COFFMAN, J D

Name: J D COFFMAN

Born 24 May 1921

Birthplace: Tula, Mississippi

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 23

Died 30 March 2005 in Mission Viejo, California, age 83

Service: USAAF

Service ID: O-693634

Service Rank: 2nd Lieutenant

Duties: Pilot

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 489th Bomb Group, 845th Bomb Squadron

Airbase: Station 365, Halesworth, Suffolk UK

Aircraft: B-24 43-95249

Date shot down: 25 June 1944

Fate of crew: 1 captured immediately, 7 evaded with FFI help but captured later (Coffman, CARR, CHESSHIR, FIX, MAUK, ALEXANDER, and PECUS)

Evasion summary: Sheltered in Lyon le Forêt by FFI, then moved repeatedly with crew.

Date captured: 5 August 1944

Capture summary: Betrayed by Desoubrie. Arrested with CARR,  MAUK, and ALEXANDER. Shared 4th floor cell at Fresnes Prison with KINNIS, GRANBERY, and DAUTEUIL.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78319

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, North Compound

Kriege ID: 8131

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag XIII-D, Nurnburg.

Notes on internment: Forced march 10 days to Stalag VIIA on 6 April 1945.

Liberation: 29 April 1945 by units of the 14th Armored Division from Patton’s Third Army.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

VA status:

Notes on Post-War period: Book was written about his evasion and capture: Boots From Heaven, by Janet L Howard and Odile Lavandier, available from Amazon.com.