Edwin Alexander Buck (1910 - 1963)

Born 18 Sep 1910 in Illinois, United States

Died 14 Aug 1963 at age 52 in California, United States

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War of the Revolution: POW - 18,152

War of 1812: POW - 20,000 -

Indian Wars (US): POW - 339

Indian Wars (Native American): POW - 2,958

Civil War - Union: POW/MIA - 194,743

Civil War - Confederacy: POW/MIA - 214,865

Spanish-American War: POW - 8

World War I: POW/MIA - 7,470

World War II:

Cold War Era: POW - Classified

Korean War: POW - 7,140

Vietnam War: POW - 766

Grenada: MIA - 4

Somalia: POW - 6

Hanian, China - POW's-24(Decision Pending)

Hundreds of thousands uniformed Americans were captured by the enemy and kept in prison for long period of times some died from starvation,some from the confinement conditions,many were beaten to death few survived,they were Prisoners Of War (POW) while standing behind the enemy lines, and will never be forgotten.

Biography

Master Sargent Edwin Buck was born in Illinois, in 1910 to Hiram and Vivian Buck. He was a mechanic/repairman in his civilian life prior to the war. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Los Angeles, California on September 3, 1942. In the Air Corps, he served as a Top-Turret Gunner on at least 3 different B-17s. The last B-17 that he served on was B-17 Black Jacker 42-30279. On July 26, 1943, The Black Jacker was flying in a mission to bomb Hannover, Germany, along with 20 other B-17s, when they came under attack by enemy aircraft, approximately 35 miles off the northwest coast of the East Frisian Islands. The Black Jacker took a lot of damage and 2nd Lt. Jack W Daniel Pilot tried to ditch it in the North Sea, just off the coast of Wangerooge Island, Holland (Now Germany). There were reports that it blew up in the air. There were 5 parachutes observed coming from this plane, and one crew reported that a boat blew up that may have picked some men up. 7 of the Black Jacker's crew were killed in action and 3 were captured as Prisoners of War. Edwin was one of the POWs, and was held in Germany at Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria, until the end of the war, when he was liberated.

The 6 men from B-17 Black Jacker 42-30279 that died July 26, 1943 were;

SSGT Warren E Brown Tail Gunner

SSGT Paul W Keefer Ball-Turret Gunner

2nd Lt. Robert E McCallum Navigator

2nd Lt. Harold R Cornwell Co-Pilot

SSGT Felix F Sanchez Waist Gunner

2nd Lt. John E McCarthy Bombardier

The 2 other men from B-17 Black Jacker 42-30279 that were captured as POWs were;

2nd Lt. Jack W Daniel Pilot

TSGT Wayne W Pringey Radio Operator

B-17 Black Jacker 42-30279 was a part of the 385th Bomb Group, as well as the 548th Bomb Squadron.

The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9 October 1943, during which only two out of one hundred B-17s were lost and all of the buildings on the site were damaged or destroyed. They won two Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, awarded to all 4th Bomb Wing Groups, was for accurately dropping their pay load on an aircraft factory at Regensburg, on 17 August 1943 and the Group's second was awarded after leading a difficult long-range mission to destroy an aircraft repair works at Zwickau, south-west Germany, on 12 May 1944.

Edwin participated in the following 3 missions as a Top-Turret Gunner;

Mission No. 1 – 17 July – Target Amsterdam – 21 a/c flown.

Led by Lt. Col. Vandevanter, 21 of our ships set out for Nazi works in Amsterdam early this morning, and 21 ships returned,some slightly damaged by flak. Unfortunately, a heavy overcast prevented dropping bombs on the target.

Edwin was in the Picadilly Queen 42-30251 that day, and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 3 – 25 July – Target Warnemunde – 28 a/c flown.

The mission objective was the fighter plant at Warnemunde, near Rostock – and not far from Berlin. .Led by Lt. Col. Vandevanter,the bombs were salvoed but Col. Vandevanter wasn’t entirely satisfied, because was sure that the intended targets hit. Overcast entirely obscured the target again. Despite some helliaious flak and fighter opposition, all returned safely..

Edwin was in the Suzanne 42-3294 that day, and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 4 – 26 July – Target Wesermunde – 21 a/c flown.

Three aircraft were lost. Duncan, 42-30281, ditched in the North Sea, all 10 were KIA, MACR 191A. Harris, 42-5895 also ditched in the North Sea, 4 were KIA, 6 POW’s, MACR 191B. (Major Springfield was flying in Lt. Harris* ship.) Daniel, 42-30279, Black Jacker, crashed in Germany, 7 KIA, 3 POW, MACR 191C. The targets were Hanover and Wesermunde. Led by Captain McDonald, 21 of Fortresses left for the mission. Unpredicted weather conditions – heavy clouds, etc – partially broke up the formation over the continent and there followed what some described as one of the worst and hardest aerial battles to date. Gunners claimed 15 fighters downed, 8 “probable” and 9 damaged.

Edwin was in the Black Jacker 42-30279 that day, and failed to return to base. This was his last mission.

Sources

• United States, World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1945, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29D-MSPD : 18 February 2016), Edwin A Buck, 26 Jul 1943; citing Military Service, Germany, NARA NAID 1263907 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8BC-PJ8 : 5 December 2014), Edwin A Buck, enlisted 03 Sep 1942, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9H9-WJW : 6 January 2021), Edwin A Buck in household of Henry S Cozens, Ramona Judicial Township, San Diego, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 37-81, sheet 1A, line 33, family 17, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 298.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH63-54Q : accessed 10 July 2022), Edwin Buck in household of Hiram S Buck, Twin Falls, Twin Falls, Idaho, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 32, sheet , line , family , NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll ; FHL microfilm .

"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDCY-FC4 : 1 February 2021), Edmond Buck in entry for Hiram T Buck, 1920.

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/4259

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/55214

https://www.385thbga.com/records/database/

https://www.385thbga.com/records/index-mission-number-to-date-and-target-2/mission-summaries/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73905516/edwin-alexander-buck