I was fortunate in being able to obtain a very detailed map of Germany and I have marked it for you to the best of my ability.

            I was the nose gunner - that is I flew the position the bombardier does - up in the nose with "Murph" (that is what we called your son). I did that pin point navigation & Murph did the D. R. He was most popular with the crew & we think there is no other navigator like "G-Box Murph" (A G-Box is a radar-like instrument vital to navigation).

            On the 10th of April we were flying a ship belong to the 835th Sq. as our own ship "Struggle Buggy" had blown up over the target the day before. We were on pass that day.

            It was on the bomb run & we were picked up with tracking flak - that is the type that follows the ship. Our altitude was 22,000 ft. We were flying #3 off the lead ship. Just as I opened the bomb bay doors I felt the hit back in the waist somewhere. Then suddenly there was three in rapid succession. All in the wings. I do not know what it was but I felt she was mortally wounded, and immediately dropped the bombs and closed the bomb bay doors. We were carrying four 5 hundred pound demolition bombs and four clusters of incendiaries. We were still short of the target. I called Dolan and told him my bombs were gone. We were already losing altitude. #2 & #2 engines were shot out and we were hit badly in the left tanks. Gasoline streamed all over the place and I believe that only the expert handling and coolness of Dolan saved us from blowing up. He began transferring fuel from left to right and finally #1 engine went out.

            As we turned from the bomb run I could see the bombs bursting on the target. We tried to follow our formation to get back thru the the flak corridor - by this time we were down to about ten thousand and it was impossible to even follow the bomb group who were very tiny way up above us. Murph and I debated on the best course - no one was unduly excited as Dolan's calmness inspired confidence. We followed the canal towards Hanover staying north of Madgeburg. At about that time Dolan decided we should throw out everything movable in order to maintain as much altitude as possible. We were going to had for Patton's lines which Murph said were closes but we had to avoid the heavy flak at Braunsweig (Brunswich) and Madgeburg. Tho it was decided to follow the canal until we were midway between the two cities and then turn left or directly south. When Dolan said to through everything out I left the nose and Murph took my seat in the "Greenhouse" I opened the escape hatch and sat at it while Jack handed me ammunition flak suits and everything that was not bolted down.

            Suddenly Jack motioned for me to bail out. He was on interphone and I was not. We had put our parachutes on right after we hit. I started to jump but remembered my pipe tobacco and lighter up in the nest so I went up there after them - Murph was busy as a bee destroying secret papers - I put the things in my boot - came back to the escape hatch and jack had not jumped yet. Finally he dove out and I followed. I saw nothing coming down as I had trouble getting my chute opened. We jumped from 1200 feet and I fell at least a thousand before I could get it opened. It opened and the next second I hit - breaking my left leg.

            After a few experiences I wound up in a haystack - being able to speak a few European languages I was able to find out exactly where we were from slave laborers in the fields. our troops were only twenty miles away and we could hear the cannonading distinctly. The slave laborers said the Americans should be there the next day. Then Jack hid me in a straw stack and I told him to find the rest of the boys and give them all the information I had obtained.

            He had been gone about ten minutes when a Wermacht patrol of seven and one Lt came up. They dug me out with bayonets. After attempting to question me - two of them began to march me or, I should say - hobble - after five hours we came to Hornhausen - it was nitefall and LT Dolan was there in a house that had been headquarters but everything was in a state of moving. Dolan was laying on a bench - sort of table bench affair - I saw evidence of other being there and also when we approached the town a Jerry met us and I heard him tell of capturing the rest. Dolan confirmed this when we were alone he told me that Murph, Skip, Jack and the tail gunner were being marched to a town 25 kilometers away. That nite we were moved to Goso Ostesleben and there we remained until being liberated. Our liberators had found no trace of anyone before coming onto us. Dolan was in the local jail and I was in a local clinic. We had nothing to eat in that time nor did I have any medical attention. Walking on it and the lack of medical care is the reason I am still a cripple and must walk with the aid of a cane. I still can not put a shoe on it. A the present time I am on a thirty day convalescent leave.

            Those are the facts as best as I can give them. If there is anything else you would like to know I shall be glad to assist in any manner that I can.

            Murph was a grand person and there are many incidents which I can tell you of - One is the time we formed over France in a "Front" which was sleet and snow. After two hours of attempting to find our planes we gave up. The whole Eighth Air Force was in that mess and we could see nothing but snow. We started for the target alone and Murph picked up a "G" line - the target was Nurnberg - the Nazis stomping grounds. Murph was so accurate that we caught up with ten of our ships - the lead - on the bomb run. What a day - flak was thick and it was heavy but we had fun as the whole outfit (several groups) were disorganized and we watched ships ambling in in twos. We had always kidded him that some day we would bomb by "G" box and so help me we did - we never worried about getting separated from the group as we know Murph would always bring us home.

            I might tell you a bit of what I have done. I have written the Adjutant Generals office and contacted the international Red Cross. I also called William L. Shirer (Author of Berlin Diary) in New York - he is a news commentator in CBS at the present. Knows Europe like his back yard as he spent 7 years covering the news there. He talks with the news men in Europe every day via short wave and he said he would get them started and find out the whys and wherefores.

            I sent along all the information that I can and I sent him a map such as I am sending you but I did not mark it - merely wrote an explanation as he is so familiar with that territory that he would have no trouble.

            Believe me Mrs. Murphy if I have to make an international issue of it I shall until we find out something definite.

            Mrs. Maxim sends her regards and I do wish you the best of everything that comes your way. Do not fail to ask if there is any single solitary thing you wish to know - God bless you.

Larry

Hand written - "The reference to Lt. Dolan in the above letter I want to mention that he was the pilot of the bomber, he was slightly injured in the jump & he was started with the rest, in the custody of to guards to be marched back, he however after several miles refused to continue on, & sat down so one guard took him back to Beckendorf & the other one went on with the four missing boys, that is the reason he was in the room when the badly injured boy finally got there, & of course he was saved by not being able to continue on with the others. He has been to see us several times, & like everyone else was greatly concerned over the outcome of what had happened to the rest.