Richard Sable
(1924-2019)
Richard Sable served in the 452nd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, as a ball turret gunner aboard B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft. On his 8th mission, May 12, 1944, his plane "Princess Pat" was hit by German fighters and flak during a bombing raid over Czechoslovakia.
"We had to leave the plane because it was on fire, and it was ready to go," he recalled. "I had never parachuted in my life, but I did this time."
After being forced to bail out and parachute over enemy territory, Sable was swiftly captured by the Germans and taken as a Prisoner of War. He spent 11 months as a "Guest of the Third Reich", imprisoned with fellow airmen at Stalag Luft IV.
While he wasn't abused or tortured during captivity, the conditions were far from ideal. Solid food was scarce, and the wintertime was miserably cold. After almost a year in captivity, Sable and his fellow POWs were liberated by the British Army in April 1945.
Mr. Sable's memories of life in captivity in Nazi Germany during WWII are truly incredible, and it was an honor to interview him to preserve his memories for future generations.
In addition to his video interview, we are proud to preserve his story in the Traveling Museum of WWII using artifacts that he donated, including medals, patches, and letters he wrote from his time as a POW at Stalag Luft IV.
