09 Feb Victor R. Marcotte

Victor R Marcotte, American internee, on the main street of Falun in Sweden.

This has been a great discovery week for me. The grandson of one crew member (Joseph R. Paul, left waist gunner) and the nephew of another (Vic Marcotte, radio operator) found me on this website. Both crew members are deceased, but I have connected with their families.

And as if that wasn’t enough I was able to track down the widow of Navigator Stanley N. Buck … And I found the family of Eldon E. Posey, an internee who, along with my Dad Herman F. Allen, conducted espionage against the Nazis.

It’s always interesting when I make that phone call: “Hello, my name is Pat DiGeorge. I know this is a long shot … but is there any chance that you know _______ who was interned in Sweden during WWII?  He was on the crew of the B-17 Liberty Lady with my Dad.”

In my search for ball turret gunner Thomas E. Stillson, Jr. I left messages for two different Stillsons in South Bend, Indiana but have received no return calls so (for now) so I will assume there is no relation.

Top turret gunner Carl A. Heuser is also on my list of crew members to find. After the war, his family was in Queens, NY.

Back to Victor Marcotte. Vic was the Liberty Lady radio operator, and he also operated the gun that was at the top of the radio room on the B-17.  When he wasn’t on the radio, he was watching for enemy fighters.

When I first saw the above photograph, I assumed that it was taken either on the street in the internment camp at Falun (where the crew went first for a few days) or at Rättvik, where they were assigned to stay permanently.

Gilbert Roland, a popular actor in the 1940’s. Note that he is wearing the same hat as Vic.

I swear he looked just like the actor Gilbert Roland. See if you don’t agree. And the lovely Swedish girl peeking out the door at him thinks he looks like a movie star too.

When the crew got to Rättvik, Herman began to write a newsletter for the benefit of the ten crew members of the Liberty Lady. He named it “The Beaver’s Spur,” inspired by the nickname “Eager Beavers” given to the crews of the 368th bombardment squadron flying out of Thurleigh airfield in England.

STATIC CHASER IN GRAVY
T/Agt Vic Marcotte found a bagful of loveliness. While enjoying the stop over at Falun he was, ahem, bowled over by a vision in the dime store. He made such an impression the flower gave notice and tailed him to this spot O’Heaven. That look of content is once again in evidence as Vic packs his bag regularly.

So, the photo must have been taken in Falun right in front of a dime store, right? Vic is obviously making an impression on the lady peering out at him.

As the crew members were being oriented to their internment camps in Sweden, they were recovering from the horrors they had so recently experienced over the skies of Nazi Germany.

The local ladies from the nearby Swedish towns were helping to ease the transition, that’s for sure.

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