319th BG, 439th BS, S/Sgt George A Greeth (Creeth) 19182283 POW North African Theatre: Italy

Liberated 3 Nov.1944 (Please see link under MAP to the NARA POW Record)

**_From AGO (AirCrashPO) Dear Friends,

Here is the witness from Mr. Igino Paghini, who lives in a small village

S of Milan.

He and his brother Rino Paghini (deceased a few years ago), were the

civilians who rescued Lt Burt and Sgt Greeth after their bailing out

from the crashing B-26 on Set. 23, 1944.

The two American airmen where hid at Tainate and at Gaggiano (two very

small tonws S of Milan).

Mr. Igino Paghini and his friend Dorio (he is still alive too and lives

at Noviglio), then conducted Lt. Burt and Sgt. Greeth to Switzerland

waking across 40 Kms of

German and fascist held territory.

It seems a quite interesting witness...

Will visit Mr Paghini and his friedn Dorio as soon as possible, in order

to get more info, data and so on.

Sincerely,

Ago_**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**_The "drawing", the *document* below and the photo of the house have all come recently, I finally got them placed all in order. . . . hoping this is helpful :) Blessings, Barbi

319thBG, 439thBS, George Creeth; (From Italian Historian Alberto Magnani)
26 Dec. 2012; dear princess, I'm an italian historian working about U.S. planes crashed in Italy - can you give me informations about George Craith, tail gunner in B-26 crashed on september, 23 1944? Alberto Magnani

28 Dec. 2012; Dear Alberto. . . right now, EVERYONE is working on this ;~D I am happy to say, I have all of the CREW placed, but Ago is working with Fabio, Fabio is working with another two and I hope this helps you ;) We do NOT yet know the correct spelling so I have made TWO albums, they are attached to the 'other men under the MAP' on the Creeth page. I hope this will assist you! Blessings, Barbi

28 Dec, 2012;
Dear Princess, I thank you for your help. I know Agostino and his friends: it's strange, but we are interested in the same plane, in the same time. I am a researcher of the National Institutes of Contemporary History and I am working about the relations between italian people and allied airmen in 2WW. I live in Milan, near the place where the B-26 crashed, so I spoke with a few witnesses. If you like, I can send you some informations. I read in the POW file in fold3 that C(G)reeth was a POW but he was liberated in november 1944. Do you know how it was possible? Thank you very much - and happy new year! Alberto 29 Dec. 2012; Well, I guess I cannot prove anything Alberto… there is NO mention in the 319th Unit History. . . I have the digital History and the written UNIT History and none of the men are mentioned, nor is the plane identified. In Sept. he was stationed on Sardinia but the "return" in November (if to the Americans OR if to the new base on Corsica having changed to B-25's) there is NO mention anyplace. His POW record does NOT give a Camp, I believe it would be safe to assume that the "march" to the POW Camps did yield many shot and a 'few" actually got away.
Did Creeth/Greeth find himself lucky enough to slip into a hole until everyone else had gone by? I do not know, I am trying to find some family. . . I called every family member of the Sitterle family and never got an answer…. With NO camp mentioned in his POW file, it seems safe to say that he may have slipped out and evaded until he got back????
Yes, anything you can provide me will be placed into his page (and 57th BW Album) and hopefully someday into the 319th History … Thank YOU. I will keep looking. Blessings, Barbi

29 Dec. 2012; Dear Barbi, thank you very much. Ferdinando D'Amico, who is an historian of the air force in 1943-1945 tells me that Red Cross was able to make miracles with POWs. Perhaps Creeth was liberated with the help of the International Red Cross, but we have no documental confirmation. About Sitterle: he was for a time in the Military Hospital of Milan, where I stayed when I was a soldier (in 1986, not during the war!). I was a corporal of Medical Corps. The building is the same, nothing has changed. In a short time I will send you the story of these airmen. I have to write an account in English and I don't speak English very well. I speak and write Spanish. Greetings. Alberto.

B-26 107555, B/N 71, MACR 8936 ( DOC )
The plane crashed in a rice field. Contrymen had seen the plane falling and chutes open, so many people approached on foot or by bike. Earl Petersen, the pilot, was hanging from a tree, dead: his chute had collapsed.
Second pilot, Harold Sitterle, was wounded, so he was transported in a farm, where a woman tried to dress him, until fascist Black Shirts arrived and captured him. He was hospitalizated in Milan, then trasferred to Germany.
Bomber Howard Braden wasn’t able to bail out, so his corpse was found in the plane.
Radio-gunner Sgt. Laurence Burt slipped into a hole in a bush, but Egiodio Paghini, a 17/18- year-old boy, saw him and decided to help him. He entered into the bush and, gesticulating, told Burt to stay there. During the night he hid him in a hut, later in a deserted house in the village of Gaggiano. Paghini worked as a mechanic in Milan, where he knew persons related to the anti-fascist Resistenza. They told him to bring the airman to Milan, so he went to an appointment with Burt by bike. Early in the morning, a lot of people went to Milan to work by bike, so nobody noticed the airman. The men of Resistenza transferred Burt to Switzerland in a short time. He was on safe on october, 20, 1944. After the war, Burt wrote a letter to Paghini to thank him. Paghini also received a certificate by US Government and a reward.

5 Jan. 2013;
Dear Princess, I send you an article of the newspaper of Pavia: the journalist who wrote it is my cousin, we graduated in history in the same University. I helped my cousin to prepare this article, where he speaks about the B-25 crashed near Montebello on october, 3 , 1944 (MACR 9037). German soldiers captured all the crew, except co-pilot John Martin. He was hidden in a farm, where was living a family from Milan. Engineer Franco Moscatelli, who was speaking English, told Martin to be not afraid and helped him to join to the anti-fascist partisans of the Btg. "Casotti", led by Count Luchino Dal Verme. Dal Verme, descendant from an ancient aristocratic family, was able to help Martin to go to Switzerland. Greetings, Alberto Magnani

20 Jan. 2013;
Dear Barbi, a few days ago, I spoke with a countryman who was 15 years old when B-26 crashed. He saw it falling down. He tells that two airmen were captured and transported to the Military hospital: one of them escaped with the help of Italian resistance. It is possible he was Creeth. Greetings. Alberto. 4 Feb. 2013 *** Dear Princess, you were right: Creeth was lucky enough to slip into a hole and then - i am happy to say it - italian people helped him to reach Switzerland. I found all the story and I'll send an English version when i'll have finished my investigation work. I read a message from Angela Dole, whose grandfather was Earl Petersen: last week I knew a man who was near Petersen when he died. I would like to tell Angela Dole something about the death of his grandfather: can you tell me how could sent a message to her? Thank you very much. Alberto Magnani from Italy 4 Feb. 2013; Some days NOTHING surprises me. . . you don't need to read the whole thing, really just glance at the last 3 entries, I will send to AGO and then when the English version comes, I will place it and share with you…. sometimes (as we so well know) the smallest word slips out and SHAZAM. . .we have an answer ;) All I really did was confirm who he was and share what we all had placed ;) BINGO. xo -BARBI

29 March, 2013; Dear Princess, I send you a map with the house where Lawrence Burt and George Creeth were hidden after their B-26 crashed. It is marked with the number 4 in a circle. Near this house, there were the barracks of the fascist police!Good bye. Alberto Magnani. SEE DRAWING PLEASE 20 April, 2013; Dear Princess, this was the house where Burt and Creeth were hidden by italian people after their plane crashed. SEE PHOTO ABOVE Barbi Ennis Connolly, 319th Bomb Group Historian in the 57th Bomb Wing.

April, 2013 Photo of the house just came this week :) xo -Barbi Ennis Connolly, 57th BW Historical Researcher and 319th BG Historian_**

PrincessbarbiB25@msn.com _

It is CREETH. His OBIT from the Corpus Christi, Texas Library.

George A. Creeth: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record
Name:George A. Creeth
State of Issue:California
Date of Birth:Tuesday September 02, 1924
Date of Death:Sunday February 25, 1996
Est. Age at Death: 71 years, 5 months, 23 days
Last known residence:
City: Mathis; Argenta; Hubert; Lake City; San Patricio; Swinney Switch
County: San Patricio
State: Texas

ZIP Code: 78368

RESIDENCE: MATHIS, San Patricio Co. TEXAS

from numerous public index records.

Texas Death Index, 1903-2000
Name: George Creeth Jr
Death Date: 25 Feb 1996
Death County: Nueces

Gender: Male

U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
Name: George Creeth
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 2 Sep 1924
Death Date: 25 Feb 1996
SSN: 560227094
Branch 1: ARMY
Enlistment Date 1: 17 Feb 1943
Release Date 1: 29 Oct 1945
Branch 2: AF
Enlistment Date 2: 9 Apr 1947
Release Date 2: 4 May 1954

Patti's NOTES: Original Date of Enlistment from NARA
is the day Before--

16 Feb 1943

It's BELOW
He must have taken a break before RE-Enlisting.
see ATTACHED:

Honolulu, Hawaii, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1900-1959
Name: George Creeth
Port of Departure: Johnston Island
Port of Arrival: Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii
Arrival Date: 21 Dec 1947

SAME Army Service Number as enlistment Record,
and he is a S/Sgt.

ALSO, his SSDI says his SSN was issued from

California which is the Place he enlisted from.

Web: Corpus Christi, Texas, Obituary Index, 1940-2010 about George A, Jr
Creeth
Name: George A, Jr Creeth
Publication Date: 27 Feb 1996
Publication Place: Corpus Christi, Nueces, Texas, United States
Death Date: Abt 1996

URL: http://lhdatabases.cclibraries…

Last Name First Name Date Page Type of Notice
Creeth George A., Jr. 2/27/1996 C-T, 8D

1930 Census/Glendale/Los Angeles Co./California/Roll: 127/ED: 965/Page: 3B
Household Members: Name Age
George A Creeth/Head/33
Mildred M Creeth/Wife/32
Ellen K Creeth/Daughter/10
George A Creeth/Son/5
Diane Creeth/Daughter/1

Henry C Schurig/Father-in-Law/59/Divorced

1940 Census/Glendale, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T627_231; Page: 1A;
Enumeration District: 19-200
INDEXED as CROUTCH--difficult to read EXACTLY what it is.
Household Members: Name Age
George Coutch/Head/43
Mildred Coutch/Wife/42
George Coutch/Son/15

Diane Coutch/Daughter/11

California Birth Index, 1905-1995
Name: George A Creeth
Birth Date: 2 Sep 1924
Gender: Male
Mother's Maiden Name: Schrurig
Birth County: Los Angeles

Patti's Note: see 1930 Census--Father-in-Law's surname is Schurig

California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985
Name: George A Creeth
Age: 40
Est. Birth: abt 1924
Spouse Name: Edith M. Smith
Spouse Age: 33
Est. Spouse Birth: abt 1931
Date: 4 Dec 1964

Location: San Francisco

California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985
Name: George A Creeth
Age: 40
Est. Birth: abt 1924
Spouse Name: Edith M Wilson
Spouse Age: 33
Est. Spouse Birth: abt 1931
Date: 4 Dec 1964

Location: San Francisco

California, Divorce Index, 1966-1984
Name: George A Creeth
Spouse Name: Edith M Wilson
Location: Sonoma

Date: Dec 1977

California, Divorce Index, 1966-1984
Name: George A Creeth
Spouse Name: Edith M
Location: Sonoma

Date: 18 Jul 1978

HIS PARENTS
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=creeth&GSfn=george&
GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=65006754&df=all&
PHOTO of Headstone
George A Creeth
Birth: 1897
Death: 1980

(ALSO on Headstone)
Mildred M. Creeth
1897 - 1982

Burial: Masonic Cemetery
Sonora, Tuolumne County, California, USA

Created by: Shirley Drake
Record added: Feb 01, 2011

Find A Grave Memorial# 65006754

World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938 - 1946.
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 19182283 19182283
NAME GREETH#GEORGE#A#JR###### GREETH#GEORGE#A#JR######
RESIDENCE: STATE 91 CALIFORNIA
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 037 LOS ANGELES
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 7010 BUCKLEY FIELD DENVER COLORADO
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 16 16
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 02 02
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 43 43
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private
GRADE: CODE 8 Private
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION AC# Air Corps
BRANCH: CODE 20 Air Corps
FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other
emergency,
plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise
according to law
LONGEVITY ### ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 5 Enlisted Reserve or Medical Administrative
Corps (MAC) Officer
NATIVITY 90 Undefined Code
YEAR OF BIRTH 24 24
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
EDUCATION 4 4 years of high school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 992 Undefined Code
MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 3 Reserves - exclusive of Regular Army Reserve and
Officers of the Officers Reserve Corps on active duty under the Thomason Act
(Officers and Enlisted Men -- O.R.C. and E.R.C., and Nurses-Reserve Status)
CARD NUMBER # #
BOX NUMBER 0318 0318

FILM REEL NUMBER 3.40# 3.40#

World War II Prisoners of War Data File, 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946
SERIAL NUMBER 19182283 19182283
NAME GREETH GEORGE A JR GREETH GEORGE A JR
GRADE, ALPHA S SG Staff Sergeant
GRADE CODE 4 Major or Asst. superintendent of nurses or Director of nurses
or Director of dietitians or Director of physical therapy aides or Staff
Sergeant or Technician 3d Grade or Lt. Commander or Petty Officer, 2nd Class
SERVICE CODE 1 ARMY
ARM OR SERVICE AC Air Corps
ARM OR SERVICE CODE 20 AC: AIR CORPS
DATE REPORT: DAY (DD) 20 20
DATE REPORT: MONTH (MM) 09 09
DATE REPORT: YEAR (Y) 4 1944
RACIAL GROUP CODE 1 WHITE
STATE OF RESIDENCE 91 California
TYPE OF ORGANIZATION
PARENT UNIT NUMBER
PARENT UNIT TYPE
AREA 98 North African Theatre: Italy
LATEST REPORT DATE: DAY (DD) 03 03
LATEST REPORT DATE: MONTH (MM) 11 11
LATEST REPORT DATE: YEAR (Y) 4 1944
SOURCE OF REPORT 1 Individual has been reported through sources considered
official.
STATUS 8 Returned to Military Control, Liberated or Repatriated
DETAINING POWER 1 GERMANY
CAMP
REP
POW TRANSPORT SHIPS

George A Greeth, Jr.