Albert W Cox — POW-Stalag Luft III — Enter Cox, Exit the “Great Escape” -ers

As Al Cox’s B-24 was shot down by enemy aircraft over Austria on 19 March 1944, the “Great Escape” was nearing completion in the prisoner camp he was headed for … Stalag Luft III in Sagan Austria.  It was a miracle that only the navigator John P Dowiak was killed in the downing of their aircraft. The 450th bomb group, 720th squadron of the 15th Air Force had been flying rather consistently since 3 March as they tried to soften up targets of strategic value such as the ball bearing plant in Steyr, Austria.  The men had started the month of flying with what they all perceived as just another risk which they took as an airman, crew and flyers, undertaking the task of carrying cargo that could destroy an entire square-mile of Earth.  As their first mission of the month got underway, a B – 24 flown by a Lieut. Isbell, completely burst into flames in a horrific explosion just after leaving the ground.  These kinds of “accidents” did happen in wartime and were the result of significant casualties.

On March 24, after five days of getting the guts up the fly the mission only to be stopped dead in their tracks by inclement weather causing no flys or guesswork bombing or turnarounds, they took off for Steyr Austria with hopes of finally hitting their target that day.   They were trying to hit the ball bearing plant operating in Steyr which was ESSENTIAL to the function of the complex machinery which the German War Production Apparatus was still capable of generating because of Speer’s ingenuity and Logistic genius. Sure enough as the B-24’s approach Steyr the weather was untenable and one column turned back while the other continued on to bomb the alternate target which resulted in the shooting down of the B-24 which Al Cox  was co-piloting.   According to the Missing Aircrew Report, Howard Barnett and Elwyn Lufkin maintained eye contact with the plane as it careening towards the Earth spotting five parachutes of which Al Cox as one.

Al entered Stalag Luft III shortly after being captured by the Germans /Austrian’s when his parachute landed. Stalag Luft III was located in Sagan Austria and was made famous by “The Great Escape” of US airmen held their through underground tunnels on the night of the 24th /25th of March 1944, the exact time which Cox was brought in and was being processed! I am sure his treatment reflected the frustration and anger the Luftwaffe guards had with the ingenuity of the escapees . the fact is, POWs have a standing order to try to escape  and the Germans knew this but there were some barbaric incidents of murder which stained the Germans with even more blood on their hands in regard to the prison camps.

The wings that I have come from Cox’s estate   with the little cardboard backing which he put his wings upon and labeled when he returned  from war . Al Cox’s name is scratched into the back of the wing along with Sagan and 44 ‘.  These are 2 inch wings made from tin   salvaged from powdered milk hands as Al notes on the card the wings are attached to. The men contructed these wings in porcelin or clay moulds they would make from the wings of the downed pilots, crewmen etc. The wings are attached to the symbolic Ball and Chain which signifies their inability to fly, being chained to earth. Included in this grouping is the Missing Aircrew Report and accompanying documents which were copied from originals and input into web diaries of squadrons etc. This an excellent lot of historical precision for you to gain insight from…..any questions on these lots, my permanent collection, I will try and answer and if I cannot, we will both learn from my collection and seek out the answer!