668th BS Patch

416th Bombardment Group (L)

S/Sgt. Vern Edward Molver

Airplane Armorer - Gunner,  19005380

Evaded Capture

668th Bombardment Squadron (L)

WWII-Medal

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  Born: 21-Jun-1921, Coquille, Coos County, Oregon

Entered Military Service: Date: 17-Dec-1941 At: Salem, OR
NARA Enlistment Record: Enlisted Serial # 19005380

POW summary:
Fail to Return Date: 20-May-1944
Evaded Capture for over 3 months and took part in French Resistance activity until Liberated by Allies
Return Date: 5-Sep-1944

Died: 1-Aug-1964, Albany, Linn County, Oregon

On-line Memorials:
National World War II Registry
Find-A-Grave


Obituary

Vern E. Molver

ALBANY - Services for Vern Edward Molver, 43, of Albany, who died here Saturday following a heart attack, will be Wednesday at Fisher Funeral Home at 10 a.m., with interment at Willamette National Cemetery.

He was a World War II veteran. Surviving are daughters, Mrs. Verna Brunk of Albany, and Carl and Linda Molver of Eureka, Calif., and son, Michael of Eureka; mother, Mrs. Margaret Sprenger of Albany; and three brothers, including Dan Molver of Albany.

Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), Tue, Aug 4, 1964, Page 7, Vern E. Molver Obituary, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/197153109/?terms=Vern%20E.%20Molver [subscription required] : accessed 9 April 2021)



Extracts from Molver, Vern E. (S/SGT.) Escape & Evasion Report EE-1742 (Original NARA Report)


MIS-X Report Number: EE-1742  /  IS9 Report Number: I.S.9(WEA)/1/160/990
Interviewed by I.S.9 (WEA): 5 Sep 44
Date missing in action: May 19 [1944]
Date arrived in UK: Sept 8-44

Narrative (Appendix "C")

Molver:

Flak just after dropping bombs. Plane went down in dive. Jettisoned my gun. Couldn't get pilot on interphone. At DANCOURT baled out. Turret gunner followed me. I saw plane crash. I hid chute & m. w. in brush. Fmen told me to hide. Two hrs later I sneaked up hedge. Approached a Fman ploughing. He brought another man who got me clothes & took me to his house. M. Chevalier came & took me to Fresway & I met Warfel & Schmaling.

Arrived U K 7 Sept.

A Canadian photographer came in & took pictures of me & of EVOD Delmarre in front of FFI HQ at FOUCARMONT.


[NOTES: "m. w." is an abbreviation of floatation device nicknamed "Mae West". "Fmen"/"Fman" are abbreviations of Frenchmen/Frenchman.]

Narrative
(copied from Warfel, Richard C. (SGT.) Escape & Evasion Report EE-1585 (Original NARA Report))

WARFEL, SCHMALING, GRANT, & MOLVER.

Warfel and Schmaling landed on 9 May 1944 near FRESNOY-FOLNY ( 14 kms SW of GAMACHES). They came down about 1/4 mile away from each other, and some Frenchmen who were waiting took them to a barn at once. There they remained in hiding for four days. Then a young woman, MARCELLE SIDER, whose home is near DIEPPE came with her father, brought Warfel and Schmaling civilian clothes, and led them to the outskirts of FRESNOY-FOLNY where M. BOUBISAGE was awaiting them. (This MARCELLE SIDER had been going about with German soldiers, and Warfel and Schmaling were later warned not to trust her.) M. BOUBISAGE hid Warfel and Schmaling in the woods; and after dark M. CHEVALIER came to the hiding-place and led them into FRESNOY-FOLNY to a school-building. There were two women living here, CLEMENTE ELIAN ( 29 years old) and MADELEINE LIOT (30 years old), both of whom spoke English. They put Warfel and Schmaling into a room in the attic of the school-house and for two months fed them and cared for them. During the second week Verne Molver was brought in, and the third week Ernest Grant arrived. The four Americans were together the rest of the time

Molver had come down on 19 May 1944 at DANCOURT(S.I.). He hid for a while and then approached a Frenchman who was ploughing a field. This man brought a second who gave Molver civilian clothing and took him to his house. Thither M. CHEVALIER came to fetch him and took him to FRESNOY-FOLNY to the school-house where he joined Warfel and Schmaling.

Grant came down in a field new EU on 26 May 1944. He approached a farmhouse where he was given food and told to hide in the wook near to the house. There the farmer's family kept him hidden for two days and then brought to him a man who spoke English. This man led him to another farmhouse near to EU where he was kept for seven days. M. BOUBISAGE then arrived, took him to a cafe in the vicinity where he remained for two days, and then returned and led him to the school-house in FRESNOY-FOLNY where he joined Warfel, Schmaling, and Molver.

After two months M. CHEVALIER and EVOD DELMARRE ( called ROBERT) led the four Americans to DELMARRE's farm which is 4 kms from FOUCARMONT ( 25 kms SSE of EU). CLEMENTE ELIAN moved out to the farm to help MME. DELMARRE in the extra work of cooking and caring for the Americans. This farm of DELMARRE's was a HQ of a resistance group, and the four Americans took part in the resistance activity, cleaning arms, digging shelters, and waylaying German convoys. They remained here until 1 September when a Polish unit entered FOUCARMONT. They joined this Polish unit and were sent back to Canadian HQ at FRESNOY-FOLNY whence they were sent back to Canadian HQ near NEUFCHATEL. There they met other evaders and returned to the U. K. by air on 6 September.




See also NARA E & E Reports for other Evaders noted:
Warfel, Richard C. (SGT.) Escape & Evasion Report EE-1585 (Original NARA Report)
Schmaling E. E. (SGT.) Escape & Evasion Report EE-1735 (Original NARA Report)
Grant, Ernest D. (S/SGT.) Escape & Evasion Report EE-1715 (Original NARA Report)


French Helpers listed in Escape & Evasion Report EE-1742:

    M. CHEVALIER, DANCOURT (I.S.9 Register of Helpers Index Name: M Marcel CHEVALIER)
    CLEMENTE ELIAN, FRESNOY-FOLNY (I.S.9 Register of Helpers Index Name: Mlle Eliane CLEMENT)
    MADELEINE LIOT, FRESNOY-FOLNY (I.S.9 Register of Helpers Index Name: Mlle Madeleine LIOT)
    EVOD DELMARRE, farm 4 kms from FOUCARMONT ( 25 kms SSE of EU) (I.S.9 Register of Helpers Index Name: M Evode DELAMARE)
    MME. DELMARRE, FOUCARMONT (I.S.9 Register of Helpers Index Name: M&Mme DELMARRE)


See also:
Tailspin's Tales, "Pride of the Yanks" (PDF) by Max Bishop.
Personal POW/Evasion accounts from Vernon Bishop, Al Spindler, Ernie Schmaling and Richard Warfel - 8th AF, 94th BG, 333rd BS Crewmembers on B-17G-15-DL Fortress, 42-37804, "The Pride of the Yanks", Lost May 9, 1944

See E&E Reports for general information.




MACR 4972 Details



Notes:
A/C Last Sighted. Lost as a result of Enemy Anti-Aircraft. Plane hit by flak. Last seen going into clouds below formation with dinghy flying loose from cockpit.

Description:
Two planes were lost over enemy territory, ... From the planes that were lost, three chutes came from one, and two chutes from the other. The crews of the planes were Lt Blair H. Bradford, S/Sgt Clarence M. Gray, S/Sgt Vern E. Molver, Lt Michael E. Kleopfel, S/Sgt Ray Bankston, and S/Sgt LeRoy R. Shaw.
(416th BG History 1944)

See also Mission # 50




Photos and Documents
Marriage License
Washington
19-Feb-1940
1940 US Census
Newspaper Clipping
Albany Democrat Herald
06-Jun-1944
Newspaper Clipping
Statesman Journal
09-Jun-1944
Newspaper Clipping
Eugene Guard
19-Jun-1944
Marriage Certificate
Washington
12-Jan-1945
Newspaper Clipping
Albany Democrat Herald
28-Jul-1945
Post-WW II Draft Registration
03-Aug-1945
Post-WW II Draft Registration
03-Aug-1945
Newspaper Clipping
Greater Oregon
10-Aug-1945
Marriage License
Oregon
01-Jan-1947
City Directory
1950 Portland, OR
Newspaper Clipping
Greater Oregon
25-May-1951
Death Index
Oregon
Obituary Photo
Newspaper Funeral Notice
Albany Democrat Herald
04-Aug-1964
Newspaper Obituary
Statesman Journal
04-Aug-1964
Headstone
WW II Honoree
 
 



See Also:
Prisoner Of War (POW) Camps
Escape & Evasion (E&E) Reports
POW/E&E Terms and Acronyms
POW/E&E Sources, References, Resources