241265 1st.Lt. Ralph E. Maier United States Army Air Force 707th Bomb Squadron 446th Bomb Group from:Lansing, Michigan, USA Lt. Ralph E. Maier landed at Cluntoe, Northern Ireland on 5th of May 1944, and trained for combat. On May 29th, he joined the 446th Bomb Group, at Flixton, near Bungay. He was the pilot of Pistal Packin' Bomma II. His B-24 was shot down by flak on 24th of August 1944 after bombing Waggum Air Base near Brunswick. He was severely burned while trying to rescue his crewmen in the exploding bomber. After being shot while parachuting, a German soldier saved him from a group of farmers with pitchforks. At Lazarett for Stalag IX-A/H at Hania, a British nurse found him still alive after lying for three days with the dead, and she saved his life. Then he was sent to Lazarett IX-C(a) and IX-C(b).
While at Lazarett IX-B in Bad Soden, the well respected Dr. Major David Charters, RAMC, performed a skin transplant to his lower eyelid, which he had learned by a correspondence course with Dr. Archibald McIndoe, RAF. Afterwards by refusing to transfer Lt. Maier to Stalag IX-B in Bad Orb, he probably saved his life.
A theater program and photographs show Lt. Maier in a New Years 1945 play called Yankee Doodle presented by Major Geoffrey Bedding, 2NZEF, and directed by Forrest W. Howell. It includes one scene with Major Charters. He also brought home a cap from a German guard, which is on display in England.
Ralph performed the burial rights for Cpl. Charles Hayes, who had been awarded the Medal for Gallantry by the King. The names of others spelled phonetically were:
Licht, Hodges, Statham, Masay, Anderson, Wiseman, Butz and McHead.
Additionally, four photographs show a funeral at the POW cemetery about a mile from the hospital. It was for the last American POW to be buried in a casket, before common graves were used when the death rate jumped. The first shows a procession of German guards, a casket draped with a US flag, and POW's marching. Next, a German guard presenting a Wreath at the grave, and then an American presenting a wreath. The last shows a bugler playing Taps, more than 28 POW's in a line saluting, while three German guards fire a rifle salute.
On 31st of March 1945, the 11th Armored Division liberated Lazarett IX-B at Bad Soden. After artillery fire damaged the hospital, Major Charters helped arrange a cease fire. The German guards deserted the hospital. A boy fired at the Americans, but they held their fire.
Ralph was one of the first Repatriated American Military Personnel sent to Camp Lucky Strike. On 24th of April 1945, he was flown to Britain, and then to New York. He was finally discharged from an army hospital on February 12, 1946. He lived with his wife Mary and six children until he died in 1991.
He earned the Air Medal with 3 oak leaves.
|