A Wartime Journey: Bail-Out Over Belgium, World War II

Manhattan, KS: Sunflower University Press, 2004. Reprint. Second printing. Trade paperback. Good. x, 446 pages. Illustrations. Map. Sources. Index. Index by Lori L. Daniel. Signed by author. Signed on half-title. Signed copy sticker on front cover. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some edge soiling. William L. Cupp was a Sergeant in the Army during World War II. William resided in Scott County, Iowa before enlisting on July 2, 1942. At the time of enlistment, William was 20 years old, had 1 year of high school education and was divorced, without dependents. Two years later, William was captured by Nazi Germany while serving in France, and was sent to Stalag Luft 4 near Grosstychow, Prussia where 6,660 other American POWs were held. William's capture was first reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross on June 14, 1944, and the last report was made on June 8, 1945. Based on these two reports, William was imprisoned for at least 359 days (~12 months), about the average for U.S. POWs. Ultimately, William was returned to military control, liberated or repatriated This book is an account of a bombing mission by the 8th Air Force, 493rd Bombardment Group out of Norfolk, England on June 14, 1944. Bill's plane was shot down over Belgium. For eleven weeks he evaded capture, hidden by Belgian and French farmers of the Resistance. He later spent eight months at German prisoner of war camp. On 13 June 1944, Won Long Hop, a B-24 of the 861st Bomb Squadron, 493rd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, was fatally struck by flak near the Belgian town of Ogy. Twenty-year-old Sergeant William L. Cupp, an air gunner from Tipton, Iowa, successfully exited, parachuted to earth, and evaded capture for weeks before being captured heartbreakingly close to Allied lines on 29 August. This is Cupp's memoir of evasion and imprisonment. His memoir moves through four phases: evasion; capture and transportation to the Baltic; five months in Stalag Luft IV; and the 504-mile road march away from the Red Army that ended when he met troops of the 104th Infantry Division.