B-17G, Serial Nr. 42-31914, Marking: JW/S, Nik Name: Butch, von der 8th Airforce, 92nd Bomb Group, 326th Squadron, Mission: Oberpfaffenhofen
From Gene Metz; Thank you, Dad, Eugene Metz, for your service in the AAF and USAF. Dad was the Bombardier on this B-17, sitting in the nose, and the B-17 was badly shot up during a bombing mission, so they limped over to Switzerland, being escorted by Swiss fighter planes, and they crash-landed. Swiss guards were there with guns while the plane's crew rushed out of the plane fearing it would catch on fire, then dad ran back into the plane to get his little bible with Mom's picture in it. We still have it. They were interned in Switzerland. After a while, in Switzerland, Dad found two Swiss men that agreed to help him escape by rowing across Lake Geneva in a small boat to France. There he joined the French Underground. In the French Underground, they would search out and capture the Nazis that were controlling the towns. He did that until the US Army came through liberating the towns and the citizens began celebrating. It was like a huge party. The Army interrogated him and then asked if he would be a spy and go back in, Dad told them that he did not think he knew the language well enough so he declined and came back to the states. Dad received the Purple Heart for an Injury during that Mission.
