More 401st-Related Memorabilia on E-Bay

Posted:
By: Col Jim Moschgat
On: 08/16/2004

Thought your readers might be interested in some more 401 BG memorabilia that's currently up for auction on E-Bay (www.ebay.com). In this case, the auction includes letters, pictures, and wartime documents from the estate of Sgt. Leonard Rappaport, US Army Air Force, 615th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group. According to the seller, Sgt Rappaport's B-17 went down July 16, 1944 over Munich, Germany, and he was a (Jewish) prisoner in Stalag Luft 3 for 10 months. I just verified part of this info from your website--he was a member of 2Lt W.E. Johnson's crew, although his name was spelled "Repoport" in the Air Crew Data.

This auction (#226240147) will end on August 16. There's an opening bid of $199 and no one is bidding so far.

Re: More 401st-Related Memorabilia on E-Bay

Posted:
By: COL Bruce E. Empric
On: 08/17/2004

Jim,

Stalag Luft 3 doesn't sound right as this was a camp for Allied officers. My uncle ended up there after going down north of Hannover on the group's 11 APR 44 mission.
Enlisted personnel were interned in separate POW camps. As a case in point, the only other survivor from my uncle's 614th BS (H) crew, SSgt Gilbert Prager, was interned in Stalag Luft 17b in Austria.

Regards,

Bruce

Re: More 401st-Related Memorabilia on E-Bay

Posted:
By: Col Jim Moschgat
On: 08/18/2004

Just to follow up, this item did sell for $199. Interestingly enough, the seller has come up with more items from the estate of Sgt Rappaport and has placed them on E-Bay. The auctions, numbers 2263989260, 3926219945, and 5514801431, will close on August 24th. Of note, I'm posting this simply to draw attention to articles of historical significance that may be of interest to anyone interested in the 401 BG and personnel assigned to the group. I'm certainly not doing so to promote E-Bay.

Of note, here's how the seller is describing the items: "....from estate of S/Sgt. Leonard Rapoport, US Army Air Force, 615th Bomb Squadron 401st Bomb Group World War II. His writing is totally legible, clear and touching in a simple, innocent way! Very upbeat, even through his disappointment at not becoming a pilot, typical adolescent conflict with prominent lawyer father, pneumonia during training, and captivity. A true American Hero! This offering includes one POW letter, photo and Blair Academy memorabila (see photos). Includes the April 1948 "War Service" Issue of the Bulletin (a tribute to the alumni who served in WWII). His B-17 Bomber went down July 16, 1944 over Munich, Germany, and he was a (Jewish) prisoner in Stalag Luft 4 (Nuremberg), then Stalag Luft 3 (Stuttgart) for 10 months, until his German captors vacated. He went on to complete his studies at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Dickinson Law School. The estate items we acquired documented his career incredibly completely - from childhood to prominent lawyer.

All my best to the 401 BG vets and families. I flew F-16s with the 401 Tactical Fighter Wing based at Torrejon AB, Spain from 1984-1987 and I attended the group's 1989 reunion in England.

Sgt Rapoport's POW Camp

Posted:
By: COL Bruce E. Empric
On: 08/18/2004

Jim,

Per information openly available from the NARA website, I verified that Sgt Leonard Rapoport was interned in Stalag Luft 4 in Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia. The POWs were then moved to Wobbelin near Ludwigslust and finally to Usedom near Savenmunde.

Regards,

Bruce

Re: More 401st-Related Memorabilia on E-Bay

Posted:
By: francis baudoux
On: 09/29/2004

I assume that the USA had signed the Geneva Convention, so I have to disagree on a small point :
Officers were normally interned in OFLAG (for OFfizier LAGer) whereas enlisted personnel and non coms were enlisted in STALags.
The prisonners in STALAGS had to work (either in plants or in farms- which was the best place to be in).
The internees of OFLAGS were not supposed to work as the Geneva convention prescribed for all officers. Russian officers were not interned in oflags, as that country had not signed the geneva convention.