2/Lt. Walter H. Kendall was the bombardier of B-24 42-52175. It's not quite clear where he landed after bailing out. Possibly he came near Nijverdal on the ground because he arrived still on the same day at the house of the teacher Andries Ponsteen and his family at Grootestraat 133 in Nijverdal. On 9 or 10 March he came in the hands of Albert Tijhuis, who handed him together with another American airman, 1/Lt. John Zolner (E0392), the pilot of P-47 42-8557, over to Jules Haeck at Hengelo. From here Alphons Gerard took them to the house of Steffie Memelauer in Hengelo. Here they joined another American: S/Sgt. Maurice Hargrove (E0335). He was injured at his back. On 12 March the three left, escorted by Alphons Gerard, Hengelo. They travelled by train to Zutphen for a short stop in the house of Gerrit Rietberg (Barlheze 21 at Zutphen). Here another American joined them: 2/Lt. Milton W. Stern (E0372). The four travelled after the short stop by train via Arnhem to Echt. They arrived here without incidents. Harry Tummers took the four to the house of Jeurissen in Echt. The same evening -12 March - they left in a car, together with two escaped French prisoners, in the direction of Maastricht. Near Geulle the car stopped. Arranged by Klaas Koers there were two rowing boats waiting here to take the men across the Maas river. The reached the other side of the river without problems. Here the Belgian resistance men Frans Lyna, Jozef Stegen and Leopold Bollen escorted the Americans via Uikhoven to the Farm of Andre (it's unclear what this is). They stayed here for six days. On the farm they were rejoined by five members of the crew of Stern: R.W. Burrows (E0366), W.L. Bull (E0365), G.W. Cassody (E0367), J.C. Estep (E0369) and J.W. Warren (E0373).
On 18 March the group travelled to Hasselt and stayed in the house of Mr. and Mrs. Biernaux, agents of the Comete escape line. Guide Olympus Doby escorted the men to Liège (Luik). In Liège were also George Wedd and Floyd Franchini. They were housed in pairs here. Here they heard on 20 April that the could (only) try to reach Switzerland because the route to Spain was blocked. Hargrove decided to stay in Belgium and was liberated near Liege in 10 September 1944. Zolner and Kendall decided to give it a go. In Belfort, west of Basel, they got separated. Kendall was arrested on 22 April 1944 in Belfort. Zolner managed to reach Switzerland on 24 April. In September 1944 he crossed the French-Swiss border again and contacted the American Army, probably in or near Grenoble. He returned in England on 13 September 1944. Stern, Estep, Warren, Bull, Burrows and Cassody were arrested by the Germans in Liege on 27 May 1944.
Walter H. Kendall passed away on 15 April 1954 at the age of 38 years in Pennsylvania, USA. He is buried at Union Cemetery, McConnellsburg, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, USA.
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