NESBIT, Lt. Donald D., WWII POW

NESBIT, DRAKE, COLONY

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/13/2013 at 18:54:42

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
September 13, 1944, Page 15

Lt. Donald Nesbit Writes
Plane Was Shot Down July 3

Parachute Saves Life of Lake Navigator

Joy reigns in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd "Nibbs" NESBIT, 710 Walnut street, since the receipt of the following letter, dated Sept 4, from their son, Lt. Donald NESBIT, who was reported "missing in action" over Romania since July 3:

"Dear Nibbs (and family) - Now it can be told. They shot me down. That damned parachute that I never thought would work, worked. Thank God.

"Gee, Nibbs, I've been a prisoner for 2 months. You probably read about our rescue from Romania. Very dramatic and very wonderful.

"I'm on the way home in one piece. Boy! I'm strictly a believer now. Have a million tales to tell.

"Will do my utmost to make [it to?] Clear Lake. But that depends upon the length of my leave.

"The whole thing almost ended entirely differently. You almost lost a member of the family.

"Well, I'll write or drop in on you very soon. Very busy, just now. Love, Don"

Mr. NESBIT thinks he has gone through the entire gamut of emotions since receiving the "missing" notice last July. Then came a wire from the Red Cross stating that Lt. NESBIT was a prisoner of war in Romania. Later, a letter with the same date as the wire, was received from the commanding officer of Lt. NESBIT'S unit expressing his sorrow for the family and praising Lt. NESBIT'S ability and bravery. He said that the plane had crashed and that no parachutes were seen to issue from it. "It sounded like an obituary," said Mr. NESBIT, "and I didn't know what to think. It was for sure that someone was mistaken."

Then, last week, Mr. NESBIT received a cablegram, brief but cheering, "Will write soon," from his son. "That was wonderful," said Mr. NESBIT. "I wish other parents in Clear Lake could get the same kind of message from their missing sons."

Lt. NESBIT is a navigator with a bombing squadron and was on a Liberator over the oil fields of Romania when shot down. He has been overseas several months, leaving from Topeka, Kans., last spring and flying over in a bomber.

~ ~ ~ ~

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, October 25, 1944, Page 5

LT. DONALD NESBIT TELLS of LIFE as PRISONER of WAR

Liberator Navigator Freed
After Romania Capitulates to Allies

Clear Lake - "Our Liberator was shot down July 3 by M. E. 109's after a 20-minute running battle," said Lt. Donald NESBIT, recounting the incidents which resulted in his spending 2 months in a prison camp.

"Our target was Giurgia, Romania. We all baled out and, as we were coming down, could see the soldiers coming. We landed in a small town but were taken to Bucharest, the capital, for interrogation, after which the officers were lodged in a schoolhouse which was used as a prison. The enlisted men were at another place near the north end of the city.

"Lodging prisoners of war in an area which is a military target is contrary to international law but there we were for 2 months with both American and British bombers flying over and dropping their loads.

"The food we got was poor, consisting mainly of soup and black bread. They had better food but would not give it to us. Hygienic accommodations were negligible and medical care poor but we suffered no physical violence. The Romanians are excitable people and the guards seemed to fear we would try to escape. About every 2nd day they would count us to see if we were all there. The other prisoners were from England, Australia and other allied countries.

"The language spoken was a mixture of French, German and Spanish with some English words thrown in. In 2 months I got so I could understand and speak enough to get a long quite well. We used to gang up on the guards to make them believe we were up to something and get them excited.

"When Romania capitulated and was fighting Germany they told us they were not on 'the right side." We were free but we had to stay in bomb shelters for 4 days as the Germans were so peeved at the Romanians that they came over and bombed the city all the time. It was unsafe to be above ground.

"To make it worse the Romanians stopped feeding us as we were not prisoners any more. Luckily, we had received our Red Cross packages the day before the break came and we managed to live on them 9 days. I don't know what we would have done if we had not had them. The Red Cross packages were wonderful help while we were prisoners, too. We certainly appreciated what the organization did for us and cannot praise it too highly.

"The Germans had posts on all sides of the city so it was practically surrounded. Those who were on the south side had to fight their way through to the north to join their own forces and there was some pretty tough fighting in the town. We had to keep out of sight as the snipers were busy on both sides and we didn't want to be in the way of their bullets.

"After 4 days we were taken out to an army airport and some of our planes came over from Italy and rescued us. It was dangerous and exciting. The pilots set their planes down but kept the engines running. We were ready and climbed on board as fast as we could and they took off. The German lines were only a few miles away and we did not linger around there.

"We were in Italy a while and then came to the United States where I received a 30-day furlough. I came from Los Angeles here, arriving early Sunday and have to report back to Santa Monica, Cal., for reclassification and reassignment. We will not be sent back to our old unit as, from the German point of view, we are escaped prisoners and, if recaptured, could be considered spies."

Lt. NESBIT is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd "Nibbs" NESBIT, and family. He was a navigator with a bombing squadron over the oil fields of Romania when taken prisoner. All of the members of his crew landed safely but some men in other crews were injured. Lt. NESBIT'S planes had been damaged when he was on other missions but he managed to get them back to base.

Lt. NESBIT visited his mother, Mrs. Ella NESBIT, Los Angeles, Cal., before coming to Clear Lake.

~ ~ ~ ~

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, November 29, 1944, Page 15

Lt. Donald D. Nesbit, Jayne Colony to Wed

Clear Lake - Mr. S. D. DRAKE of 4054 5th street, received an announcement Wednesday morning of the engagement and approaching marriage of her granddaughter, Miss Jayne COLONY, to Lt. Donald D. NESBIT, both of Los Angeles, Cal. Miss COLONY is a daughter of Capt. and Mrs. R. COLONY, Des Moines, and Lt. NESBIT if the some of Mrs. Ella NESBIT, Los Angeles, and Floyd NESBIT, Clear Lake.

No date has been set for the wedding.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2013

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