K for King

After their first jump out of a heavy damaged bomber, the airmen encountered another danger at landing. Belgium was still occupied by German forces in April 1944. When an aircraft came down, German soldiers hurried to the crash site in order to capture airmen and gain vital information. Within 24 hours four crew members were already arrested.

• Lieutenant Francis C. Sneed

After a safe landing, the pilot undid his parachute and walked to a nearby road. A group of civilians saw the man and brought him to a farm, were he stayed for a short period. Afterwards they moved the pilot to another farm in Otegem. However, in the morning, German Feldpolizei came and looked for him and while escaping he was seen and arrested. “Luckely” the German soldiers brought him to an officer of the Luftwaffe-polizei, who took him to a prison in Kortrijk. Lieutenant Sneed ended up some time later in the Saint-Gillis prison in Brussels.

• Sergeant Harold E. White
• Sergeant Harry A. Kolinski

They landed both in Ingooigem. Harry Kolinski was taken immediatly to a house nearby when he landed in the field. They gave him some food and wanted Harry out of their house as soon as possible. People were scared to get arrested when helping the Allied Forces. He continued his way over fields and at some time he heard dogs. Five German soldiers came closer to his position and when he tried to cross a river he was caught. They brought him to a prison where they asked a lot of questions. After a while they brought Harry to a chamber where there was another prisonner. The Germans asked if he knew this person and Harry told them "no". Both prisonners started laughing and the Germans knew then that they knew each other. The other man was Harold White! After a while in a prison in Brussels, they were brought to Austria.

• Sergeant Charles B. Coffman

He landed safely between Heestert and Sint-Denijs. The sergeant found a farmer in Kooigem, called Eudox Van Houtte, who gave him food and shelter for the night. In the morning he was seen by visitors on the farm and they alerted the Luftwaffe-polizei of Wevelgem who arrested him some time later.