Oral History Interview with Ralph E. Donnelly, July 12, 2011

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Transcript of an oral interview with Ralph E. Donnelly. Donnelly joined th eArmy Air Corps in December, 1942. In the process of learning to fly, Donnelly was eliminated. He instead earned his wings as a navigator. Whe ntraining as a navigator, he flew with several WASPs. Donnelly was eventually sent to Tonopah, Nevada and was assigned to a B-24. When Donnelly was assigned overseas, his crew flew their B-24 to North Africa and then to Italy, where they were based. Donnelly was assigned to the 778th Squadron, 464th Bomb Group, 15th Army Air Force in Italy. Donnelly describes missions over … continued below

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1 sound recording (2 hr., 19 min., 46 sec.)

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Donnelly, Ralph E. July 12, 2011.

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This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

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National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

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Transcript of an oral interview with Ralph E. Donnelly. Donnelly joined th eArmy Air Corps in December, 1942. In the process of learning to fly, Donnelly was eliminated. He instead earned his wings as a navigator. Whe ntraining as a navigator, he flew with several WASPs. Donnelly was eventually sent to Tonopah, Nevada and was assigned to a B-24. When Donnelly was assigned overseas, his crew flew their B-24 to North Africa and then to Italy, where they were based. Donnelly was assigned to the 778th Squadron, 464th Bomb Group, 15th Army Air Force in Italy. Donnelly describes missions over Bulgaria, Germany and Austria. He describes being shot down in October, 1944, jumping from the plane, and using his parachute. He was captured, sent to Budapest and describes being interrogated. Eventually, he was shipped to a prisoner of war camp in Germany. He rode in a boxcar to the POW camp with a Tuskegee Airman. As a prisoner, he was marched to various camps. During one forced march, Donnelly and another prisoners escaped into the forest. They were recaptured in a village a few days later and handed back to the Wehrmacht (Luftwaffe). After another escape attempt, Donnelly and few others reached American lines with the assistance of a few German deserters. Donnelly eventually made his way back to the US after the war where he was discharged in 1946.

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1 sound recording (2 hr., 19 min., 46 sec.)

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National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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Oral History Interview with Ralph E. Donnelly, July 12, 2011 (Text)

Oral History Interview with Ralph E. Donnelly, July 12, 2011

Transcript of an oral interview with Ralph E. Donnelly. Donnelly joined th eArmy Air Corps in December, 1942. In the process of learning to fly, Donnelly was eliminated. He instead earned his wings as a navigator. Whe ntraining as a navigator, he flew with several WASPs. Donnelly was eventually sent to Tonopah, Nevada and was assigned to a B-24. When Donnelly was assigned overseas, his crew flew their B-24 to North Africa and then to Italy, where they were based. Donnelly was assigned to the 778th Squadron, 464th Bomb Group, 15th Army Air Force in Italy. Donnelly describes missions over Bulgaria, Germany and Austria. He describes being shot down in October, 1944, jumping from the plane, and using his parachute. He was captured, sent to Budapest and describes being interrogated. Eventually, he was shipped to a prisoner of war camp in Germany. He rode in a boxcar to the POW camp with a Tuskegee Airman. As a prisoner, he was marched to various camps. During one forced march, Donnelly and another prisoners escaped into the forest. They were recaptured in a village a few days later and handed back to the Wehrmacht (Luftwaffe). After another escape attempt, Donnelly and few others reached American lines with the assistance of a few German deserters. Donnelly eventually made his way back to the US after the war where he was discharged in 1946.

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Oral History Interview with Ralph E. Donnelly, July 12, 2011, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1605991

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  • July 12, 2011

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Oct. 16, 2023, 7:17 a.m.

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Donnelly, Ralph E. Oral History Interview with Ralph E. Donnelly, July 12, 2011, audio recording, July 12, 2011; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1609798/: accessed June 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

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