Posted By Kevin M. Pearson on October 08, 2007 at 17:18:13:
In Reply to: 1Lt. Robert Harrington posted by John Meurs on October 05, 2007 at 06:36:47:
John: Small world. Here is the e-mail you sent to Lary Guenholtz - we live in the same small Texas town. Have you been able to speak with Harington by phone - here is his phone number - 1-415-931-0545 (address at end of post). Larry just tried to call ut didn't connect. I'll see if Larry can help with the E&E report, and also the one for you Hugh.
Kevin
From: meurs.john@bluewin.ch> To:
afees44@hotmail.com> Subject: 1Lt. Robert W. Harrington.> Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007
13:11:01 +0200>> Dear Mr. Grauenholz,> I am very interested in obtaining the
Escape and Evasion Report # 2964 pertaining to 1Lt. Robert W. Harrington of the
466th BG, 747 BS who came down in Holland on October 15, 1944.> I know very
little about Robert Harrington. His name appeared in an unpublished book
written by T/Sgt. Marbry ?Don? Barker, who as a Bombardier with the 91st BG/323
BS parachuted down on the north-eastern part of the Netherlands on Sunday,
November 26, 1944. His B-17G, ?Seattle Sleeper? had been attacked by German
fighters during a mission to the Altenbeken rail road viaduct in Germany. On
the way home the whole crew bailed out over the village Haulerwijk in my home
country the Netherlands. Three crew members were taken prisoner but the six
others were picked up by the Dutch underground and hidden until their
liberation by Canadian troops in spring 1945.> On that same day in November
1944 a B-17 called ?Little Guy? of the 381st BG crashed behind our house in
German-occupied Holland. For the last eight years I have been researching the
fate of the 34 heavy bomber crews of the 8th USAAF who did not return to their
bases in England on that day. The ?Seattle Sleeper? is one of these 34 crashes
I have been researching.> Here follows the part of Don Barker?s story dealing
with Robert Harrington. Don Barker and another crew member Quilla Reed joined
some underground people prior to meeting the advancing Canadian troops. Barker
wrote:> Quote> The group of men ushered the Americans toward a large wooden
barn-like structure. The door was opened, but Don and Quilla hesitated as they
faced total blackness inside. They stepped inside. When the door closed,
darkness enveloped them until someone lit a candle. Although the large interior
was still dim, Don could see a number of men standing around them. Three men
approached. The large and brawny one spoke to Mr. Krol. Don listened carefully
and he heard Mr. Krol say ?Amerikaan!? The large man smiled and patted a man
standing near him on his back. The second man gave a welcoming gesture and
repeated, ?American, huh?? Don and Quilla looked at each other then at the men
standing in front of them.> ?Hey ? you?re Americans too?? Don asked.> One of
them let out a cheer, stepped forward and extended his hand, ?My God! We sure
didn?t expect to meet up with any of our guys here! Name?s Tyson, Walter J.
Tyson, first lieutenant, P-51 pilot from Long Island New York. This character
is Robert Harrington, known better to his friends as ?Bobby? ? he?s from a
little place called Newton, Iowa, ever hear of it? Also, first lieutenant, also
P-51 pilot!?> ?Don Barker; used to live in Long Beach, California. This is
Quilla Reed, he called Michigan home. Our B-17 didn?t make it back to the base
in England.?> Don said; ?So ? how?d you guys end up way out here??> Bobby
explained, ?We just ran out of gas. Set our planes down in a field about four
months ago and have been here ever since. We were hidden in some other part of
this country, but damned if I know where that was.?> Don asked; ?How did you
manage to run out of gas anyway??> ?Well, we were chasin? a couple ME-109?s
that had been giving some Liberators a bad time,? Bobby leaned toward Don, ?We
got so involved we just plain forgot to check the old gage. First thing we
knew, we?re lookin? for a place to set ?em down. Old Walt here ? he was lucky,
he found some grass. Me ? I got out of the plane knee-deep in yucky mud.? He
made a face. ?We?ve been foot-boys ever since, well ? except for a couple times
when they had bicycles for us to ride.?> Not to be outdone, Reed explained
about what happened to the ?Seattle Sleeper? but Don was only half-listening.
He studied the other two Americans. They were dressed in clothes similar to
what he wore, no doubt borrowed from their Dutch benefactors too. Even in the
dim light, Don could make out the freckles on Walt?s face and his thoughts were
that both these two guys looked incredibly young.> Unquote.> As Barket wrote
his book quite some years after ?the war to end all wars?, he may have mixed up
some details. His manuscript, sent to me by his widow, is very interesting for
a Dutchman like me as it described with full details the five months he and his
fellow crew members spent with the underground people.> Again, I would very
much like to have a copy of the Escape and Evasion report # 2964 but above all
I would like to get in contact with Robert W. Harrington and or family of
Robert. I do hope you?ll have his address and I do hope you will share same
with me.> Thanks in avance!> Warm regards> John Meurs> In Gubel 5> CH-8630 R?> Switzerland. E-mail meurs.john@bluewin.ch
JOHN:
Harrington"s address in 2006 directory is:
1400 Geary Blvd. #1309
San Francisco CA 94109-9307
Phone: 1-415-931-0545