While searching through Fold3 records recently, something caught our eye. It was a 1944 German record with torn and burned edges, and it referenced American POWs. Who were these Americans, and what happened to them? We did a little digging to learn more about one of the soldiers listed on the record, Sgt. Curtis E. Finley. We want to share the tips and strategies we used and demonstrate how you can recreate the military story of your ancestors.
- Transcribe the record. Since this document was in German, we used Google Translate to read it. The record told of the capture of American soldiers after their plane was shot down on January 29, 1944. The document listed Sgt. Finley’s birthdate, residence, and military service ID number. It says he had been captured by German forces at the France-Spain border carrying a false ID and a pocketknife.
- We searched ‘Curtis E Finley’ on Fold3 and located a Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) dated January 29, 1944. Between 1942 and 1947, the US Army Air Forces created a record for each missing aircraft. These records list the crew members, military service numbers, witness statements, and more. They are helpful records for reconstructing military service. Sgt. Finley’s MACR contained 39 pages and revealed that he served in the 8th Air Force, 303rd Bomb Group, and 427th Bomb Squadron. We searched ‘427 Bomb Squadron’ and found hundreds of records that helped reveal the work and service of Finley’s squadron. The MACR also showed that Finley was a POW.
According to the report, Finley’s B-17 departed Molesworth, a Royal Air Force station in England, for a bombing run over Frankfurt, Germany, on January 29, 1944. During the flight, the crew encountered engine trouble and lost altitude. They were shot down, but Finley survived the crash. At first, he successfully evaded the Germans, but while trying to cross into Spain, he was captured and taken prisoner. The MACR also revealed the names of other crew members. We conducted additional searches for crew member records and found this Fold3 Memorial for a fellow crew member, which included a story of the crash. - We searched Fold3 for a WWII Draft Registration Card for Sgt. Finley. A 1938 article in the newspaper revealed why we couldn’t find one. Finley had already enlisted in the US Air Corps in 1938, so there would be no need to register for the draft. However, we did find a WWII Enlistment Record dated 1946. That meant Finley must have survived his capture and had re-enlisted following the war.
- Finally, we turned to Newspapers.com to see if any newspaper articles could fill the gaps in Finley’s story. We quickly discovered numerous stories about Finley’s ordeal. After his plane was shot down, Finley went into hiding and, with the help of the Resistance, made his way to Paris, where a family hid him in their attic for several months. They provided him with false papers that he intended to use to escape through Spain. At the border, however, he was captured and imprisoned. He was held for 15 months until he was liberated from the Stalag-Luft IV prison camp at the end of the war. We searched ‘Stalag-Luft IV’ on Fold3 and found numerous Memorials where POWs described conditions at this notorious prison camp. Their statements give context to what Finley must have experienced.
In May 1945, Finley’s family in Schuyler, Nebraska, received word that he had been freed. He finally returned to the US and reunited with his family. Following some time off, Finley re-enlisted in January 1946. In 1949, Finley returned to Paris and reunited with the French family that had hidden him. Finley remained in the military for 20 years, retiring in 1958. Curtis E. Finley died in 1980.
When reconstructing your ancestor’s military story, try some of these search methods to learn more about their service and sacrifice. Search Fold3 today!
This article gives additional hope and direction with regards to the steps and to what length a person should take to find additional information of their early family members history.
Thank you for this well thought out and helpful description.
Thank you for this information. I’m sure I will refer to it often during my searches.
My step-dad, Philip R. Koon was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. He fought in Sicily, Naples, Foggia, Normandy, Rhineland Ardenne, and Central Europe, and in the Battle of the Bulge. He has a long list of decorations and citations. He also was one of the paratroopers who jumped into France the night before D Day, to destroy and/or hold some bridges and roads used by the Natzis to supply their troops. He was sometimes known by his nick name “Zip” Koon and had a military specialty of Scout #761. He went from a PFC to a sergeant and back more than once – apparently one demotion had something to do with Gen. Eisenhower’s jeep. I have his shirt with sergeant stripes on it. I know his Army Serial #, dates of enlistment and of honorable discharge. Also I have a list of his Battles and Campaigns and decorations and citations. How can I find more about his service?
Hi Richard, Your stepdad was a hero, and you have quite a bit of information to search for. I recommend starting with his name (use the name filter and try all variations in case his records list his nickname). You can even try just the last name. Second, search for his military service number. To do this, click on the filter > Military > Service Number. I did a quick search and saw a WWII Hospital Admission record and his enlistment records. I can also see that he served in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Company F – 2nd Battalion. By searching that regiment, quite a few records are available to explore. There are also many Memorials for men who served in his same company. Good luck with your research.
With all that information you have it will be easy. Just feed it all in carefully, and everything will pop up! Good luck
This is a beautiful story. My father was in the Army Air Corps and was a flight instructor. I can’t help but wonder if Curtis took one of his classes.
Yoou do fantastic work in locating and delving into articles that “we” as lay-people would not be able to do. Kudos to you. I have been reading about the Dutch Resistance that also included, Belgians, French, Swiss, Spanish and Portugese people who helped get the soldiers back to England. What brave compasionate people they were.
Great story and tips!
Very useful blog post. So often when researching historical people it can be difficult to know where or how to start.
Hi, Jenny. I’m writing a column for the New York Sun on the Fold3 archives being opened for Veterans Day. Is it possible to get the rights to use the photos in your story? I know they’re probably long out of copyright, and they look to be government issued, but I wanted to ask. Thank you.
Hi Dean, Thanks for highlighting our archives for Veteran’s Day and we are happy to give permission to use the photos in this article. Thanks!