High Profile Prisonors of War

The Story of John G Winant, Jr.

By Dewayne Bennett

John G. Winant, Jr. was a student at Princeton University when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He would have graduated in 1945. His dad, who had flown in the Eighth Observation Squadron in WW 1, was a high official in the Roosevelt Administration could have kept him out of combat. John, Jr. however, quit college, enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program and received his wings in September of 1942. He was an original member of the 390th Bomb Group and flew his B- 17 to England. His father had been appointed Ambassador to Great Britain, and John Jr. was able to meet his mother and father in London. On August 17, 1943 John and his crew took part in the Regensburg, Germany mission flying across Germany, the Mediterranean, landing in North Africa. This was the third mission for the Group. John and his crew flew 12 missions, and on October 10, 1943 they were shot down on the terrible Munster, Germany mission. It was the 22nd mission for the Group, and John G. Winant, Jr’s thirteenth mission.

Captain James Geary was flying the lead plane on this mission, “Pistol Packin’ Mama” and saw Winant’s plane explode, and only a few chutes come out of the explosion. Captain Geary landed at Thorpe Abbott, home of the 100th Bomb Group. when he returned to Framlingham he received a phone call from the Ambassador to England, John G. Winant Senior asking what were his son’s chances. Capt. Geary told him that anything was possible, but, keeping it to himself, thought it not probable.

Captain James Geary decided to fly a second tour, and transferred to the 100th Bomb Group. He was shot down on a mission to Berlin in early 1944. When Capt. Geary reached the POW camp at Sagan the first person he ran into was Lt. John G. Winant, Jr. The crew flying with Lt. Winant, Jr that day consisted of the following:

I mention the crew names, because the names of those who were Killed In Action should never be forgotten.

In mid 1944 Lt. Winant, was transferred from Stalag Luft 111 in Sagen to Oflag IVC, Colditz Castle near Leipzig in eastern Germany. It was a forbidding place. High cold stone walls and towers. The Germans considered it escape proof so they brought people there who constantly tried to escape. Lt. John G. Winant, Jr was the only 390th POW to be imprisoned at Colditz. When he walked through the massive doors of the castle he immediately became a “Very Important Prisoner”. The Germans could use him as a hostage or for ransom, and he was in very important company. There was Giles Romilly, Churchill’s nephew; Charles Hopetown, son of the Viceroy to India, Lord Linlithgow, Captain John Elphinstone, nephew of the Queen; Lt. Viscount George Lascelles, the Kings nephew and Captain Dawyer Haig, son of Britain’s WW 1 Field Marshall. There was a Polish General Bor Kumoronski and 16 prominent Polish Prisoners, and four French Generals. Lt John G. Winant, Jr was the only American in the group.

On April 12, 1945 when Colditz was in danger of being over run by American Forces, the SS took control of the English and American VIP prisoners, and started moving them to Southern Germany. As the war ended some high ranking SS officers seeking to gain favor turned the VIP prisoners over to the Swiss Government. The ordeal was over.

John G. Winant, Jr came home and finished college. He was a stock broker during his life, and died in 1994 of a heart attack.

As a side light, Stars and Stripes carried an article dated Oct. 19, 1943 that the son of Ambassador Winant was a POW of the Germans. “Probably more pleased than anybody, however was Sgt E. M Clark of Ellensburg, Wash., who packed Winant’s parachute before he took off “I’m glad his chute opened” Clark said, ‘it sorta makes you feel like your doing something worthwhile.”