Dwight Mirrors, Saw this book just came out-- a novel based on a bomber crew that emergency landing in Switzerland during the war.
Poor Man's Fight: The Odyssey of a World War II Bomber Crew
July 1944. USAAF Major Marvin Zander and the crew of their B-17 bomber, Poor Man's Fight, are savaged by German fighters over Friedrichshafen, Germany, and forced to land Dubendorf, Switzerland. Despite Switzerland's proclaimed neutrality, Zander and his men now find themselves in an amorphous and sometimes dangerous netherworld somewhere between peace and war, where friend cannot be readily distinguished from foe. At the outset, they are warned by Swiss authorities not to attempt an escape. Should they be caught while attempting such, their punishment will be harsh and quick. While interned, they will not be treated as prisoners of war but as internees. Even though their treatment is not harsh, Allied internees are subjected to privations of food and medical care, both of which take a toll on their collective health. Will that stark warning of draconian punishment by Swiss authorities be enough to deter the crew of Poor Man's Fight from orchestrating an escape attempt?
"Through the lenses of historian, bomber pilot, and storyteller, Russell L. Greer shines a light on a dark and little-known corner of World War II through captivating narrative and fascinating characters. A superbly entertaining read!"
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Steven J. Berryhill, USAF
Author Russell Greer hails from Columbus, Georgia and is a 1980 graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in business administration/marketing. He also holds a master's degree in secondary history education from Columbus State University and is retired from a 20-year teaching career as a history teacher in Georgia public high schools and as an adjunct professor of history at Columbus State University, Reinhardt University, and North Georgia Technical College.
Russell Greer is also a former U.S. Air Force officer with 11 years of service, during which he served as a B-52G pilot and T-37 instructor pilot. His duty stations included Vance AFB, Oklahoma, Castle AFB, California, Loring AFB, Maine, Randolph AFB, Texas, and Andersen AFB, Guam.
