Cerro Gordo County Iowa
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The Globe Gazette
in ACTION AFTER BOMBING Believed To Have Taken Part in Huge Raid on Stuttgart Pilot Officer Lee USHER and his crew of five were among the missing in a bombing raid over Germany on April 15, it was learned here Monday. A cable from England informed Pilot USHER'S mother, Mrs. Brice BROWN, Demossville, Ky., that her son was missing. Mrs. BROWN telephoned her sister, Mrs. J. C. DICKINSON, Mason City. The main concentration of planes was in a raid on Stuttgart on April 15 and it is believed USHER'S plane was one of the 23 missing in action after this flight. Pilot USHER entered the RAF by way of the RCAF. He ranked second in exams when he was gradauted from flying school at Regina, Sask. He was attached to the RAF Feb. 11. Pilot USHER was a native of Plymouth whre his mother served as superintendent of schools. The youth was prominent in athletics in the Plymouth high school. He attended Junior college in Mason City where he played both football and basketball.
The Globe Gazette
of ACTIVITIES IN LETTERS P. O. Lee Usher Wrote to Mason Cityans of Bombings by R. A. F. An intimate picture of what Pilot Officer Lee USHER and his crew of five were undergoing when they failed to return after a raid on Germany April 15, was revealed by some of [the] most recent letters writtten by the former Mason City resident to Erdix SWIFT of Marshall-Swift cleaners. The first was a Christmas card with the familiar "Every Good Wish for Christmas and the New Year," in type, but starting out in Lee's handwriting with "Who said sunny England?" reached "Erd" and the gang at Christmas time. In that card he gave a first-hand picture of England. "The country is not completely blown up, but one sees grim reminders in London. Sweets are very dear here. Just can't get them. What I'd do for one fo Freddy's steaks! "I'm on heavy stuff and like it fine. The English really do have this blind flying down pat. I've seen everytype of aircraft you can imagine and I have had meals with the U. S. army aircorps boys. if all goes as planned I'll transfer to the U. S. navy and gain a rank or two in the deal. "Haven't seen any one that I know from home, but have run into a number of Iowans. How did Judge's football team come out? Also Iowa and who leads the Big Ten?" . . . (and then he closed with) - "If I transfer I'll be back in the states about May." In another letter dated Jan. 29, '43, we wrote - "I'm flying a Wellington III. They're a good bit like the Ford car is to the United States. It will take a hell of a beating and still hold together. . . In a month from now, however, I'll be on four-engine ships. It will be a Lancaster or Halifax. "I tried to transfer back to the U. S. navy aircorps but had trouble with the physical. It seems I'm half-blind in my left eye. The only thing I can lay it to is that I was caught in search lights. . . I looked over the side and was blinded for 10 minutes. However, the navy got a waiver, so maybe the transfer will take place." He told of one of his landings in this letter: "When I came back I found I had a flat tire when I let down my wheels, so I called in for in instructions. They kept meup for 3 hours while they got everything ready. Had two fire trucks, the meat wagon (ambulance), the flood lights on, etc., waiting for me to come in. They gave me instructions to land on one wheel and pray. "With a lot of luck I held it on the one wheel till she was almost stopped and then the wheel with the flat tire touched down and turned me around 180-degrees. The payoff is that the only damage I did was to crack one tip of a propeller blade. Non of the crew even got a bump and I got contratulated. "You might be interested in my crew - all except me are 20 years old . . . I'm the captain and am responsible for every one in the kite on the ground and in the air and it's a lot of responsiblity." On March 8 another letter stated, "I haven't had any too much excitement since that one wheel landing I wrote about. I was in this last (censored) raid and came home with a hole in my gas tank. A night fighter got on my tail and I had to lose 16,000 feet before I could shake him. he had the impudence to put a couple of bursts in me, but caused little damage. "I'm now in London spending a 19-day leave which we much needed. It's the first I've had since I came here. When I go back I won't go to the old squadron, but will report to a conversion unit where I'll convert to a (censored). I'll like this getting off two-engine stuff and onto the four. Bigger and better odds on getting home. "Did I tell you that I'm soon to go into the P. F. F. (path finding force)? It's an honor to be one of them as they are the pick of the British flyers. They're the fellows that go in first and catch all the hell and located and light up the target. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a target at night in the blackout when you're weaving all the time so no one gets on your tail or so the ground forces can't predict you and let you have it. "The searchlights are the worst though they don't hurt you. You see they light you up and (censored) polish you off. Most of the P. F. F. boys have been through one tour. It's unusual for a fellow like me in my first tour to get to be one of them . . . After you do two tours they send you home and that's what I want . . . If I see next Christmas, I'll see many more. "I've also been over France giving the U-boats a pasting. I've been carrying the 4,000 lbs. lately and believe you me Jerry is taking a hell of a beating now. The Yanks are keeping him on the dodge in the daytime and the R. A. F. is blowing hell out of him at night."
The Globe Gazette
Interned by Germans Since April
he recently wrote to friends asking for phonograph records and needles. He is the son of Mrs. Brice BROWN of Demossville, Ky. Prisoner at War Lager-Bozelchaaung M-Stammiager Luft 3 Germany
The Globe Gazette
REQUESTS RECORDS AND SPORTS CLOTHES Former Mason Cityan Was Shot Down Over France After Raid
"Dear Erd, now just to let you know I am okay and feeling top-notch. I told you I was shot down by a night fighter on my way home from a raid in Germany. Came down in flames in France. A member of my crew pulled my chute in the plane by mistake, but I jumped and made it okay. It was hot when I left. Three of the crew dead. "Life in prison camp okay. Being an officer, I do not work and I spend my days is sport. Will be in good shape for basketball when I get home. What do you hear from the gang? My greeting to all. "There are "There are two things you can do for me. First, send me some games parcels. See Clyde KING at Deckers and get me 2 pairs of basketball, pants, 31 waist, loud colors, 1 pair of gym shoes, and a good number of sweat socks and acouple heavy sweat shirts. "For the second thing is to send records. I can used some good swing. Be sure and put in needles. If you need coupons, see the Red cross as they have the information. Boys here are getting parcels, so it is possible. "I am limited to 3 letters and 4 cards a mont, Erd, so you must do most of the writing. Regards to King, and tell him to write. You should see the beautiful tan I have. Say hello to your force and to Freddie at the Covered Wagon. Lee" Regulations governing parckages sent to prisoners of war state that only 3 packages may be sent to anyone who is interned in Germany and these are not to weigh more than 11 pounds, nor be more than 42 inches in breadtha nd girth. Each package must bear 1 of the coupons sent to the nearest of kin to use as they see fit. Mr. SWIFT has written to USHER'S mother for one of these tags. His return address is: Lee USHER, P/O J14135, R. C. A. F., German Prisoner of War.
The Globe Gazette
Word has been received here that Flight Lt. Lee USHER, war prisoner of the Germans since the fall of 1943, had arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is expected to be in Mason City the first of next week. He is a nephew of Mrs. J. C. DICKINSON, Mason City.
The Globe Gazette
to WAR PRISONERS Lee Usher Writes from German Camp; Treatment "Okay" Red Cross parcels are getting through each week to war prisoners in Germany, according to a letter from Lee USHER, RCAF, now interned by the Germans. Although the first 4 1/2 sentences were carefully blacked out by a censor, he wrote much about his life there. USHER, former resident here, is the son of Mrs. Brice BROWN, Demossville, Ky., and was captured by the Germans when his plane went down in flames in France after a raid over Stuttgart in April. "Here at the officer's camp, we do no work and spend much of our time sun bathing and playing at sports. I have learned the English games of football, soccer, rugger [rugby?], cricket and being we have 3 or 4 golf clubs, we have made some golf balls and laid out a small course. There is a good Scotch golfer here, and I am trying to learn the swing so that I may play when I come home. . . "We live in long huts in rooms with about 8 or 10 fellows . . . in this camp we get a cross-section of the world, as all of England's colonies are represented. A number of fellows are studying various subjects, as we are allowed to have books from home. "Only next of kin are allowed to send clothing parcels, but game parcels may be sent by anyone. These include all sprots equiment, sweat shirts, socks, etc., also phonograph needles and cigarets (sic). "Our camp is located on sand. I am allowed 3 letters and 4 cards a month. Greetings to all. Treatment here okay. Red Cross parcel per week very good."
The Globe Gazette
After 2 Years Internment "The more you see of the world the better you like the U.S.," was the opinion of Flight Lt. Lee USHER< RCAF pilot, just back in this country from more than 2 years of internment in a German prison camp. Lt. USHER is in Mason City on leave and will report for duty to Winnipeg, Canada, on Sept. 1. He came here from Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he had landed on July 14, having come by boat from England. The trip was made in 3 days on the Ile de France. USHER had been held a prisoner at Stalag Luft 3 since April, 1943, until the last 4 months of his internment when he had been at Lukenwalde, Germany. The prisoners had been evacuated from Stalag 3 at the advance of the Russian army. They marched 90 kilometers, he stated, and were taken the rest of the way in box cars. After a month of Russian "military red tape" following their release from Lukenwalde, they were taken by Americans in trucks to Halle, Germany, and from there flown to Brussels and thence to England. USHER, who enlisted in the Royal Canadian air force in August, 1941, was captured after his plane went down in flames on his 24th mission in the raid over Stuttgart, Germany, in April, 1945. He was "on the loose" for a month but was finally given away by a nazi Frenchman, who brought the Germany army to him. At the time of bailing out it was reported that 3 of the crew had been killed but 2 of them showed up later, USHER reported. "I didn't realize rationing was as strict as it is," he said, when asked about the biggest changes here. In Canada, meat is the only thing rationed, and that in just the last 3 weeks, he reported. In the prison compound, whre he stated was the "most cosmopolitan outfit" he ever saw - flyers from all of Britain's empire - they were always hungry. Food was always scarce and what he missed most was milk. When he reached Bournemouth in southern England he had all the milk he could drink. Weighing only 138 pounds when released, he had gone up to 180 pounds during the month following, "more than I've ever weighed," he said. "We were probably as well informed as anybody," replied USHER when asked what they knew about the outside. "We built our own radio on which we listened to the British Broadcasting news." They also had the German radio news. The compound had a good library and the flyers furnished their own entertainment, averaging a play a week. Food and clothing came in Red Cross packages from "all the Red Crosses in the world." Sports equipment had been sent by the YMCA's. In all 50 persons had been shot in trying to re-escape from the camp, the officer reported.
The Globe Gazette
at Hi-Y Club An informal talk was given to the Mason City Hi-Y club last Monday, Dec. 10 by Lee USHER, former aviator in the R. C. A. F. Mr. USHER entered the R. C. A. F. late in 1940 with one other buddy, also of Mason City. After many difficult months of training, Mr. USHER was transferred to the R. A. F. and was sent to England. Lee says R. C. A. F. training was quite different for it involved much schooling and knowledge even before a plane was seen by the student aviator. All the fundamentals of flying were taught and learned on the ground. In England, Mr. USHER cmpleted quite a few missions and was also shot down over France in April, 1943. Lee, then, by underground aid worked cautiously back. He tried to reach England but was reported by a French underground traitor. Immediately he was sent to a French prison, managed by Hitlerites, for a period of several weeks. Here he was astonished for he discovered himself to be questioned by nazis who were formerly from the United States, one from New Jersey and one from Texas. Mr. USHER, incidentally, was a prisoner in the camp where the nazis had difficulty keeping them, for they would incessantly dig out under the fence in the soft and very sandy earth. This camp was recently written about in the Readers Digest. Prisoners were committed to solitary confinement if caught at this game. Mr. USHER was penalized twice, once for an attempted escape and again for insulting a nazi officer. He commented, "If that's possible." Mr. USHER is now discharged and is residing at the Y. M. C. A> for the present. Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2013
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Of interest to those persons in and around Mason City who are friends of Pilot Officer Lee USHER is the information
that he is now a German prisoner. He was taken after a raid over Stallgart, April 14, when his Haliafax went down in flames
killing three of his crew.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a letter sent from a prison camp in Germany by Pilot Officer Lee Usher, R. C. A. F.,
who has been interned since a raid over Germany early in the summer. He is formerly of Mason City, and the son of Mrs. Brice
BROWN, now of Demossville, Ky. The letter was received by Ardis Swift, Mason City.