The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1944-03-02
Balls Out Over
Germany: Has to
Walk Back
Local gunner has tough
experience on aerial
combat mission

SO11lO1O 1ll1SSXOll
Tech. Sgt. O. E. Hamblin says
that everything is OK with him
now.
The sergeant, whose first name
is Oscar, escaped from Nazi-oc-
cupied France where he landed
after bailing out of his. crippled
bomber following raid over Ger
many. A acknowledgement, he
has returned to the army air base
at Salt Lake City, where he was
first sent for assignment back in
September, 1912.
Shot down on his sixth mission,
Sgt. Hamblin has been ordered
by army air fores intelligence Of
ficers not to reveal the details of
his escape since other filters may
be able to escape in a similar
manner.
It was no easy matter though,
because it took him two months
and IL days to make his way back
to England. 'It was long, hard,
and nerve-wracking trip" he ex-
planned. Practically all the jour-
ney was made on foot. was glad
I had ON my GI~xtsOss When I
returned they were ripped and
worn completely beyond repair"
For five successive days all he
had to eat was eight ounces of
bread and four ounces of mutton
daily.
Sgt. Hamblin's final mission
took place on Sept. 6, 1943, when
large group of Flying Fortresses
took off at dawn to bomb the
Stuttgart airplane factory in Ger
many. Despite overcast weather,
smoke, and anti-aircraft fire, the
bombs were released on the target.
Attacked by fighters, two of
the gas tanks and one engine
were shot out, but luckily the
plane didn't catch fire. Several
of the crew were wounded, and
Sgt. Hamblin was hit in the head,
leg and back.
When the ship was unable to
continue in flight, the crew bailed
out. Sgt. Hamblin jumped from
$4,000 feet, and dropped free to
1000 feet before opening his chute.
BY making a free jump" the
sergeant explained, 81 had bet
ter chance of getting down with
out being spotted"
He landed in the middle of a
lake, after initiating his life vest,
he swan to shore. He managed
to elude anyone who was search
ing for him.:~"I saw a plane fly
overhead" he said, "and two sold
iers on motorcycles passed nearby,
but no one saw me-"
Although he was befriended by
people where he landed, most of
the trip was made alone. At one
time he met his pilot and bonn
barber, but later they split up
and travelled by themselves. They
were the only members of the
crew to get back. Six Of the 9TH
ers are prisoners of war, and the
seventh is missing in action.
Sgt. Hamblin returned to the
United States by boat, and is now
ready for reassignment after a
furlough spent with his parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Edwin D. Hamblin
of Kennewick.
He attended Marshfield Mo.)
high school, and was a salesman
for the B. F. Goodrich Co., st.
Louis, Mo-, before enlisting in
the air corps in November, 1941.
After reporting to the Army air
base in Salt Lake in September.
1912, he was stationed at Boise,
Idaho, before going overseas in
June, 1913.
The 22-year-old flier has been
awarded the Purple Heart, and
the Air Medal with two oak leaf
clusters, and has received two
concentrations from Col. Bud
Peasley.
lust before noon today one Of
the planes from the navy air sta
tion across the river crashed g