Prisoner Of War in a German Stalag

During the Second World War, thousands of American airmen who were shot down over the skies of Germany spent time as captives of the Germans - “Guests of the Third Reich”. These airmen experienced the dubious welcome of prisoners of war camps - called Stalags. Listen to the men who were there describe what it was really like to live as a POW.

[@jjsudlow]

My late mother's cousin was one of the more than 30,000 British troops left behind at Dunkirk. Irish, mid-twenties, a doctor, he enlisted in the British army and was a POW for five hard years, 1940-45. After his release, he was institutionalized for the rest of his life, dying before 40, described as "a "shuffling old man." Capt. J.J. McPartland, RIP.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing this sad tale that is part of your family history and the nations history.

[@Petal4822]

My husband’s father was a POW for five years between 1940-1945 being left behind at Dunkirk. He became a policeman and was made up to Inspector before he retired. He would never talk about it.

[@sichere]

My Grandad was captured at Dunkirk and force marched into captivity to endure five years of camp life hardships, culminating in the 1,000 mile Lamsdorf Death march in the mid winter of 1944. He was the most wonderful person I have ever known.

[@jamesopiela]

Unfortunately, most or all of these men have since passed away. They were all real heroes who bled red, white, and blue. God Bless all of them.

[@kevinhealey6540]

I was in the army and I was in a war but never in the front. I met a soldier who actually did do something heroic. I asked him about and he played it down. He said, "There are heros that you can meet in every day life. (Press Read more.) The people who work in ambulances, people in the medical profession, cops, firemen, do something heroic on a constant basis do. Even people like teachers. The only difference between me and them is they don't get any recognition." If you look at those guys on talk shows who received the congressional medal of honor, they're always very soft spoken and modest.

[@dalemore9645]

You make it sound like the only people captured during the war were Americans.

[@noonespecial4171]

@@dalemore9645 and the Americans were late to both wars ...

[@retroguy9494]

@@noonespecial4171 The only reason we were 'late' was to bail out the Europeans. They were losing in BOTH wars until we stepped in and started kicking some ass! As a man with many relatives who served in WWII, a simple 'thank you' will suffice.

[@dj4123]

That is why they call the the "Greatest Generation." I know most are gone now but it doesn't' hurt to say thank you again and again.

[@danchandler9381]

Thank you for making this video. My dad was a B-24 pilot, shot down over Austria, ended up in a Stalag, eventually liberated by Patton. He wouldn't talk about it when I was a kid, but finally opened up years later when his grandson asked him about it. Your video tells me some things I always wondered about.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Dan - First, so glad your dad survived the war. Also, most guys didn't talk about the war until they were older and started going to veteran reunions. I taped most of my WWII veterans at their reunions because they were in a mood to reminisce. Glad you liked the video.

[@philipnestor5034]

Your dad is part of the Greatest Generation! Men like him saved us!

[@jamesb.9155]

@@raymondmcfalone26 Good job and a great work you've done here!

[@fredjackson8408]

My grandpa did the same with me, except he served in Korea! My dad was astounded when he walked in on my grandpa and i zooming around on Google earth, him showing me the mountain tops he was stationed on. He never talked about it with my dad or uncle, but I got him to open up that day and ill never forget it.

[@iamrichrocker]

My Dad was of this generation..no doubt the greatest..and wonder how sick of what they see in today's political events..He..They would not be happy..thank you for this video..

[@johnbarnett8286]

As a 21 year old, These guys were the real deal. Most only barely “men” to today’s standards but the toughest men ever!

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You are correct John. They were all so young! Two KZbin interviews that I did, which might interest you: 1) Dale Livingstone was a B-17 pilot who had one of the youngest crews in the 8th Air Force. Dale was 21 and the other 8 guys on the crew were younger than him. The nose art on their plane was "The Baby Buggy". I remember asking him if his young age ever got in the way - his response - "No, when we were in the air it was all business." 2) Mel Sinquefield was a waist gunner on a B-17 and flew with the 15th out of Italy. He fooled everybody and was able to enlist at age 15. By the time he finished his 50 missions, returned home and got out of the service - he was only 17 years old. His entire WWII experience was as a minor. The kicker was that after he got home and turned 18 - he got a draft notice. And this is a sign of the Greatest Generation - he was ready to go back into service (after surviving 50 missions!)...but, the war ended before he could start a second tour. Thanks for your comment regarding the POW video.

[@jceepf]

I am 61 John and I am from the first truly pampered generation. But at least I was allowed to developed normally in school. I do not know how your generation, especially in North America, will cope in the future given the decadent education you guys received from the corrupt educational system. (Assuming you are from the USA or Canada, but it ain't much better elsewhere in the West.) Like George Carlin said :" Here is a pen, it's physics") Patrick

[@cedenullis5906]

Those men were true American warriors, they served their Country well enabling those who came after them to live in freedom. God bless them all, god bless America. (Written by a grateful Englishman)

[@pat442389]

@@cedenullis5906 they just didnt whine or feel like they deserved anything even after they sacrificed everything for this country and for world. People today dont realize how close we all were to being controlled by nazi's and history being so different. My grandfather was shot down over Bismark Germany during his 11th mission. He landed in police chief's backyard. He was beaten, dragged through the streets, spit on and called a "chicago gangster" (im guessing that must have been from the gangster movies / news reels because he was from boston). He was eventually taken to stalag 17 B where he was a POW for 16 months. Towards the end he had dysentery and was forced to march 5 straight weeks. he begged the germans to kill him at one point. he too was liberated by Gen Patton's troops. He passed away june of 2013 at age 93. i still miss him.... he was such a good man. But even in England they were bombed nightly for months but it didnt stop them from going on. kids would go to school the next day after getting shelled all night. can you imagine kids in america or england going to class like nothing happened today? such a bad ass generation. also europe owes england a debt for holding out. without england all of europe is hitlers.

[@retroguy9494]

If you think THESE guys were tough and the real deal, you should have known World War I veterans. I knew a few when I was a kid. One of the main differences between the two generations is that the WWI vets loved to have a good time (party) and didn't take things as serious as subsequent generations. There was a slogan they had when they were young which was 'eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.' Its something they kept up basically all their lives. Of course, when I knew them they were in their late 70's and up. But still tough old birds but with a kindness and decency to them.

[@jerryblanton587]

Less we forget.Forget not those brave soldiers who endured.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Well said. Glad you appreciated the video.

[@tiredlawdog]

What a fantastic bunch of men. I went with a beautiful young lady whose father was a POW of the Germans. He would NOT talk about any of it. (Mr. Douglas Cowan) Thank you sir for you service.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for your comment. It was very typical for WWII veterans not to discuss their wartime experiences after the war. They had given up their early adult years to fight the war and when it was over they wanted to make up for lost time: get married, have kids and start a career, that is, get on with life and leave the war behind. It was only when they got older and started going to veteran reunions that they started opening up and reminiscing. From 2004 - 2017 my wife and I would attend the reunions to record their stories. Thanks for watching.

[@grokster9ontheroads174]

I had a buddy whose name was Doug Cowan and his dad was a lawyer in San Francisco! I wonder if there’s a connection.

[@tiredlawdog]

@@grokster9ontheroads174 i don't think one in the same. Some time back the Cowams moved to Ft. Clark Springs Tx. I lost track of them. He had a son named Douglas Jr, and daughter Wava.

[@marcgoff775]

@@raymondmcfalone26 mmm

[@DH-ve5bl]

It’s amazing how good humored they were in the interviews, considering where they were and the treatment they received. God bless these guys.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

That is an excellent observation. There was not a hint of anger or bitterness in any of the guys we interviewed for this film. Thanks for your comment.

[@purplebottle2042]

True, that never seems to be the case when you hear of soilders who where captured by the Japanese, they where brutal to every nationality..🟢

[@vivians9392]

@@purplebottle2042 The Oriental mindset was cruelty...

[@maryperry1773]

I like how the British were messing with the German guards roll call every single day! 😂

[@allenbuck5589]

Thank you. Great job my uncle was a pow. In Germany none of knew until he passed a few years ago he won a bronze star he was my second dad after mine passed. Loved him. A hero army 20 years. I went on to become a Marine in 1971.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing your family story. And thank you for your service.

[@davereynolds6145]

One of my uncles was in stalag 9B, he made it out alive but just barely, weighed around 90pounds. Really messed up physically and mentally for awhile! Surprisingly he lived to be over 90 years-old, tougher than nails!

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing your family story Dave. Glad to hear your uncle survived.

[@tully3711th]

My father was in Stalag VIIIB, he was 6’3” tall, 190 lbs. when he was liberated he weighed 94lbs

[@tully3711th]

@Dennis D my dad was in the 106th as well. I was reading his letters home recently and he was in Stalag VIIIA. He weighed 94 or so lbs when liberated. I have a picture of him in the hospital recouping. He looked like the pictures of Jews starved

[@tully3711th]

My father did say that no matter how bad he had it, he was glad to be a German prisoner and not a Japanese prisner

[@marlinguidegun1657]

My father in law was a POW, he never talked about it. Thank you.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thanks for watching.

[@jmp.t28b99]

Thanks for the tales. I appreciate their sacrifice.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it. They truly are the Greatest Generation. Ray

[@tenbroeck1958]

To Lt Michael J. Stroff, Jr., shot down December 31, 1943, then was a "guest of the Third Reich" at Barth Prison Camp, then went on to retire as a Lt. Colonial. RIP and Dziękuję Ci for bravely serving in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam (33 years).

[@jimmyd8157]

Truly The Greatest Generation. I was fortunate enough to have known and was mentored by some of these men as a child. They're all gone now. I miss them all dearly. R.I.P. Gentlemen.

[@Defossion1]

How does this video not have a million views? Wow--what a treasure!! Thank you for sharing it!

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You're welcome. Glad you liked the video.

[@rosesprog1722]

Camp survivors who laugh about some of it, so refreshing, human and yes, very funny moments, thank you so much, I certainly didn't expect this.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for watching.

[@fliegeroh]

God bless these men and keep them.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

As far as I know, every veteran in the video lived into their 90s and have now passed on. In my mind, they earned a special place in heaven. Thanks for your very kind thought.

[@Schlachthof5]

My best friend lent me her father's small gray note book written when he was a POW at Kriegsgenfangenenlager No.I at Barth. Lt. Howard A. Jones was there from Sept 44 till liberation by the Russians. The note book confirms much of what these veterans have shared. This was a terrific documentary. Very well done.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for the nice feedback. Much appreciated.

[@maherfinance7929]

Thank you for making this, My great Grandfather, a Lt. in the 47th regiment was captured in poland and brought there

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You're very welcome.

[@notwocdivad]

Just shows the difference in thinking between the allies, Americans TOLD not to escape whereas the British thought it was every mans DUTY to try to escape. Very strange? Great video of these brave Air force personnel, thank you.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You're welcome.

[@louhaboush924]

Great stories and great men. They acted so casual about the whole thing. Different generations. I will miss these Men.

[@TimNelson]

Heroes every one of ‘em.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Agreed! Brave beyond measure. Thanks for the comment.

[@artthompson612]

This is the best video I have seen of these men, Thank You so much for preserving the comments of these men, the greatest generation.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@stopcrueltyagainstanimals2578]

Priceless, so important to get videotape recordings of people who were actually there and can recount their experiences for future generations while they are still alive. Thanks for the upload

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you. All of the men that appear in this film are now gone. So glad that they trusted us to record their stories.

[@Jekelsey]

THANK YOU for this! My grandfather was in 12A and 4. He was emotionally scarred the rest of his life. He would never talk to us about it. This is SO valuable to me!!!

[@TongueAnCheek]

My grandad was a british POW at Stalag XV111D , I have his POW certificate which was sent out to their spouse's which is dated 4 Oct , 1941. Their generation were a rare breed of men , God bless them all.

[@jackiewilkins2198]

What a great video! Right from the mouths of the POW's. Your interviews are fantastic! Thank you so very much for doing them!

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@richardlewis2290]

There will never be a generation like this again. Men of steel and yet good humor in the worst of times.

[@nathanielcohen9890]

Francis Farris, 8th air force, my uncle was a tail gunner in a B17. he was shot down 3 times. the last time he ended up as a P.O.W for the remainder of the war. he was 19 yrs old. the only thing he ever said about the experience was.....they were very cruel. he was a quiet man, he kept to himself and was a hard man to get close to as he didn't let people get emotionally close to him. I loved and miss him dearly. his son and my cousin served in Vietnam as a LRRP. he is now a retired engineer from NASA.

[@noodlam]

Love how someone started a rumor that they would have to pay for their wrecked airplane when they got back!

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Yes, a good point. When you're bored, cold and hungry, it is a sense of humor that can maintain your sanity and humanity. Thanks for your comment.

[@packingten]

My Dad was on the USS Mertz #691. These ships were put in harm's way a LOT.Dad never ever told me that,Only after YT and the internet did I find this out...175 Fletcher class destroyers were built 25 were sank, Not very good odds... RIP all the brave men now and then!.

[@SpencerFine]

My left ear thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@stevemoore3951]

Fantastic !! Thanks for posting this. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sherryrutledge8792]

I have photos just like this from my dad who bailed over deardorf (spell) Germany. Farmer came after him with pitchfork and dog. I have POW letters from 3 different stalag camps. One from the day they were liberated. He came home had 5 children and lived a good life in Oregon where he was from. He had been a radio operator in a b24 bomber.

[@rickcentore2801]

Thanks for posting this video. My father was shot down on June 20, 1944 and spent the rest of the war as a POW (#2494) in Stalag Luft IV and Stalag Luft I.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for the nice feedback. Glad your Dad survived the war.

[@HLife719]

Thank you for making this video. My father was with the artillery and was fortunate to come out of this war without being wounded or captured.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You're welcome. And I'm glad your Dad survived the war....smart and lucky.

[@XxBloggs]

Great production thanks

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thanks, much appreciated.

[@johnwatson3948]

The relative “niceness” of the Luft camps was due to a decree by Goering, who thought it would insure the same treatment of his aircrews captured by the British.

[@MsVanorak]

:) straw mattresses and newspaper for toilet paper was the norm for most British folk so the Germans were trying to make it like home for the British POWs.

[@3niknicholson]

The German POWs were popular in Scotland, they worked well on the farms and were paid, too. Quite a few married local lasses and chose to stay, rather than return at the end of the war, where I used to live, in Dumfriesshire.

[@davidscott2821]

@@3niknicholson Same here in Caithness.

[@liberalguy513]

That's true .. Hitler wanted all captured bomber crews executed on the spot, but Goering talked him out of it.

[@imalt8271]

Outstanding! The stories and the men, outstanding!

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@iampatmac]

Thank you for sharing , cool video to hear what they went through. My grandpa was a pow in ww2

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching.

[@kathrynkazoo]

So wonderful. So thankful for this beautiful video!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching. Raymond

[@pauln4473]

Thank you veterans ....thank you for our way of life.

[@brantlt]

My grandfather was a B-24 Bombardier, and survived being shot down. He was placed in Stalag Luft I until the Russians 'liberated' the area. He spoke German but never told anyone when asked, and I don't think the family knew until he wrote about being in camp when he was in his 80's...he thought it was neat that he understood what the guards were saying but they didn't necessarily know he could understand them.

[@tonyde6423]

Great story and video thanks for sharing

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it. Ray

[@Clay-605]

My uncle Dale Yeoman from south dakota was in this same camp . He never talked about his time there until he knew i was going to germany as an exchange student . He wanted me to try to go to barth but it was in east germany at the time .

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[@truesonofliberty3267]

I wish these men could speak directly to the youth that do not understand the dangers of Socialists like the Nazis. Fortunately, they can through these videos.

[@jonathanwills6391]

This is a wonderful film. Thanks for making it. This is my little effort from a visit to Stalag XXA in Torun (Thorn) 12 years ago. My retirement project is writing a book which will have more detail as my cousins have recently shared with me over 300 letters from and to my uncle in that camp.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for watching and your book sounds most interesting. Raymond

[@ABBA1966]

My great uncle Eldon William Dewhirst PFC, 109 INF, 28 INF DIV was captured at the battle of the bulge 18 Dec 1944. Unfortunately, he passed on 29 Apr 1945. I served 16 yrs in the Navy in his memory. I've always wanted to visit the camp.

[@bearing44]

I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for posting Raymond McFalone. From Jimmy Fitzgerald

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ruongluesteve]

Whilst these guys had a hard time, Spare a thought for the enlisted men who were forced to work on similar rations. My Great Uncle was captured on Crete in 1941, after walking most of the way to Germany he was forced to work in a coal mine for the next 4 years. He just about survived.

[@Fanakapan222]

Good point. Aircrew being sergeants and officers benefitted from the Germans adhering to Geneva rules that said SNCO's and Officers could only be used in a supervisory capacity on work details. So for private soldiers, and corporals the situation could be very different from that experienced by the guys in the video.

[@efisher92]

My grandfather, Erv Muehlhans, was a member of the 379th Bomb Group and served as a right waist gunner and radio operator on his B-17, dubbed “Peter Pain.” He was shot down over Holland, landed in a tree and knocked unconscious, and woke to the barking guard dog of two Hitler Youth soldiers. He was first generation American from Germany and fluent in German, and could understand their arguing between killing him and taking him to the camp. Ultimately, he was marched to Stalag Luft 1 and stayed for the remainder of the war. Strange to think I wouldn’t be here if the other soldier had won the argument. The only thing Grandpa mentioned about his time as a POW was the rutabaga “soup” and how he couldn’t stomach it after the war, so it’s interesting to hear the interviewees mentioning the “green death.” Grandpa passed 15 years ago, before my interest in history really picked up and I understood the magnitude of his service and sacrifice. I wish I could ask him about certain things, such as if he heard of a guard named “Big Stoop.” Miss you, Grandpa. ❤️

[@thra5herxb12s]

My Great uncle Bert (my Grans Brother AJ SWEETLAND) was in Stalag 18a at Wolfsburg. His prison number is 7656. They have an assocciation group for ex prisoners, but I'm sure not so many living members now.

[@RubyBandUSA]

the bed board slats will make good retaining wall lagging when you dig the escape tunnel

[@musicom67]

18:57 - What, was this guy 5 years old then? He's a similar age to the other fellers? ... These personal history videos are priceless. People's true experiences tell you things an old film can't. Great interview.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You're right, Mel Johnson just didn't seem to age - he always looked 20 years younger than his contemporaries. Thanks for watching.

[@tubularfrog]

Amazing stuff. Thanks so much. All tough Americans.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@rl64rl]

Who the hell gives this a thumbs down?

[@montiliusbeatty9831]

I was at the hawthorne, nv museum. They had a copy of camp rules given to prisoners someone had brought back.

[@Ms2blackcats]

I love WW2 vets . My dad was one 2 uncles also . I worked at a VA hospital the most delightful man I met was a 93 year old Army vet who' drove to the hospital alone 90 miles it was his first V.A. visit he 'd come to the eye clinic .

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for contributing your wonderful story about this 93 year old member of the Greatest Generation.

[@stevenhuckaby2902]

Thank you

[@dianealbrecht496]

What an awful time to be living in Europe during WWII. You don't know if you were going to live another day. Such fear, desperation, & hopelessness. RIP to all these people.

[@MrSebfrench76]

Master work!Extremely moving.Thanks from France.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrSebfrench76]

@@raymondmcfalone26 thank you for your hard work at collecting these testimonials of what it was to fight for my parents freedom, and thus ,my present children's liberty.From France, with love to yours vets ,and eternal consideration to the US of A.

[@Akula114]

Well done video! My uncle spent a few years is one of the German spas after his B-26 went away during a flight over Paris. The tailgunner, a Jewish guy with the foresight to throw away his dog tags, were the only two survivors. My Dad personally liberated my uncle who had been able to let the family know via Red Cross mail where he was.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing your family story. Good to hear your family members survived the war.

[@tcarroll3954]

Great video. What fine men. God bless them.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

It really was a privilege to interview these fine men. The Greatest Generation is an accurate description. Thanks for the nice comment. Much appreciated.

[@allanchapman7986]

Hi, thank you for making this Video. Sadly my wifes grandmother passed away aged 96. She had numerous photographs in a bag. Two being post cards from Stalag XXA and another being a formal portrait of a soldier. I asked whos that? "Great Uncle Norman" i think said the wife. Sadly he never spoke of his time in XXA nor even any part of his service. Being ex military I thought how terrible that he should be forgotten so I have started my own journey to find out what happened to him.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for your comment. If you request a copy of Norman's military records you may find out that his records were destroyed in the catastrophic fire in 1973 in St. Louis, which destroyed many WWII military records. You can still find out some information by requesting the veterans military medical file, which were stored elsewhere. Again, thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.

[@thatcurveguy]

Great video

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@mickerdoodle51]

Thank you. We must hold our vets in honor.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Yes, well said.

[@markmadonia2867]

Wonderful video makes me appreciate Hogan heroes my favorite comedy 😊

[@expromanticart6491]

Our biggest enemy is our own ignorance.

[@Petal4822]

My husband’s father was a POW for five years between 1940-1945 being left behind at Dunkirk. His camp was a POW camp in Poland. He was liberated by the Americans. He became a policeman and was an Inspector before he retired. He would never talk about it.

[@blski]

one of my uncles was a Polish navy officer taken prisoner in the first days of the war. There were not many polish navy prisoners so he spent all 5 years with the British and some French in camps. After this time he learned both languages very well, what was surprising that he was getting a pass to the local German town library he said that after this time he knew German literature better than his Polish. He became fluent in German language and to try it he escaped , got caught and was sent to another camp without library privileges. After the war most British wanted to go back home, as communist took over Poland he wasn't sure if wanted to go back. British made him commandant of one of the ports.sometimes later his brother came from Poland and brought him home. Shortly after arrival he was interrogated and after refusing to be part of a new Polish navy authorities made his life miserable, not imprisoning or tortured him, but for years he worked carrying coal at the central heating plant in Warsaw.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

That is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing your family history.

[@setzkem]

All these guys are hero's. God Bless You.

[@joelhaas8273]

Awesome,thank you.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You are welcome Joel!

[@staryjdido918]

Great stuff ! Makes me proud to be am American !

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Yes. Well said. When Vic Baccaro (end of the tape) describes the Nazi flag coming down and the Stars and Stripes going up - you do feel a sense of pride. Glad you liked the video.

[@derin111]

Why? Were you one of those Americans there? What’s it got to do with you?

[@staryjdido918]

@@derin111 Just a foolish comment. I can say the same to you. Why reply, what's it got to do with you ?

[@derin111]

@@staryjdido918 I don't like people basking in the glory of past generations heroism. That's what it's got to do with me. There's plenty of stuff happening today that should make people be ashamed to be American. As if the deeds of people 75 years ago gives the right to anyone today to "feel proud to be American". I think that's disrespectful.

[@staryjdido918]

@@derin111 I have no idea what that has to do with the the Tartars. But if we cannot feel for a repressed people , that you and humanity are doomed.

[@bbrown-ed6if]

Very good thanks

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Most welcome.

[@andytoole9729]

GOD BLESS ALL THESE TRULY AMERICAN HEROES... I'M SURE FEW OF US CANT IMAGINE THE ATROCITIES THE FEW WHO MADE IT HOME WITH TERRIBLE MEMORIES OF THE WARS.... AND THANK YOU FOR HUMOROUSLY SHOWING ME SOME HISTORY I CAN'T WATCH BECAUSE OF ALL TORTURIES ACTIONS A HUMAN COULD DO TO ANOTHER HUMAN.....

[@babbzkash]

Brave men. Enjoyed this video

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it

[@davis7099]

Amazing men. Incredible hardship.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Couldn't agree more!

[@joepalooka2145]

My Dad was a POW in Germany 1941-45. He also told me stories of potato peel soup, but also horsebone soup. I guess that would have been a luxury.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

I guess you tried to get your protein anyway you could. Glad to hear your father survived the war. Thanks for the interesting comment.

[@westcoast9651]

Quand tu as vraiment faim tu manges tout ce qu’on te présente 😳 A nos Héros morts pour notre liberté 🙏

[@raymondmcfalone26]

@@westcoast9651 oui, tellement vrai.

[@johnburrows1179]

The guys who flew in these planes had balls of steel. True heroes. Truth be known, I stopped on this because I thought this was a mugshot of Kramer on the Seinfeld show.

[@kyrol54]

Excellent documentary, thank you.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulbriggs3072]

A friend of mine I met 40 years ago in college told me of his father who was put into a German prison camp. And he said photos taken of him when he had been released a little while showed him to be a near unrecognizable human skeleton.

[@pac21989]

this is awesome. what is this from?

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for the nice compliment. For the period 2004 -2017 I interviewed hundreds of WWII fliers. In April 2020 (during shelter in place) I uploaded about 116 interviews to KZbin - they are part of my playlist. I also donated the interviews to museums in the US and UK. Pulling out bits of these interviews, I made the POW film. Primarily I use for banquet speeches. I know the 390th Museum in Tucson plays this video as part of their POW display. I uploaded another film called "Shotdown" (in my playlist) that is really the precursor to the POW film. Shotdown explains how those guys ended up in the German stalags. Their descriptions of trying to get out of a B17 that is going down is absolutely harrowing. Thanks again for the nice feedback.

[@999shakers]

My Father-in-Law was a POW in Stalag 11b for 3 and half years.

[@jomama5186]

They all looked like movie stars. So handsome. Too precious to sacrifice to any war!

[@RubyBandUSA]

The ball turret guys look very compact

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Yes, typically the shorter guys went into the ball. In one of the interviews I uploaded (Day, John - in my playlist) he sat under a B-17 and opened up the ball turret. During the interview he pointed out exactly how the ball turret worked. John was a school teacher after the war and could really explain things clearly. John was in the "bloody" 100th.

[@larrytruelove7112]

I met a guy who had once been a German POW. He said if a cat entered the fence, the cat didn’t make it out. The cat became food.

[@bethkole6198]

Are you the guy doing the actual interview with all these guys ?

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Yes, I interviewed these WWII veterans at their annual reunions from 2004 - 2017. I have a play list of about 116 interviews that I have uploaded. Everyone appearing in the POW film also has a stand alone complete interview that has been uploaded to KZbin. Nice to hear from you.

[@johngoodridge3528]

That was great 👍 pow stories about surviving in ww2 are the greatest. Stay strong Americans we never lose

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thanks for the nice feedback. Much appreciated.

[@mikes.6872]

Watching the Swastika flag coming down and the American flag going up. Wow bring tears to my eyes.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

You're right - the flag of tyranny came down and was replaced with the flag of freedom. Glad you liked the video.

[@billymule961]

And now in America there are places where you will get in trouble for flying Old Glory, like Homeowners Associations that feel it's an eyesore. I am sad for what's coming and the young people that will face the future struggle.

[@GlennaVan]

@@billymule961 If you are an owner in a HOA, then attend meetings and get others to also attend and get that changed, but to the current U.S. flag. It may be it has been banned because of people wanting to fly "alternate" flags. HOAs are still a place where an individual can have impact as a single person talking to others.

[@billymule961]

@@GlennaVan The American flag should not be included in the alternate flags category. This can be easily stated in HOA rules. An HOA is setup to protect property values and they have no problem compiling a voluminous book of rules. One sentence allowing the American flag doesn't seem too much to ask. What it all comes down to is the way people feel about this country's flag. Because some people in power have abused their authority and circumvented the Constitution it doesn't mean the US system of government is bad. The abuse of power crosses party lines and allegiance to the country should take precedence over party allegiance.

[@GlennaVan]

@@billymule961 I did not say it was. I suspect the rule was put in place because of various flags being flown but the current American flag could be allowed (and limited to certain sizes). That would eliminate military flags, other country flags, the school carnival flag, etc. However, my main point is that the HOA sets the rules. There are officers who do that and owners vote. If something is not agreed with by the majority, it can be changed by vote. However, it takes involvement.

[@jomama5186]

Man was he a looker. I saw a little Clark Gable in there. War is hell.

[@surreygeorge11]

I've had some tough times, but compared to this, I had it easy. In the morning, and at the setting of the sun, we will remember them.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Well said!

[@dsbmwhacker]

My Cousin spent 2 years as a POW in Germany. His B-17 shot down over the English Channel and he was picked out of the ocean by a German Shore Patrol boat in May 1943. 5 of his 10 man crew died. He survived his 2 year + prison ordeal and arrived home the same day my Dad, also a bomber crewman, arrived home from England. They had quite a party with their wives.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing your family story.

[@dongrainer6405]

Thanks for a great and informative video. I was born in `1944 so I knew nothing of the war until later of course. And hearing these stories is quite rare. Certainly nothing close to "Hogan's Heroes". These guys are heroes and should never be forgotten. As brutal as the Stalags were , sad to say, the Japanese camps were hell. Don't get me wrong. Any prison camp is no picnic. The guys make the best of it. I'm not saying the Stalags were picnics.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thanks for the comment. Glad you liked the video.

[@littlejimmy8744]

You think your guys had it bad in Germany ? You should see what my great uncle had to deal with in Siberia .

[@ocellisavannahs]

Hogan's Hero's seems pretty accurate after watching this film.

[@jayjay-bz3rr]

What year were these interviews? They look like they are in their 60’s or 70’s.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

We interviewed veterans for the period 2002 - 2017. Many of the interviews on this tape took place in 2005. Most of the WWII veterans were in their 80s when we interviewed them. Thanks for watching. Raymond

[@m.n.shumate448]

THANK YOU ALL❤🇺🇸❤

[@JudeNance]

I typed the stories of the men that survived Stalag Luft 3

[@Ohnyet]

My Dad was a POW WW2,stalag 4f ,freed by the Red Army .Didn’t talk about it.Passed away in 1980.

[@raymondmcfalone26]

Thank you for sharing your family story. Glad to hear he survived the war.