Reconstructing a Military Story

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. 

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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 8^th Air Force, 303^rd Bomb Group, and 427^th 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. 
   
   
3. 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.  
   
   
4. 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!