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Last Name: ` FINCK	First Name Middle Initial: THEODORE W		Nick Name: 'TED'
Street: 32 LOCUST AVE	City & State: WHEELING, WV		E-Mail: twfma@verizon.net
Zip: 26003	Phone: (304) 242 2840		Spouse: MARY ANN
Conflict: WW II	Service Branch: Army Air Corp		Unit: 8AF 384 BG 544 BS
Theater:	Where Captured: FRANCE		Date Captured: 06/26/43
Camps Held In: 7A 17B			How Long Interned: 677 days
liberated / repatriated: liberated	Date Liberated: 05/03/45		Age at Capture: 26
Medals Received: PURPLE HEART FAME Ribbon with one bronze star Good Conduct medal
Military Job: RADIO OPERATOR AND GUNNER		Company: GROCERY MANAGER
Occupation after War: FOODLAND MARKETS

Military Bio:

I was born at Parkersburg, WV. At the age of one and a half my family moved to
Wheeling, WV. I was educated in the Ohio County Schools . On June 25th l942 I was drafted
and entered the Army Air Force. Went to radio school at Sioux Falls , SD, and gunnery school at
Harlington, TX. After That I went to Wendover Field , Utah where we formed our crew . They
were as follows: Pilot Delton G Wheat, Co Pilot Donald G McMullen, Navigator Thomas L
Ketchum, Bombadier Robert J Brown, Engineer Thomas B Randolph . Asst. Engineer Warren L
Pursch, Waist gunner Ralph C Wood, Ball turret John J Katuzney, Tail gunner Dero M Hurst,
and myself Radio Operator Theodore W Finck . On our arrival in England we were based at
Grafton Underwood. On our first mission to Villacoublay, France,June 26, 1943, we were hit very hard by fighters
and then flak which knocked out 3 engines and the controls. We were trying to make the English
Channel and ditch it, but there was no hope. We all bailed out and was picked up at once when
we hit the ground in Dieppe, France. I was wounded in the right leg by flak and taken to a field
hospital where they pulled out a piece of metal about the size of your thumb, wrapped a paper
bandage around my leg and sent me off to interrogation . Was there 3 days , then to Stalag V11A
. On Oct. l3, l943 we were loaded into box cars [40 or 8] but we had 60 men to a car. After 3
days of travel we arrived at Stalag XV11-B Krems, Austria . While at this camp I kept myself busy
playing guitar about every evening . I also took two courses in Spanish and one course in
photography . I bought the guitar at Stalag V11-A from a Frenchman for 21 packs of cigarettes.
On April 8th, l945 we were put on a forced march ,where we ended up in a large pine forest at
Braunau, Germany.18 days , 281 miles. Was liberated by the l3th Armored Division of the 3rd
Army, May 3rd, 1945. European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal one bronze star ,
Good conduct metal, Purple Heart, P.O.W. Medal,American Campaign Medal,WW11 Victory Medal,
Honorable Service Lapel Button WW11, Aircraft Crewman Badge.
I have been married to my lovely wife, Mary Ann Tominack Finck,since Feb,24th,1969.


Ted and Mary Ann 1999	Ted with West Virginia Plate