Top of page

Edward Wilen with actor Jimmy Stewart, Pittsburgh, PA, 1965

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
  • Unit of Service: 732nd Bomb Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force
  • Location of Service: Ellington Field, Texas; San Marcos, Texas; Pocatello, Idaho; March Field, California; England; Stalag Luft III, Germany; Stalag VII A, Germany; European Theater
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/6422

View full service history

Interview / Recording

More Resources

Interview / Recording

View 28 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View Enlarged Image
[ German propaganda distributed to prisoners of Stalag Luft 3, January 27, 1945, as prisoners embarked on a forced march in advance of Russian forces. ]
View Enlarged Image
[ German propaganda justifying the shooting of POWs caught escaping. ]
View Enlarged Image
[ POW record from Stalag Luft 3. ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Telegram informing Ester Wilensky that her son has been reported MIA, May 28, 1944. ]

Show more resources (16)

View Enlarged Image
[ Telegram informing Ester Wilensky that her son is a POW of the Germans. June 15, 1944. ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Telegram informing Ester Wilensky that her son returned to military control. 21 May 1945. ]
View 11 images in sequence.
[ Biography by an unknown author. "A. Edward Wilen Navigator 453rd Bomb Group Prisoner of War: Stalag Luft III." ]
View 10 images in sequence.
[ Memoir, "Abe Wilen's Story." ]
View 5 images in sequence.
[ Memoir of Richard T. (Dick) Witton. "Dick and His Crew." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Memoir, "We Paid Extra To Be Up Front." ]
View 5 images in sequence.
[ Memoir, "Just Call Me Andy." ]
View 5 images in sequence.
[ Memoir, "It's a Small World." ]
View 16 images in sequence.
[ "The Story of a Combat Mission and a POW Experience," narrated by Richard Witton, Wallace Croxford, Walter Conneely, A. Edward Wilen. Written by R. Mitchell Steen. ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Untitled memoir. "January 27, 1945 at Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Poland." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Memoir, no author given. "To Be A Prisoner of War." ]
View 6 images in sequence.
[ Memoir, "How a POW Experience Gave 4 Men a Common Bond." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Article, "A Moment in History April 7th 1944." ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Resume ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Speech given at 453rd Bomb Group Reunion, Air Force Museum, Wright Patterson Field, Dayton, Ohio. ]
View Enlarged Image
[ List of names/signatures on the Nazi flag signed by the men of Stalag 7A ]

About this Item

Title

  • Edward A. Wilen Collection

Names

  • Louper, Kathleen
  • Wilen, Edward A.
  • Thomas, Ryan
  • Eagles Landing Middle School

Home State

  • Florida

Headings

  • -  Wilen, Edward A.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Unit of Service: 732nd Bomb Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force
    • Location of Service: Ellington Field, Texas; San Marcos, Texas; Pocatello, Idaho; March Field, California; England; Stalag Luft III, Germany; Stalag VII A, Germany; European Theater
    • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1945
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran was shot down over Hanover, Germany and held as a prisoner of war (POW) in Stalag Luft III and Stalag VII A.

Materials

  • Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts) [ item] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [6 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [3 items] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected unknown)
  • Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [22 items] -- Photograph (collected 1944-1998)
  • Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-03-30)
  • Artifact: Artifact photocopy [1 item] -- (collected 1945)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Self-interview (collected 2008; 2007-09-16)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/6422

Cite as

  • Edward A. Wilen Collection (AFC/2001/001/6422), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Louper, Kathleen, Edward A Wilen, Ryan Thomas, and Eagles Landing Middle School. Edward A. Wilen Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.06422/.

APA citation style:

Louper, K., Wilen, E. A., Thomas, R. & Eagles Landing Middle School. (1942) Edward A. Wilen Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.06422/.

MLA citation style:

Louper, Kathleen, et al. Edward A. Wilen Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.06422/>.