Another untold story of the final Linz mission
- Mike Croissant
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
I am a lucky man. This journey that I started so many years ago to tell the story of the final Linz mission continues. I have connected with relatives of two men who were with Dale Shebilsky, the most tragic figure in Bombing Hitler's Hometown, when their B-24 Liberator from the 456th Bomb Group was shot to pieces over Linz. They have helped fill in the gaps to the story after Shebilsky was separated from the rest of the crew after their crash landing near Gyor, Hungary (see pages 66-69 and 189-191). Enjoy the following accounts from ball turret gunner John Lynch and pilot Harry Mesimer. Many thanks to Doug Mesimer, Bob Bruns, and John Corbett for sharing information.
John "Jack" Lynch penned a letter to his mother on 6 June 1945, after returning to Italy from Linz via Kiev and Odessa in the Soviet Ukraine after a long adventure in Russian custody. He wrote, with tongue in cheek:
If I had known the trip to Russia was going to cause so much confusion over there, I wouldn't have gone on it - matter of fact, if I knew what was going to happen over here, I wouldn't have gone.
He is likely referring to confusion over the crew's status after the crash landing. The families had been told in a telegram on 7 May that their sons had been reported as missing in action after the mission over Austria.
Lynch continued:
Anyhow, to clear up any questions, here is the whole story: We went on a mission to Linz, Austria, on April 25th. We got hit kind of bad over the target so we crossed the front lines and landed the plane at Gyor, Hungary. Only a couple of fellows were hurt and they weren't hurt that bad - and I did not even get a scratch and outside of a couple of hangovers from the Russian wine & vodka (which wasn't bad), I had no effects from the trip at all.
Lynch then related how the crew had spent several days in Gyor before being sent to Kiev and finally Odessa before being sent back to Italy on what he called "a first-class 6-day boat ride." With the kind of humility that is such a trademark of his generation, Lynch wrote:
There was nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary about the whole thing, because the same thing happened to different crews almost every day during the war.
He signed off, "Love, Jack."
The pilot, Harry Mesimer, who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross on an earlier mission and was at the controls over Linz, kept a diary of his time in Soviet custody, apparently giving the early days a rating, though it isn't clear what the rating is based on. It reads:
25 April 45
Landed at Gyor - 1 wounded - met by Russians - given food and rooms - ate well & drank too much (three stars)
26 April 45
Went fishing today with nitro - multi food, drink & sleep - what a life - shower - went into town (one star)
27 April 45
My birthday - multi big celebration - another day of leisure (three stars)
28 April 45
Went into town & also went fishing with nitro - (illegible) - still eating, drinking & sleeping (two stars)
29 April 45
Fishing again - these symphonia cigs are getting better each day (one star)
30 April 45
Shower - big celebration - inebriated again - went to get Neitzel (four stars) (Comment: Neitzel was SSgt Dale Neitzel, the nose gunner. Also, this is the last day to get a star rating.)
1 May 45
Plane ride to Kiev - placed in stockade or something similar - supposed to leave tomorrow to Odessa
2 May 45
Left Kiev - caught the train for Odessa - no sleep
3 May 45
Still on the road to Odessa - living on cheese, butter, rye bread & carnation milk - eggs gone
9 May 45
Got up at five o'clock and marched down to the docks six miles away - boarded a (illegible) bound for Italy - (illegible)
10 May 45
Still on board ship - having a wonderful time - everything is perfect - passing thru Dardanelles
12 May 45
Still aboard ship - passing around southern Greece - arrive Taranto tomorrow
13 May 45
Still aboard ship - arriving to Taranto at two - Taranto to Goyia
14 May 45
Goyia - Caserta by - 24 - 19th Rep
15 May 45
Still at Caserta - sunbathed all day - went to Naples tonight - wonderful
16 May 45
Left Caserta for Bari by B-17 - nice trip - had the controls for a while - rations again tonight
