The Saga of Sunshine
posted by markmelchMy dad, Angelo Melchiorre, served in the Army Air Corp during WWII as a tail gunner on a B-24 Liberator named Sunshine. On March 29, 1944 Sunshine was forced to land in enemy territory. My dad and the rest of the crew spent the next 13 months in a German POW camp.
Read the story: The Saga of Sunshine
Keywords: 719th Squadron, 449th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, Combat #5, Serial# 42-52106 , Grottaglie, Venegono Inferiore, Varese, Italy, Italia, Stalag Luft #1, Barth, Germany, WWII, World War II
Tags: history
December 10th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Dear Mark,
It was a pleasure for me to read the story of the Sunshine and of your father. In 1944 when the plane landed I was 10 years old and I live there with my family. The exact name of the area is Venegono Inferiore, in the Province of Varese, Italy, about 40km. north-west of Milan and about 20km. south of Switzerland. I did remember that enormous plane, compared to the Italian Savoia-Marchetti 3-engine ones at the time. As I am a radioamateur since 1957 (my prefix is: I2GAG). If you would like to send me your e-mail address, I would be pleased to attach 3 original photographs of the B.24 Liberators taken on the Venegono air strip just after landed! I would be very interested in learning which kind of radio was the Sunshine equipped with. I do not know whether you still speak some Italian, anyhow I wish you all the best for you and your family from Italy.
Ciao! Sergio
December 23rd, 2007 at 8:49 am
Milano, Italy 23/12/2007
Tanti Auguri Mark di Buon Natale e Nuovo Anno,
a te e famiglia, e anche a tutti i parenti Melchiorre,
di America e anche a quelli che abitano in italia.
Sergio
(Google translated text:
Mark, Good wishes for a Merry Christmas and New Year, to yourself, your family, and all the Melchiorre relatives in America and those who live in italy.)
March 14th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Milano, Italia, 15 marzo 2008
Un Augurio di una Buona Pasqua, che sia di Pace e prosperita’
a tutte le Comunita’ del Sito WEB (family.melchiorre.com)
Saluti a tutti
Sergio Gaggiani (I2GAG)
March 27th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Sergio,
I’m Mark’s mother. It was so interesting to read your story about my husbands airplane and thank you for your Holiday greetings to us.
May you have a good year. God Bless You.
Mary Lee