66 Years Ago Today - Grand Uncle Leon Was Shot Down Over Belgium

My Great-Uncle, Leon Panzer joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) once he came of age in 1942 and became a Haifax III bomber pilot. Shot down over Belgium, he was captured by the Germans and had quite a harrowing escape.

From: Flyboys on the Ground:

After being shot down on May 9, 1944, Flying Officer Leon Panzer of Toronto was hidden by various Belgian helpers until early August when he and four other evaders were taken to Brussels. Their new host cell turned out to be a “front” run by the enemy, with a resistance traitor funnelling evaders into a trap. Imprisoned in Brussels, Panzer was closely interrogated and accused of being a saboteur because he was wearing civilian clothes when he was captured. Although he was not tortured, he saw many civilian prisoners who had been terribly beaten.

Family oral history holds he was accused of being a saboteur and not eligible for prisoner of war protections as the Gestapo figured out pretty quickly that he was Jewish in addition to being Canadian. Family history also holds that his flight crew quite rightly and bravely stood by him and insisted he be treated as a POW just like them.

On Sept. 1, 1944, Panzer and about 50 other PoWs were put on a train bound for Germany. Allied air attacks had so disrupted the railways that they could not be moved. After two attempts to get out of Brussels, the Germans derailed the train and fled. Panzer and his comrades met British troops on Sept. 4.

Grand Uncle Leon's Mention in dispatches recording can reads as follows: (From G Carruther's 432 RCAF Squadron Website):

PANZER, F/O Leon (J27423) - Mention in Despatches - No.432 Squadron (identified only as "Overseas" in AFRO) - Award effective 14 June 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 1478/45 dated 21 September 1945. Home in Toronto; enlisted there 4 May 1942. Trained at No.5 ITS (graduated 6 February 1943) and No.4 AOS (graduated 9 July 1943). DHist file 181.009 D.5557 (RG.24 Vol.20668) has recommendation dated 2 December 1944, indicating he had flown on only one sortie.

Flying Officer Panzer was forced to bale out over enemy territory on returning from a raid over Haine St.Pierre on the night of May 9th, 1944, and displayed outstanding initiative in evading capture for an extended period. On being betrayed, taken prisoner, and treated as a saboteur he conducted himself in a highly commendable manner. For his devotion to duty and unwavering loyalty under adverse circumstances it is recommended this officer be Mentioned in Despatches (Immediate).

Adding to the story is that there was a comic book published about his exploits. The extended family has a copy and when I'm next in Toronto I'm going to see if I can get my hands on it and reproduce it on this blog.

Apparently legend and the comic has it that after the Germans abandoned the train he escaped from it and led his crew into the nearest Belgian city as the Germans were pulling out, becoming the first Allied officer to enter and liberate the city.