8th February 1944 - 1st Lt. Milton V. SHEVCHIK - USAAF - 92nd Bomb Group, 326th Bomb Squadron - 8th Air Force

8^th February 1944

1^st Lt. Milton V. SHEVCHIK

B-17G # 42-37984

92^nd Bomb Group

326^th Bomb Squadron

8^th Air Force

Catheux (Oise)

1^st Lt. Milton V. Shevchik, a native of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, was the pilot of a "Flying Fortress" B-17 belonging to the 92^nd Bomb Group, 326^th Bomb Squadron, based at Podington, England. He was 25 years old.

On 8^th February 1944, during a mission over Frankfurt, the aircraft was forced to turn back before reaching the target and was attacked over Oise by German fighters. The order was given to evacuate the stricken aircraft. Nine crew members were rescued. One was taken prisoner.

The aircraft finally crashed on the borough of Catheux (Oise).
On this day 1^st Lt. Milton V. Shevchik was flying his 16^th mission.

B-17 # 42-37984 : the crew :

1^st Lt. Milton V. SHEVCHIK	Pilot	25	Evaded	Ambridge, Pennsylvania
2^nd Lt. James M. THORSON	Co-pilot	26	Evaded	Braceville, Illinois
2^nd Lt. James E. WILLIAMS	Navigator	22	Evaded	Jasper, Alabama
2^nd Lt. Donald J. PERIOLAT	Bombardier	25	POW	Chicago, Illinois
S/Sgt. Everett L. STUMP	Top turret gunner	22	Evaded	Huntington, West Virginia
S/Sgt. Robert E. SIDDERS	Radio-operator	23	Evaded	Hastings, Nebraska
Sgt. Carlyle A. VAN SELUS	Ball turret gunner	21	Evaded	Portage, Wisconsin
Sgt. Francis C. WALL	Right waist gunner	21	Evaded	Coal Hill, Arkansas
S/Sgt. William J. SCANLON	Left waist gunner	23	Evaded	Chicago, Illinois
Sgt. Francis F. HIGGINS	Tail gunner	20	Evaded	Bangor, Maine

All the airmen were to reach England, first rescued by the people of our region, before being handed over to organised escape routes. Some of the escapees passed through Spain, others via Brittany.

Surprisingly, another Flying Fortress of the same Bomb Group crashed a few minutes later on that same borough. The fate of the crew was different. Five airmen perished, four escaped and one was taken prisoner.

B-17 # 42-31387 : the crew :

1^st Lt. Warren E. McMURRAY	Pilot	26	KIA	Dorchester, Massachusetts
2^nd Lt. Clayton F. FITZGERALD	Co-pilot	24	KIA	Minneapolis, Minnesota
2^nd Lt. William A. HOFFMAN	Navigator	25	Evaded	Alexandria, Virginia
2^nd Lt. Sidney SCHEIMAN	Bombardier		KIA	Chicago, Illinois
S/Sgt. George P. BUCKNER	Top turret gunner	22	Evaded	Cleveland, Ohio
S/Sgt. Harold H. BARNETT	Radio-operator		POW	Kansas City, Missouri
Sgt. Leburn W. MERRITT	Ball turret gunner	23	KIA	Dearborn, Michigan
Sgt. Robert A. HERBER	Right waist gunner	21	KIA	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sgt. David WARNER	Left waist gunner	22	Evaded	Waltham, Massachusetts
Sgt. Marion KNIGHT	Tail gunner	21	Evaded	Runge, Texas

After this 8^th February 1944, 13 airmen were hidden in the surrounding villages, in the face of the biggest of risks, by the local population.

1^st Lt. Shevchik landed by parachute near the village of Domeliers where he was hidden overnight, rescued by, among others, Father François Leclainche.
He was then lodged in Crèvecoeur-le-Grand in the Bourgois family from 9^th to 18^th of February.

From February 18^th to 23^rd he stayed in Beauvais, hidden by the Vifquain family, then from 23^rd February to 16^th March, by the Revert family.

Ambridge, Pennsylvania - 1st Lt. SHEVCHIK missing in action

During this time, in Pennsylvania....

On 16^th March 1944, Gilbert Thibault, head of the "Alsace" network accompanied by another man, arrived at the home of Lucien Revert in Beauvais and took Lts. Shevchik and Thorson in a truck, crossing unhindered en route a German checkpoint. They arrived at Clermont, at the home of Mr Georges Fleury, where two American airmen, S/Sgt Helsel and Bernier, had already been staying for 12 days.

The escapees were again visited by Jacky du Pac whom Lts. Shevchik and Thorson had met in Beauvais and who had interviewed them individually.

The family Fleury kept them until 18^th March, when the airmen were conveyed to Paris by Jacky du Pac.

Lt. Shevchik was supported upon arrival at the Gare du Nord by René Loiseau and Marguerite Di Giacomo. He was now taken in charge by the Shelburn escape network.

In this day of 18^th March 1944, a group of airmen reached Paris and were then taken to Levallois. Lt. Shevchik stayed for one night in a hotel near the metro station Anatole France before staying in the rue Baudin the next day. His photograph was taken to be used to make false identity papers for the next transfer.

On the evening of 20^th March, René Loiseau took him to the Gare Montparnasse, where he met other airmen who were departing. Entrusted to a guide, the escapees took a compartment in night train.

His false identity card

In the morning of 21^st March, the airmen arrived in Brittany.

1^st Lt. Shevchik was housed in Guingamp and then in Plouha. Along with 25 other airmen, he sailed to England aboard a corvette of the Royal Navy during the night of 23^rd to 24^th March 1944. He thus benefited from one of the famous "Bonaparte" operations which allowed the repatriation to England of some 135 Allied airmen.

When he returned to the United States, Lt. Shevchik never piloted a plane and worked as a carpenter.

Milton V. Shevchik died on 8^th December 1999, aged 81.

In May 2013, Lt. Shevchik's sons made a trip to the region in memory of their father.

Accueil English Airmen 8th February 1944 - 1st Lt. Milton V. SHEVCHIK - USAAF - 92nd Bomb Group, 326th Bomb Squadron - 8th Air Force - Catheux (Oise)