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“Setting the Stage” Jim Marsteller Since our last trip to Germany in 1993, Carsten Kohlmann, my German counterpart, has been researching the four Liberator crash sites of the 392nd Bomb Group and sending information in the form of eyewitness accounts and photographs. With this new and exciting information, another research trip to Germany was planned for the Spring of 1996. Unlike the first trip, this time we had a plan. We put together a research team that would document all aspects of the crashed aircraft. Ben Jones, our English researcher, would shoot still photographs. Ben is also an expert in identification of B-24 wreckage parts. Carsten Kohlmann, our German connection, would arrange all visits to the crash areas and meetings with eyewitnesses. Most importantly he would translate all eyewitness meetings with the local German people. Carsten would also plan meetings with the Mayor of Hardt, Hurbert Halder, who became interested in the crash of the Books plane during our 1993 visit. Kipp McCleary, a friend and local business man, would operate a video camera and document all meetings with eyewitnesses and visits to crash areas. My job in all of this was to meet with the German eyewitnesses that had first hand knowledge about the crashes of the 4 Liberators and, in particular, the Books crew and the death of my uncle and to remember as much information as possible.
 News article written by Carsten Kohlmann announcing our research trip. Two weeks before our arrival in Hardt, several news articles were prepared by Carsten and sent to local newspapers announcing our research visit. In the articles he asked eyewitnesses and anyone having plane wreckage that would be willing to let us look at it for identification purposes to make themselves known and available to meet with us. These news articles had the desired effect as was evident the day we arrived, Carsten was on the phone all morning with eyewitnesses wanting to speak with us and show us wreckage from the four plane crashes. It was the beginning of a research trip that I would never forget.
Our trip began from Baltimore- Washington Airport (BWI), landing in Reykjavik, Iceland with a two hour layover. On to Frankfort, Germany where we rented a car for the four hour trip into the Black Forest in Southern Germany. We drove directly to the home of Carsten Kohlmann, relaxing for the remainder of the day and catching up on our upcoming week. At the Kohlmanns, the phone constantly rang with eyewitnesses of the crashes in the local towns. All totaled, 16 people called wanting to share stories, wreckage parts and their feelings on that day, March 18, 1944. The people that called/ read the articles in the newspapers that Carsten had written several days earlier. One man said he had taken the instrument panel from the B-24 Liberator (the Books ship) that crashed in Hardt. Several years before he gave it away, and now he tried to remember to whom it was given. The cockpit windshield from the Books ship was in a chicken house less than a mile from the crash site. It was referred to as “ the Great Window” probably because of its thickness. B-24 glass was several inches thick to provide some protection from flak bursts and shells. Another man became very emotional on the phone; his wife had been killed during the war by allied bombers. He told Carsten he would have killed Chester Strickler (only survivor of the Books plane) if he had seen him bail out of the stricken bomber. There was not much I could say except I understood his grief from the loss of his wife. These types of emotional eyewitness accounts were a preview of what was to come as almost everyone in the villages had lost loved ones during the war. After the calls stopped we had a great German meal provided by Carsten’s mother. We then had a chance to relax and catch up on the upcoming activities.
I also had the great honor to present Carsten a citation from the State of Pennsylvania for his research on a Pennsylvania native, (my uncle) Everette N. Morris. The citation was my way of saying "Thanks" for all of his help. A few days later a similar citation was also presented to the Mayor of Hardt for his help. After that we talked some more, then left for our bed and breakfast rooms for the night. The next few days were spent investigating five (5) different crash sites. The investigative report, eye witness accounts, photos and our personal notes may be found by clicking on the map or site buttons below. Please note that Site - 1, Books crew, has four (4) different parts.
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