NORMAN PERO.
Norman V. Pero, service number 32548143, uit Rochester, Monroe County, New York schreef een zogenaamd Escape & Evasion report na te zijn teruggekeerd in Engeland. Hieronder een transcriptie van het rapport van Pero, waistgunner op een B-17G #42-31672 genaamd 'Buckeye Boomerang II', een bommenwerper van het 401 Bomb Squadron van de 91ste Bomber Group (H):

"My ship was shot down on March 20th 1944  over NW France by an FW-190 while on a mission to Frankfurt. I made a delayed jump from about 10.000 feet, opening my chute at 2000 feet. I followed the waist gunner but passed him on the way down. I landed, hid my chute, and immediately started walking SE by compass. I asked several people for help when I had gotten clear of the area, but they either could not understand me or were unwilling to assist. About three hours after I started walking I encountered a man who understood English, and from here on my journey was arranged".

Sgt. Pero came down in 21 March 1944 a short distance north of Auffray. He walked to the outskirts of Auffay where he met a man who spoke English. He said that he had been an interperter during the last war. He was middle-aged, of heavy build, cleanshaven and about 5'9" tall. This helper took him to a friend's farm and put him in a hayloft, where his heated suit was taken by Frenchmen. From here he was taken on foot to the interperter's house in Auffay. The interperter gave him a civilian sweater and kept him there for the night, taken him by train to Rouen the next morning. They went to a cafe, apparently the headquaters of an organisation, where the interperter left him. the cafe owner was a short man with a moustache, of medium build, about 45 years old, who owned a Ford truck. At sundown the cafe owner took him to a house in Rouen which was owned by an old man and his wife. The next night he was taken to a warehouse presided over by a man with a wooden leg. Thence he was taken to the house of Ralf Henning, 10 Rue de Poisson. Hennig's sister took care of Sgt. Pero for 6 or 7 days.
He was told by these people that he would be returned to the UK by plane. Henning took him by train from Rouen to Formerie and thence on foot to Vergenet where he was left at a farmhouse where he stayed 7 days with the farmer and his family. He believes their name was Luc. After 7 days a young man, about 21 years old, who seemed to be the head of the organisation (black curly hair, 5'11", medium build, carried a gun) came to give Pero an identity card for Paris, ration stamps and cigarettes. They took bicycles to Bois de Puits where they sent the night in a farmhouse. Next day the organisation leader gave Pero a gun and took him by motorcycle to Le Caule, where he stayed in a butcher's house for one day. Here he met Sgt. Elliott. Sgts Pero and Elliott were taken to Mortemer by motorcycle and thence to Neufchatel by horse and buggy. The spent the night at a lumbercamp where they were questioned as to their identity by a onelegged men who treated them very kindly. Next day they went by bicycle to Bully where they stayed at the house of a Mme. Dumont for 10 days. Sgt. Faulkner another American Air Force evader, joined them here.
A helper Jean Macron came from Paris and took all three evaders to Paris by train. Macron took them to his house for two days and made up identity cards for them, it being found that their previous cards were not suitable. Pero and Elliott were delayed due to not having any more photos. Faulkner however was taken to the coast by Macron and was returned to the UK by boat at this time. The next day the two sergeants had their photos taken at a department store. Also on this day they met Capt. Raymond, U.S. Intelligence Officer and where taken to the house of Mme. Germaine, where they were kept for about 23 days. They received new identity cards there and left with a guide named Lucie to Toulouse by rail. They picked up new guides from time to time enroute to Toulouse. Here they spent 22 days at the house of Joseph Corraze, at 30 Rue Dinetard. Guides took them by train to Montrejeau and thence by bicycle to the Pyrenees where they were met by other guides including Belgian helpers and a British officer (Tobias). They immediately set out to cross the mountains. The crossing took 7 days as they were delayed by the poor health of one of the Belgians. In Spain they stayed hidden a cave for two days while waiting to contact a driver. From here they started for Barcelona by automobile, but were arrested by police at Gros (Graus) where they declared themselves to be escaped prisoners of war. They spent the night in jail and where questioned the next morning as to name, rank and serial number. They gave their actual ranks. They were also asked how much money they had. They were kept here for two days. They were fingerprinted and through a Red Cross representative they contacted the British Vice-Consul at Zaragoza. The Vice-Consul told them that under no circumstances should they declare themselves to be airmen. From here they went to Madrid where they remained for four weeks, then moved to Gibraltar. At Gibraltar they were questioned by a British IO who asked them for all details of their trip, including helpers, etc. From here they reurned to the UK where they arrived on the 31st of July.



Source:  E&E report Norman Pero.


Norman V. Pero, born 22 Sep 1921, Rochester, Monroe, New York. Died 11 Apr 2006, Rochester, Monroe, New York.   (Age 84 years)
Gender: Male, Race: White
Home in 1940: 58 Clayton Street, Rochester, Monroe, New York

Household Members
Head:Eleanor J Pero, age: 54.
Husband: Henry T Pero, age: 52.
Daughter: Dolores M Pero, age: 21.
Son: Norman V Pero, age: 18.
Daughter: Mercedes M Pero, age: 16.

Wife: Clara Volkmar,   born 11 Mar 1924, New York, died 11 Nov 2014, Greece, Monroe, New York. (Age 90 years)


MILITARY
B-17G #42-31672 'Buckeye Boomerang II' left formation on the return from a mission to Frankfurt, Germany on 20 Mar 1944 and exploded and crashed SW of Dieppe, France. Some of the crew baled out.



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