes. VP-892 Deployed To Iwakuni, Japan. The crews flew long-range antisubmarine warfare and reconnaissance flights in the Sea of Japan and along the coasts of China and North Korea. This was dangerous, facing Chinese MiG-15 jets and operating at night over Korea, dropping flares to support night interdiction and close air support missions by Marine Corps aircraft plus took an active part in the retaking of Inchon on the coast of South Korea, Six in the squadron didn't return home. He later Retired in 1982 with 33 years of service with the Naval Reserve. But was asked to serve on authorized special permissive orders through Naval Reserve Center Tacoma, Wash., to play a government leader in the fictional archipelago of Mondo during Naval Coastal Warfare Exercise Seahawk 2003, a joint and combined harbor defense exercise in Puget Sound, Wash. During the exercise, he worked with active-duty and reserve personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington National Guard and U.S. Army, along with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Canadian Navy and Army. BADGES & MEDALS RECEIVED: U.S. Marine Aircrew Wings ? Navy Occupation Service Medal ? National Defense Service Medal ? Korean Service Medal - 2 stars ? Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation ? United Nations Service Medal ? Air Medal ? Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal ? British Defense Medal ? British War Medal with bronze oakleaf ? British Victory Medal ? British WWII 1939-1945 Campaign Star ? British FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR ? WWII IRVIN Caterpillar Club Pin: WWII Caterpillar badge was issued by the Irvin Parachute company to those whose lives were saved by an Irvin Parachute. Recipients were then members of the 'Caterpillar Club'.
Criteria The Air Medal may be awarded to individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement, or by meritorious service while partic... The Air Medal may be awarded to individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement, or by meritorious service while participating in aerial flight, but not of a degree that would justify an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. MoreHide
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
Criteria To be eligible for this medal, the Service member must have: Served between the outbreak of hostilities (June 25, 1950) and the date the armistice was signed (July 27, 1953); Been on permanent assignm... To be eligible for this medal, the Service member must have: Served between the outbreak of hostilities (June 25, 1950) and the date the armistice was signed (July 27, 1953); Been on permanent assignment or on temporary duty for thirty consecutive days or sixty non-consecutive days, and Performed duty within the territorial limits of Korea, in the waters immediately adjacent thereto or in aerial flight over Korea participating in actual combat operation or in support of combat operations. MoreHide
Criteria
The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is a military unit award issued by the government of South Korea to both South Korean and foreign military units.
Criteria The United Nations Korean Medal was generally awarded for any period of service while assigned as a member of the Armed Forces dispatched to Korea or adjacent areas for service on behalf of the United... The United Nations Korean Medal was generally awarded for any period of service while assigned as a member of the Armed Forces dispatched to Korea or adjacent areas for service on behalf of the United Nations. Service in qualifying organizations had to be certified by the United Nations Commander-in-Chief as having directly supported military operations in Korea. In the case of the United States, such certification was issued in General Orders 31 (June 20, 1955); General Orders 33 (July 11, 1955); and General Orders 36 (July 13, 1955). MoreHide
Description Description Pending
1954
Korea Service Medal
Criteria To be eligible for this medal, the Service member must have: Served between the outbreak of hostilities (June 25, 1950) and the date the armistice was signed (July 27, 1953); Been on permanent assignm... To be eligible for this medal, the Service member must have: Served between the outbreak of hostilities (June 25, 1950) and the date the armistice was signed (July 27, 1953); Been on permanent assignment or on temporary duty for thirty consecutive days or sixty non-consecutive days, and Performed duty within the territorial limits of Korea, in the waters immediately adjacent thereto or in aerial flight over Korea participating in actual combat operation or in support of combat operations. MoreHide
Criteria
The Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal is intended to provide Naval Reservists an award which is the equivalent to the Navy Good Conduct Medal.
Criteria Occupation duty in the European-African-Middle Eastern area may be credited to organizations for duty performed on and subsequent to May 8, 1945. Terminal dates for eligibility periods and occupation ... Occupation duty in the European-African-Middle Eastern area may be credited to organizations for duty performed on and subsequent to May 8, 1945. Terminal dates for eligibility periods and occupation territories in this area are as follows: Italy: November 8, 1945 to December 15, 1947, Trieste: May 9, 1945 to October 25, 1954, Germany (exclusive of Berlin): May 9, 1945 to May 5, 1955, Berlin: May 9, 1945 to October 2, 1990, Austria: May 9, 1945 to October 25, 1955, Asiatic-Pacific Area: September 2, 1945 to April 27, 1952. Units performing service in the Korean area during the period of June 27, 1950 to April 27, 1952, inclusive, and which are eligible for the Korean Service Medal, will not be credited with eligibility for the Navy Occupation Service Medal for the same period. MoreHide
Criteria To be eligible for this medal, the Service member must have: Served between the outbreak of hostilities (June 25, 1950) and the date the armistice was signed (July 27, 1953); Been on permanent assignm... To be eligible for this medal, the Service member must have: Served between the outbreak of hostilities (June 25, 1950) and the date the armistice was signed (July 27, 1953); Been on permanent assignment or on temporary duty for thirty consecutive days or sixty non-consecutive days, and Performed duty within the territorial limits of Korea, in the waters immediately adjacent thereto or in aerial flight over Korea participating in actual combat operation or in support of combat operations. MoreHide
Description Communist efforts to divide the South Koreans against themselves having failed, the North Koreans decided to attempt their subjugation by military force. At 0400, Sunday, 25 June 1950 (Korean Time), NCommunist efforts to divide the South Koreans against themselves having failed, the North Koreans decided to attempt their subjugation by military force. At 0400, Sunday, 25 June 1950 (Korean Time), North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel into the Republic and launched their main effort toward the South Korean capital city of Seoul, down the P'och'on-Uijongbu and Yonch'on-Uijongbu corridors. Strong attacks were also directed through Kaesong toward Munsan on the right, and toward Ch'unch'on on the left. On the west coast the Ongjin Peninsula was quickly captured. On the east coast a land column and a small seaborne detachment met near Kangnung.
By 28 June Seoul had fallen, the North Koreans had closed up along the Han River to a point about 20 miles east of Seoul, and had advanced as far as Samchok on the meat coast. By 4 July enemy forces were along the line Suwon-Wonju-Samchok. In withdrawing, the Republic of Korea ("ROK") forces had suffered such serious losses that their attempts to regroup and retain order were almost futile.
On 25 June 1950 the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling "for immediate cessation of hostilities" and "upon the authorities of North Korea to withdraw forthwith their armed forces to the thirty-eighth parallel." When the North Koreans failed to accede to these demands, the Security Council passed a second resolution recommending "that the Members of the United Nations furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the armed attack and restore the international peace and security in the area."
President Truman announced on 27 June 1950 the t he had ordered American air and naval forces to give cover and support to the South Korean troops (UN Defensive-27 June to 15 September 1950). On the 28th he authorized the Commander in Chief Far East to use certain supporting ground units in Korea, and authorized the U.S. Air Force to conduct missions on specific targets in North Korea. On the 30th the President further authorized the C. in C. Far East to use all forces available to him to repel the invasion, and ordered a naval blockade of the entire coast of Korea.
A Security Council resolution of 7 July 1950 recommended the establishment of a unified command in Korea and requested the United States to designate a commander of these forces. On 8 July President Truman announced the appointment of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as Commander in Chief, United Nations Command (CINCUNC). On 14 July President Rhee placed all ROK security forces under the United Nations commander, an act which consolidated the anti-Communist forces under the United Nations Commend for the purpose of repelling the Communist aggression.
The U.S. forces at MacArthur's disposal included the four divisions in Japan-the 1st Cavalry Division and the 7th, 24th, and 25th Infantry Divisions-and the 29th Regimental Combat Team in Okinawa. The divisions were lacking a third of their infantry and artillery units and almost all their armor units. Existing units were far under strength. Weapons and equipment were war-worn relics of World War II, and ammunition reserves amounted to only a 45-day supply. None of the divisions had reached full combat efficiency, since intensive training had been largely neglected because of occupation duties.
Initial U.S. strategy, dictated by the speed of the North Korean drive and the state of American unpreparedness, was one of trading space for time. On 2 July 1950 Task Force Smith, composed of two rifle companies and a few supporting units of the 24th Division, was flown from Japan to Pusan and moved by train and truck to defensive positions near Osan, 30 miles south of Seoul. Its mission was to fight a delaying action to gain time for the movement of more troops from Japan. On 5 July this small force was attacked by a North Korean division supported by 30 tanks and compelled to withdraw, after a stubborn defense, with heavy losses of men and equipment.
By this time the remaining elements of the 24th Division had reached Korea and were in defensive positions along the Kum River, north of Taejon and 60 miles south of Osan. ROK elements held positions to the east, some 50 miles above Taegu. By 15 July the 25th Division had arrived in Korea and was positioned east of the 24th Division. The 1st Cavalry Division arrived and closed in the P'chang-dong area on 18-19 July. Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker, Commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, had been placed in command of all U.S. ground troops in Korea on 13 July, and, at the request of President Rhee, of the South Korean Army as well. As the ground troops of other U.N. members reached Korea, they also were placed under Walker's command.
North Korean forces crossed the Kum River and captured Taejon, an important communications center, on 20 July. U.S. and ROK troops continued to withdraw steadily to the southeast under constant North Korean pressure. During the withdrawal our Army's 3.5-inch rocket launcher was used (for the first time on a battlefield) with highly successful results against North Korean tanks. It was in this period that the 24th Division commander, Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, was reported missing when North Korean tanks broke through the forward unite of his division. It was learned later that he had been captured about 35 miles south of Taejon on 25 August.
The final days of July 1950 witnessed a series of hard-fought battles all along the 200-mile front of the United Nations perimeter. The northern front, a line running inland from Yongdok through Andong, Yech'on, Hamch'ong, and Hwanggan to Kumch'on, was defended at critical points by ROK troops and the U.S. 25th Division. The 1st Cavalry Division was battling on the west flank to keep the Yongdong-Kumch'on-Taegu rail line open. To block the southwestern approaches to Pusan, which the enemy was threatening, the 29th RCT advanced to Chinju, but was ambushed by a North Korean division and suffered heavy losses. Enemy pressure continued from Yosu and Chinju in the southwest to Kwan-ni on the Taejon-Taegu railroad, thence northeast through Yech'on to Yongdok on the Sea of Japan.
By the beginning of August the U.S. and ROK forces had withdrawn behind the Naktong River, a position which the U.N. Command was determined to hold. The area held in southeastern Korea resembled a rectangle, the southwestern side of which was guarded by the 24th and 25th Divisions to prevent a breakthrough to Masan. The 1st Cavalry Division was deployed on the western front to guard the Taegu railroad approaches. The northern front was defended by ROK divisions from a point south of Hamch'ang to a point just south of Yongdok on the east coast.
Early in August General Walker declared the strategy of trading space for time to be at an end, and ordered a final stand along this 140-mile perimeter around the port of Pusan, which had become a well-stocked Eighth Army supply base and the hub of a rail and road net leading to the battle front. By now the enemy's lengthened supply lines were under constant air attack, enemy naval opposition had been wiped out, and the blockade of the Korean coast had been clamped tight.
During the next month and a half, fourteen North Korean divisions dissipated their strength in piecemeal attacks against the Pusan perimeter. Walker, by rapidly shuttling his forces to meet the greatest threats, inflicted heavy casualties on the North Koreans and prevented serious penetrations. The enemy, determined to annihilate the Eighth Army and take Taegu and Pusan, massed for a two-pronged attack across the Naktong, one prong from the west and the other from the southwest. The principal actions were fought along the river from Waegwan south through Song-dong and Ch'irhyon-ni to the junction of the Naktong and Nam Rivers, and southwest toward Haman and Chinju.
While U.S. troops were fighting along the banks of the Naktong, other battles took place in the southwest. A veteran North Korean division, which had been concentrated for an assault upon Susan and Pusan, was hit by Task Force Kean. Named for the 25th Division Commander, the Task Force was composed of the 5th RCT, the 35th RCT of the 25th Division, the 1st Marine Brigade, and a ROK battalion. It opened a strong counteroffensive on 7 August 1950 to secure the left funk of the perimeter and prevent the enemy from driving on Pusan. Overcoming initial heavy resistance, it defeated the North Koreans and by 11 August commanded the high ground to the east of Chinju.
On the eastern flank of the perimeter the town of Yongdok was lost by ROK units, some of which then had to be evacuated by sea. On 12 August the port of P'chang-dong was attacked by enemy forces led by tanks which mounted screaming sirens. This force poured through a break in the R0K lines and linked up with North Korean advance agents in the port. These agents, disguised as innocent-looking refugees, carried mortars, machineguns, and other weapons in oxcarts, on A-frames and on their persons. While a force of North Koreans took P'chang-dong, the adjoining airstrip, of great importance to the U.N. forces as a base for tactical aircraft. On 13 August the danger was so pressing that all aircraft were evacuated. Within the next five days, however, ROK troops and a small U.S. task force recaptured P'chang-dong and returned it to U.N. control.
During this time a much larger force of North Koreans breached the U.N. positions at some paints in the Naktong River sector, but failed in their attempt to capture the rail junctions at Taegu. To hold a line near the river, Walker rearranged the defensive positions of the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions, the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 1st Marine Brigade, deploying them in a manner which assigned combat zones of 15-30 miles to each division.
The enemy, continuing his efforts to crack the perimeter, massed several divisions above Waegwan to assault Taegu from the north. Despite a bombing raid in which U.N. air forces dropped 850 tons of bombs on the suspected enemy concentration area, the North Koreans launched a powerful attack which carried through the ROK positions and threatened Taegu. Stalwart defense and swift countermeasures in this area on 19 August saved Taegu from almost certain capture, parried the enemy 's three-pronged thrust at the city, and stopped the momentum of the North Korean offensive.
Shortly before midnight on 31 August enemy forces again attacked the Naktong River Line, this time in tremendous force. Disregarding very heavy casualties from U.N. air force bombing and strafing, they mounted a strong offensive against the entire Pusan beachhead from Haman in the south to P'chang-dong in the northern sector. The port of P'chang-dong was captured on 6 September, but again the Communists failed to capture the airfield. Waegwan and the "walled city" of Kasan were lost as the U.N. defenders fell back for a last ditch stand at Taegu. Between 4 and 11 September the enemy made important gains along the Naktong in some of the heaviest fighting of the war; but U.N. forces blunted the drive on Taegu and began to show slow progress of their own against very strong enemy resistance.
On the southern front the North Korean offensive, which opened with a massive artillery barrage near Haman, struck the 25th Division with tanks and waves of infantry, imperiling its forward positions. However, although the enemy had made impressive gains along the U.N. perimeter and General Walker still had to shuttle his units from one critical area to another, a strong beachhead remained in the hands of the U.N. Command.
By mid-August the offensive capability of the Eighth Army had been augmented by the arrival of the U.S. 2d Division, the 1st Marine Brigade, four battalions of medium tanks from the United States, and the 5th RCT from Hawaii. Before the month was out, five ROK divisions were restored to some semblance of order, and Great Britain committed the 27th Brigade from Hong Kong. With the arrival of these reinforcements an attempt could now be made to end the U.N. withdrawal and to begin a U.N. offensive in southeastern Korea.... More
Description The European-Mediterranean-Middle East Theater was a major theater of operations during the Second World War (between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946). The vast size of Europe, Mediterranean and MThe European-Mediterranean-Middle East Theater was a major theater of operations during the Second World War (between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946). The vast size of Europe, Mediterranean and Middle East theatre saw interconnected naval, land, and air campaigns fought for control of the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The fighting in this theatre lasted from 10 June 1940, when Italy entered the war on the side of Germany, until 2 May 1945 when all Axis forces in Italy surrendered. However, fighting would continue in Greece – where British troops had been dispatched to aid the Greek government – during the early stages of the Greek Civil War.
The British referred to this theatre as the Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre (so called due to the location of the fighting and the name of the headquarters that controlled the initial fighting: Middle East Command) while the Americans called the theatre of operations the Mediterranean Theatre of War. The German official history of the fighting is dubbed 'The Mediterranean, South-East Europe, and North Africa 1939–1942'. Regardless of the size of the theatre, the various campaigns were not seen as neatly separated areas of operations but part of one vast theatre of war.
Fascist Italy aimed to carve out a new Roman Empire, while British forces aimed initially to retain the status quo. Italy launched various attacks around the Mediterranean, which were largely unsuccessful. With the introduction of German forces, Yugoslavia and Greece were overrun. Allied and Axis forces engaged in back and forth fighting across North Africa, with Axis interference in the Middle East causing fighting to spread there. With confidence high from early gains, German forces planned elaborate attacks to be launched to capture the Middle East and then to possibly attack the southern border of the Soviet Union. However, following three years of fighting, Axis forces were defeated in North Africa and their interference in the Middle East was halted. Allied forces then commenced an invasion of Southern Europe, resulting in the Italians switching sides and deposing Mussolini. A prolonged battle for Italy took place, and as the strategic situation changed in southeast Europe, British troops returned to Greece.
The theatre of war, the longest during the Second World War, resulted in the destruction of the Italian Empire and altered the strategic position of Germany resulting in numerous German divisions being deployed to Africa and Italy and total losses (including those captured upon final surrender) being over half a million. Italian losses, in the theatre, amount to around to 177,000 men with a further several hundred thousand captured during the process of the various campaigns. British losses amount to over 300,000 men killed, wounded, or captured, and total American losses in the region amounted to 130,000.... More
People You Remember Serial Range ME554 - ME868 This aircraft was one of 250 Lancaster Mk.1s ordered from Metro- Vick MaySerial Range ME554 - ME868 This aircraft was one of 250 Lancaster Mk.1s ordered from Metro- Vick May42 and delivered from Nov43 to Jun44 with Merlin 22 engines initially installed up to ME639 and Merlin 24 engines from ME640 except for ME688-9 with Merlin 22 engines. ME789 was delivered to No.106 Sqdn 9May44. No Key Raids traced. When lost this aircraft had a total of 114 hours. ME789 was one of five No.106 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See: ME668; ME831; JB641; PB144 Airborne 2240 7Jul44 from Metheringham to attack a flying-bomb storage site at St Leu. at apx.0100 8Jul44 the crew baled out, their Lancaster on fire in both port engines and in the rear fuselage, near the town of Gournay-en-Bray in the Dept.of Seine- Maritime. F/O G.S.Mather RCAF PoW Sgt L.T Lucas PoW F/O D.A.Evans RCAF Evd F/O J.S.Kingston RCAF PoW F/S W.Stewart PoW Sgt J.Crawford RCAF PoW Sgt W.A.Waldram RCAF PoW Sgt J.Crawford must have initially evaded as he is reliably reported as having 'spent time' in Buchenwald before being interned in Camp L3, PoW No.8080. See p.273 'Footprints on the Sands of Time'. F/O J.S.Kingston was interned in Camps 9C.L3, PoW No.2068. Sgt L.J.Lucas initially evaded until captured in Paris 2Aug44, also 'spent time' in Buchenwald with his comrade, Sgt Crawford, before internment in Camp L3, PoW No.8103. Sgt W.A.Waldram also ex-Buchenwald in Camp L3, PoW No.8118. F/O G.S.Mather in Camp L1, PoW No.4796. F/S W.Stewart in Camp L7, PoW No.492. "... More
Memories Although it was highly unusual for German authorities to send Western Allied prisoners of war (POWs)Although it was highly unusual for German authorities to send Western Allied prisoners of war (POWs) to concentration camps, Buchenwald held a group of 168 aviators for about six months.[12] These POWs were from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They all arrived at Buchenwald on 20 April 1944[13] (according to one source, on August 20, 1944[14]).
All these airmen were in planes which had crashed in occupied France. Two explanations are given for them being sent to a concentration camp: first, that they had managed to make contact with the French Resistance, some were disguised as civilians, and they were carrying false papers when caught; they were therefore categorized by the Germans as spies, which meant their rights under the Geneva Convention were not respected. The second explanation is that they had been categorised as Terrorflieger (?terror aviators?). The aviators were initially held in Gestapo prisons and headquarters in France. In April or August 1944, they and other Gestapo prisoners were packed into boxcars and sent to Buchenwald. The journey took five days, during which they received very little food or water. One aviator recalled their arrival at Buchenwald:
As we got close to the camp and saw what was inside...a terrible, terrible fear and horror entered our hearts. We thought, what is this? Where are we going? Why are we here? And as you got closer to the camp and started to enter the camp and saw these human skeletons walking around old men, young men, boys, just skin and bone, we thought, what are we getting into?[15]
They were subjected to the same treatment and abuse as other Buchenwald prisoners until October 1944, when a change in policy saw the aviators dispatched to Stalag Luft III, a regular prisoner-of-war camp (POW) camp; nevertheless, two airmen died at Buchenwald.[16] Those classed as terrorflieger had been scheduled for execution after October 24; their rescue was effected by Luftwaffe officers who visited Buchenwald and, on their return to Berlin, demanded the airmen's release.
Stalag 3 Sagan Evacuation: Russian troops were approaching Sagan, Poland. At 11:00 PM on 27 January 1945 Germans marched the POWs out of Stalag 3 with Spremberg for their destination. The exodus was harrowing to POWs of all compounds, especially to those of the South Compound who made the 55 kilometers from Sagan to Muskau in 27 hours with only 4 hours sleep. At Muskau they were given a 30 hour delay for recuperation and then marched another 25 km to Spremberg. On 31 January the South Compound men plus 200 men from the West Compound went to Stalag 7A at Moosburg in rail "forty-and eight" boxcars packed 50 men and 1 guard in each boxcar. The trip took two days and two nights. On 7 February the men from the Center Compound joined them. The North Compound fell in with the West Compound at Spremberg and on 2 February entrained for Stalag 13D at Nurnberg, which they reached after a two day trip.
On April 13, 1945, after an approximate three month stay, the Americans were told that they must evacuate Stalag 13D and march to Stalag 7A at Moosburg. The main body reached Stalag 7A on 20 April 1945. Many POWs dropped out of the march en route to Moosburg and the German guards made no serious attempt to stop them. The POWs were liberated by General Patton's 14th Armored Division on April 29th. ... More
U.S. Naval Reserve
Master Chief Joe Beam and Chief John Crawford
World War II Veterans Serve in U.S. Naval Reserve
By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Barrie Barber / Pacific Northwest Public Affairs District
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (NNS) ? Most people their age travel to exotic locales or enjoy a life free of the daily grind, but two World War II veterans are back in uniform in the U.S. Naval Reserve - and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Master Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Joe Beam, 76, of Marrowstone Island, Wash., and Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John Crawford, 81, of Tacoma, Wash., couldn't stay away.
?It's one of those things where you like to be with your own kind, especially after you get a lot of years in,? said Beam, who has 54 years of duty between the active-duty U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve.
Crawford flew World War II bomber missions with the Royal Air Force over Germany and France. He later joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and returned to ranks this year at the urging of Beam.
Both men serve on authorized special permissive orders through Naval Reserve Center Tacoma, Wash., and receive no pay for drill time or most expenses.
?It's not really an obligation, because we want to do it,? Beam said. And there is one important bonus. ?We don't have to do PT [physical training] very much. I don't think the chart goes to 60, 65, 70, 75 [years old].?
The two recently traded their chests full of ribbons for Hawaiian tropical shirts to play government leaders in the fictional archipelago of Mondo during Naval Coastal Warfare Exercise Seahawk '03, a joint and combined harbor defense exercise in Puget Sound, Wash.
During the exercise, they worked with active-duty and reserve personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington National Guard and U.S. Army, along with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Canadian Navy and Army.
?It's all new and just kind of a learning process,? said Crawford, who rejoined the Naval Reserve in June after he retired in 1982 with 33 years of service. ?It's just amazing, all these guys together.?
Crawford, a Canadian native, signed on with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and was sent to England to serve with the RAF. He and his seven-member Lancaster crew were shot down over northern France a few weeks after D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944.
Crawford joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1949. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean War, flying reconnaissance missions Patrol Squadron (VP) 892 in Japan. He later retired from the lumber industry.
Beam also served in World War II and Korea. During World War II, he was a sailor on USS Adams (DD 739), a destroyer minelayer. He and his shipmates kept Adams afloat after a kamikaze attack blew a hole in the fantail during the invasion of Okinawa.
After a stint in college, Beam rejoined ranks during the Korean War aboard USS Carmick (DD 493). He later returned to the enlisted reservist ranks and earned a bachelor's degree, before he retired from his civilian job with an aircraft manufacturer.