I fear I am going to get interrupted and have to leave - but wanted to get started because this information is so again, incredible.
Separate from the death of Dryden discovering the March 6th date of his group doing the bombing over Siegburg is really so unlikely. But it must be true? Did one plane cause the damage at the Abbey or multiple planes. According to the person I communicated with over in Siegburg - March 6th was the last bombing they ever received in Siegburg.
I certainly never thought it was possible to find out what group did that last bombing - it could have been the English too - but that Larry found it - is possible because he seems able to find out anything! But that it was Dryden's group - is pretty bizzare. I wonder if folks in that group wrote personal stories about those missions. I don't think it was intentional that Dryden's group went back to the area near where Dryden went down - at least I don't think so. The reason is the fear so many of the POW's in many locations had about being bombed by their own Airmen. No one could be sure of what happened to Dryden or his crew - they could be alive and somewhere in the areas being bombed.
It is thanks to that bombing that Dad could see that the fencing somewhere around the Camp had been bent down so one could go over it/ through it and he immediately thought of that and ultimately did it - is what he told me.
I researched Dryden and the crew and have to go back to my notebook to refresh myself on what I learned. I actually was able to locate Mr. Lefever and he shared with me a great deal. Fortunately I got what I got (and use some shorthand when talking to people) because the next time I called him I could tell he did not want to talk about it and he said so. He said he did not sleep well after we talked and it was a problem for him. Obviously, I did not discuss that period in his life again. And quite some time later - maybe a year or more? when I was so excited about something I discovered, I took a chance and called him. I did it with great trepidation. Mr. Lefever did not answer his phone! I might have tried to call one more time .... but must review the notebook...
Larry it is all STUNNING information that you have been able to find - and so much more than I did!!!! And mine took weeks to acquire and here you are in hours coming up with this! YOU ARE AMAZING! And a gift to humanity!
Thank You seems too small to say, so THANK YOU, but still not big enough, but I know you understand how much I appreciate what you are doing for me and all of these men!!!
Jean
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