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Last Name: ` HURD	First Name Middle Initial: ROBERT DALE		Nick Name: 'BOB'
Street: 5270 - 99 WAY N	City & State: ST PETERSBURG, FL		E-Mail:
Zip: 33708-3662	Phone: 727 392 2987		Spouse: MABLE F
Conflict: WW11	Service Branch: Army Air Corp		Unit: 8th AF 94 BG 331 BS
Theater: ETO	Where Captured: NORTH SEA		Date Captured: 08/06/44
Camps Held In: LUFT 4			How Long Interned: 263 days
liberated / repatriated: liberated	Date Liberated: 04/26/45		Age at Capture: 24
Medals Received: POW MEDAL, AIR MEDAL, ETO MEDAL
Military Job: FLIGHT ENG		Company: PUBLIX SUPERMARKETS,
Occupation after War: MARKET MANAGER

Military Bio:

Robert D. Hurd, 8th Air Force, 94th Bomb Group, 331st Sqd., Flight Engineer, B-17. Air Medal, 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and POW Medal. August 6, 1944 on 23rd mission over Berlin, Germany, 3 engines started blowing smoke forcing us to fall out of formation and lighten the plane. Someone even threw out my chute (we found out later the crew that flew the plane before us put over boost on it and never reported it). Plane went about 425 miles on one engine, ditching in the North Sea. The plane broke in two upon hitting the water in 8-10 ft. waves. My helmet was caught on a cable under the radio table, but I managed to pull free. All of this was done under water. We recovered 3 rafts, however we couldn’t save the tail gunner. We were afloat about 26 hrs. before being rescued by a German Sea Plane. We were taken to the Fresian Islands, marched to a jail with 2 crewmembers to a cell. From there we traveled by boat and boxcar finally arriving at POW camp Stalag Luft IV. At this camp 24 POWs to a room, 3 to a bed. Food was scarce. We were given a dark green soup we called “Whispering Green Death”. February 6, 1945, we were walked from camp and marched about 500 miles. Along the way we slept on the ground and in barns and scrounged for food, whatever we could find or steal. March 26, 1945 we were liberated by General Terry M. Allen. From there to Lucky Strike and finally arrived at home in Columbia City in June 18, 1945.


Flight Engineer Robert Dale Hurd 1944	Robert Hurd, 1998