HURST, Warren Albee, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate. ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical Association, 1995. Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and reprinted with permission. Warren Albee Hurst was born in Liverpool. He grew up in St. Helena Parish and graduated from Kentwood High School in 1941. Following graduation he went to Baton Rouge where he worked as a waiter at Mike and Tony's Restaurant for a year. He saved his money and entered L.S.U. in 1942 and enrolled in Aeronautical Engineering and participated in R.O.T.C. He resig- tered for the draft in Baton Rouge and was drafted from that Parish on June 23, 1943. Based on his background he was drafted into the Air Force, reporting to Camp Beauregard, Alexandria, Louisiana where he stayed for three weeks. Basic Training was at Lowery Field for armament training and Arlington, Texas for aerial gunnery training. Following a furlough spent at home, Warren reported to Hammer Field, California where the crews were formed and he was assigned to a B-24 Bomber. Crews were made up of ten men. The crew to which Warren was assigned were Pilot Richard Holter, Co-pilot Les Morgan, Tail Gunner Boby Heine, Armour Waist Gunner Warren Hurst, Walt Geschl, Navigator, Bombadier J.W. Smith, Nose Gunner C.A. Feidler, Radio Man R.E. Benner, Engineer Don Della Rocca and Waist Gunner R.A. Hurd. Warren was in charge of the gunners and had the responsibility to see that the plane was armed before take off. Next they went to Tonapah, Nevada for phase three training which lasted two months. From Nevada, he went to Camp Miles Standish near Boston where he boarded a troop ship bound for England. There were 16 air crews aboard. He was stationed about 90 miles north of London at Norwich and from that base they flew over Germany, France or wherever their target was for the day. Warren said he flew 21 1/2 missions as his plane was shot down over Koblenz, Germany on New Year's Day 1945 at 1:45 in the afternoon. To this day he pauses at that time on New Year's day to reflect on how very lucky he was. Only four of the crew survived - the pilot, co-pilot, tail gunner and Warren, the remaining six went down with the plane. Some were dead before the plane crashed. They bailed out and were taken prisoner by the Land Army which is like a Home Patrol. They were taken to a German Military Base at Frankfort where he was interrogated for five days. He was then taken to Wetzler, a temporary POW camp, then to Newurenburg, Germany. When the Germans were being beaten so badly, they were forced to go on the road for three weeks. They marched through the extreme cold and snow, sleeping wherever night caught them and with no shelter, to Munich, Germany. Warren was liberated from the POW Camp at Munich by the 14th Army Division on May 7, 1945. From Munich, he went to Camp Lucky Strike in France, where he boarded a ship for home. He went by train to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, then by bus to Kentwood. When Warren was sked about food in prison, he only said "I weighed 170 pounds when taken prisoner and I was issued a pair of size 28 pants when I was liberated. They dropped to my ankles. I probably weighed about 100 pounds." Warren during basic training, as is customary, the tallest men are put in front of the column, on back to the shortest. In camp with him was a guy from Oklahoma - Clark who was 6'3". He marched watching that head for weeks. In the POW camp, he was walking near the fence for exercise when suddenly ahead he saw this tall man walking. Thinking he looked familiar, he spoke to him. It was Clark who had been shot down and taken prisoner about three months prior. Warren said Clark saved his life. Having been in a while, he had bartered and traded for food. He now gave Warren a half loaf of black German bread and some margarine which he ate on the spot. After liberation at Munich, a fellow from Winnsboro, Louisiana told Warren there was someone from Kentwood in camp. He knew immediately it had to be F.M. Sanders. He searched for him but as there were about 65,000 in camp he could not find him. He kept looking, on the train to Camp Shelby and on the bus from Camp Shelby. When he reached Kentwood at 6 PM the first person he saw was Mr. Holcombe Broyles. He told him of his search for F.M. and Mr. Boyles said F.M. had reached Kentwood at 4 P.M. that day. He was two hours behind him enroute home. Also on the bus from Camp Shelby was Harold Bennett who was a returning POW. He spent 60 days at home and then went to Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas where he was discharged November 8, 1945. Following his discharge he went to South Bend, Indiana with a buddy. Warren worked for Studebaker Corporation for nine years. The company was down sizing and realizing he would prob- ably be laid off soon, he returned to Kentwood where he began working at the Post Office in 1955. He retired in 1978 after having served as postmaster for 19 years. After two years, he began a second career with the State Revenue Department. He is now retired and he and his wife make their home in Kentwood where they are active in the community. He enjoys his two children and five grandchildren. ------- Newspaper Clipping: 7 Apr. 1944 Pfc. Warran A. Hurst son of Mr. and Mrs. Jules Hurst of Sixth Ward of St. Helena parish. Pfc. Hurst is a graduate from the Harlingen Army Air Field, Har- lingen, Texas. 2 Feb. 1945 Mrs. Jules Hurst, who lives east of Kentwood, received a telegram from the War Department Monday informing him that his son, War- ren (Brother) is missing in action in Germany since January 1st. Warren is a tail gunner and has taken part in several important missions. He is a first cousin of Walter Lee Grice, who has been a prisoner of the Japanese since early in the war, a communication from whom appears in another column. 13 Apr. 1945 WARREN HURST IS PRISONER OF WAR Warren "Brother" Hurst is a prisoner of war in Germany, ac- cording to a card from him re- ceived this week by his mother, Mrs. Jules Hurst. The card stated that he had been a prisoner since January 21, and was safe and unharmed. Hurst, who was a tail gunner on a bomber and had taken part in several important missions, was reported missing in a tele- gram received by his parents on January 22. * * *