Sojourn in Hell
A GI's journey from boot camp to POW camp
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Drafted early in 1941, Billy Condon never could have imagined that he would go into combat in a "flying coffin", a combat glider, leading his men into Holland. After boot camp in the 125th Infantry, he was part of Eisenhower's staff during the Louisiana Maneuvers, then after Pearl Harbor he was sent to California for coast patrol. Not one to miss opportunities, he socialized with celebrities, trained recruits, and explored the highlights of California for two years. But in March of 1944 he and 800 men of his regiment were ordered to England in anticipation of the Normandy invasion. Arriving on...
Drafted early in 1941, Billy Condon never could have imagined that he would go into combat in a "flying coffin", a combat glider, leading his men into Holland. After boot camp in the 125th Infantry, he was part of Eisenhower's staff during the Louisiana Maneuvers, then after Pearl Harbor he was sent to California for coast patrol. Not one to miss opportunities, he socialized with celebrities, trained recruits, and explored the highlights of California for two years. But in March of 1944 he and 800 men of his regiment were ordered to England in anticipation of the Normandy invasion. Arriving on the eve of D-Day he was held back, assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, and began jump training as a Pathfinder. The Pathfinder losses in Normandy were not as bad as feared and he was sent back to train on gliders for future operations. Just two months later he went into combat for Operation Market Garden as a platoon sergeant, flying on the final airlift on September 23, 1944, with thirteen other men. Shortly after crossing the French-Dutch border his C-47 tow plane was crippled by German anti-aircraft fire and the glider was released nineteen miles short and deep in German-held territory. Under constant German gunfire, the glider landed in a beet field close to an enemy artillery battery and was immediately attacked. Seeking refuge in a ditch, Billy and his men fought a valiant, but hopeless, battle until their ammunition was exhausted and they surrendered, only to begin a nine-month ordeal of starvation, forced marches in brutal cold, and horrendous boxcar rides between camps. This is the true story of an American airborne glider soldier, taken from his POW journal, extensive interviews, and archival research.
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