1944 - Lt. Craig Barker Missing Over France

"Linda, last week in the Woods County News items that you reprinted, there was a note about my cousin, Craig Barker, who was reported missing over France. I sent the item to his widow, Ann. (Craig died several years ago.) Craig was captured and became a POW in Germany. Ann sent the following additional information:

Craig was shot down on the 19th of June of 1944. He had participated in the D-Day raids over Normandy —- and that was the 6th of June. He was on his 11th raid over Germany when he was shot down.

We have a new coffee table sized book that was just published last year about the 8th Air Force—which was the division that did all the bombing in Europe. It has a list of all the planes that were shot down in that division and the names of the crews.

He was a prisoner until May of 1945 —- but because the final camp where they were held -- was down close to Munich — it was a while before they could fly the prisoners out of that lower part of Germany. General Patton came through their camp and liberated it. Craig actually saw him and his pearl handle pistols.

They finally took the released prisoners to a port on the north shore of France — They called this base — Lucky Strike — and they kept them there for a couple of weeks to feed them up — and check to see that they were able to travel.

He was put on a cargo type ship — that was supposed to go right to New York — but it got diverted and sent clear to Trinidad in the Caribbean. It was sometime in the first part of June before he finally got home — I remember - because we were having Vacation Bible School at the time." Sandie Olson
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