Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						1/Lt. William Connie (Bill/Bud) O’Barr was the pilot of P-47 Thunderbolt 42-76372. On 29 May 1944, during an escort mission to Anklam in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, he was confronted with engine trouble on the way to the target. Despite fluctulating oil pressure he decided not to return. Southeast of Hamburg the problems were getting too serious and it was decided to return to England. O'Barr and three other colleagues turned around and set course home. When O'Barr was over the IJsselmeer the engine of his Thunderbolt stopped. O'Barr now descended until 6.000 feet and then bailed out. He landed in the Noordoostpolder. Shortly after he landed, O'Barr was picked up by members of the resistance. The American came in the hands of W.G. de Feijter (kamp Zwartemeer) who handed him over to H.T. van Wijngaarden, the supervisor of Kamp Zwartemeer. Via Ramspol he was escorted by agriculture engineer L.H.J. de Wit to the town of Kampen. From this town he was taken to Arnoldus J. Burger in Garderen and from there to the farm of family G.J. van den Top in Stroe. Here he joined 2/Lt. William J. (Bill) Lalley (E0459) and Sgt. E.J. Glisynski (E0458). The two didn't know each other because Glisynski had only replaced the regular ball turret gunner of the crew. He was followed by F/O. Robert K. Bailey (E0533), a Mosquito-pilot who was shot down in the night of 27/28 May 1944. Glisynski and O'Barr left this hiding address around 19 June. It's possible that they then went to the house of Dirk Eskes and his wife Nelly M. Eskes-Buis at Garderen, but it's uncertain. O'Barr stayed here maybe less than a day (according to Nelly Eskes-Buis it was 'one night in June 1944') before moving on on to the house of 'Joop' (Dr. J.P. Kruimel) at 'De Ruif' in Garderen. In the guestbook of Kruimel he wrote: 'I owe many thanks to the good Dutch people who were my friends when I needed help. Someday I hope to return to Holland, to visit and try to repay them in some way'. After an unknown period here they moved on, possibly they were picked up by Maarten Wiegeraadt ('Barend') and Henk Wildenburg of the resistance of Ede and taken to the farm 'Wester Wetering' of family Aart Jochemsen ('Max') at Rijsweg 31 in Ede. From here both airmen probably travelled by train to the south of the country. He found a hiding address in the house of family A. (Toon) Wagemakers of Groep André at Hoofdstraat 151 in Kaatsheuvel. From 8 to 15 July O'Barr hid in the house of Arie van Zanen at Irenestraat 8 in Breda. On this date - 15 July - he was taken over the border. Shortly after he was arrested in Belgium. He ended up in Stalag Luft I near Barth.

After the war O'Barr remained in the USAF. He left the Air force in the rank of Colonel. He passed away on 13 April 2006 in Moreno Valley, California. He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, Riverside County, California, USA.