HILDING, Russell Duane

Name:  Russell Duane HILDING

Born 4 June 1921

Birthplace: East Lansing, Michigan

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 23

Died  7 November 2021, age 100

Service: USAAF

Service ID: O-757199

Service Rank: 2nd Lieutenant

Duties: Pilot

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 447th Bomb Group, 709th Bomb Squadron

Airbase:  Rattlesden, Suffolk UK

Aircraft: B-17G 43-37788

Date shot down: 13 July 1944

Fate of crew: 10 evaded, 3 of them captured; two sent to Buchenwald (Hilding and WOJNICZ).

Evasion summary:

Date captured: early August 1944

Capture summary: Arrested in Paris with WOJNICZ, credited to Desoubrie.

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

Buchenwald ID: 78326

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, North Compound

Kriege ID: 8141

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag XIII-D, Nurnberg.

Notes on internment: Marched to SVIIA 2-12 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: