237465 1Lt. Joseph William Collier United States Army Air Corps 401st Fighter Squadron 370th Fighter Group from:Olyphant, Pennsylvania, USA My Uncle, Joseph Collier, was the Intelligence Officer for the 401st Fighter Squadron, 370th Fighter Group. They occupied the former German Airfield at Florennes, Belgium near the end of September 1944.
My father, Sgt. Ambrose Collier, was a member of the 106th Infantry Division, 422 Regiment, Company L. The 106th moved into the front line east of Schoenburg/ St. Vith, Belgium to relieve the 2nd Division around the 12th of December, 1944.
Uncle Joseph and a driver and left Florennes on 15th December to visit my father. After the visit my Uncle spent the night near Schoenburg. At 6:30 am on 16th December the Battle of the Bulge began. Both men were captured on 19th December in different locations. My father was interned in Stalag 4B, Muhlberg Sachsen. My Uncle was moved from Stalag 9B, Bad Orb to Oflag 8B, Hammelberg. The day after Gen. Patton's raid at the Hammelberg POW Camp my Uncle was moved to Stalag 7A, Moosburg. Each man survived the war and returned home.
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