 Officer Conducts Choir in Nazi Prisoner of War Camp
http://www.memorial.ecasd.k12.wi.us/departments/socistud/Diz/Veterans/K/Ko/KorgerHaroldF/KorgerHaroldF.htmLieutenant
Harold F. Korger, son of Mrs. Rose Korger, 1403 Omaha Street, is now
conducting a choir in a German prisoner of war camp.
A portion of an article, written by Lowell Bennett, International News
Service correspondent, who is a prisoner of war in the same camp, after
having been shot down in an RAF raid over Berlin on December 2, 1942,
mentions the local officer.
"Under the professional directorship of First Lieutenant Harry F. Korger
(whose family lives at Eau Claire, WI), our Kriege Glee Club has expanded
into one of the most important entertainment and morale factors in camp. The
club began in April, with a double quartet, and now is 36 men strong and has
put on five king-size shows.
The club, which incorporates the Catholic choir, handles all types of
music--from Negro spirituals through military medleys to popular dance songs.
Korger, who was a high school band director in Eagle River before the war,
does all the arrangements from memory, with the help of First Lieutenant
Marshall E. Tyler of Indian Falls Road, Corfu, New York, who studied music
at the Eastman School of Music and who is the club's accompanist.
"Korger, an old-timer here—he was shot down September 3, 1943— has
written a ballad, which he calls All Through the Night, and a march,
Kriegies on Parade, both of which were enthusiastically received here.
Korger also plays the third saxophone in our Round the Benders Swing Band.
A copy of the ballad, All Through the Night, dedicated to his wife,
Bernice, who lives in Eagle River, was received by her February 5. In a
letter dated October 20, Lieutenant Korger wrote: "My show On the Air
is making a big hit with all the fellows, and I'm very happy about it. I
made arrangements for the glee club for a medley from This Is the Army,
Sleep Song, Battle of Jericho, and Marching Along. The
orchestra played Smoke Rings, Kalamazoo, Silent Love,
Slow Swing (written by our tenor man, Eddie Edwards), Sentimental
Over You, etc. Several comedy skits round out the program. Emcee is
Lieutenant Simms."
In a letter of September 3, 1944, Lieutenant Korger wrote: "My choir
sings High Mass every other Sunday and really do a nice job--eighteen voices
and the whole thing is A Capella. I've also written and arranged a few hymns
that we sing. The glee club of 36 voices will put on another concert soon.
Our orchestra, now augmented to 12 pieces, plays for chow every other night.
We have 4 saxes (and clarinets), 3 trumpets, guitar, bass fiddle, piano,
drums, and a trombone. Several of the boys have played with big name bands
in the states. Our biggest drawback here is the lack of music—we have to
arrange most of our own and it becomes a job at times.
"An amusing note was this: We received some glee club music but, to our
astonishment, it was all arranged for mixed voices (female and male)."
Red Cross work is highly praised in every letter received from Lieutenant
Korger, particularly in their distribution of food packages, without which
the POW menu would be extremely meager, his mother says. |
http://www.dok-barth.de/vvn/land_mv/barth/2009/Musik%20im%20Stalag%20Luft%20I.htm
Music in the Stalag Luft I
For the prisoners of war of Stalag Luft I were important cultural and
sporting activities to strengthen body and mind on the basis of "Mens sana in
corpore sano".
The YMCA provided a variety of musical instruments and theatre equipment in
addition to books, sports equipment, Bibles, Malutensilien, decks. There was a
theatre consisted of amateurs and profiled actors as such as the later very
renowned British actor Donald Pleasance.
Still passed several Orchestra with talented musicians some before their war
use known big bands of which were committed. The Orchestra in the South camp was
led by Dorman "Shady" Lane, the glee club in the Southern stock was under
the head of John Lashly from South Carolina, had made arrangements for the
Merrimacs sent for a national radio program in the United States.
In December 2008, Helga Radau received from the son of John Lashly a CD with
the resulting in Barth musical comedy "Hit
the Bottle", written in Stalag Luft I by
Nelson Gidding (music
by Nathaniel Bliss and John Lashly) and was
in later years used as Film music for ""The
Andromeda Strain" and "Hindenburg". Text and music of the lugubrious
song "Low Is the Sun"
by John Lashly reflects the desire of prisoners of war for their home and their
loving expressing.
In December 1944, the American radio CBS its "Report to the Nation"
brought a report on hit the bottle and Stalag Luft I, with musical tasting and
the songs "Low Is the Sun" and "All Through the Night", which was
composed by
Harry Korger. Text and notes the prisoners of war had brought Cecil B.
Fishcer to the United States, which was been replaced with a German in American
war.
The German inventory headquarters wanted first the establishment of Orchstern
and bands not allow because they the American jazz as "Cow Music"
prescribed. After promised the musicians to play only classical music and
inviting them to the concerts, a musical activity was nothing in the way.
However, is kept the musicians to their promise and certainly the Germans
enjoyed to thundering jazz concerts.
Helga Radau
Musik im Stalag
Luft I
Wichtig für die Kriegsgefangenen des Stalag Luft I
waren kulturelle und sportliche Betätigungen zur Stärkung von Körper und Geist
nach dem Motto "Mens sana in corpore sano".
Die YMCA lieferte neben Büchern,
Sportequipment, Bibeln, Malutensilien, Plattenspielern auch eine Vielzahl an
Musikinstrumenten und Theaterrequisiten. Es gab eine Theatergruppe, die aus
Amateuren und profilierten Schauspielern bestand, wie z. B. der später sehr
renommierte britische Schauspieler Donald Pleasance.
Weiterhin bestanden mehrere
Orchester mit talentierten Musikern, von denen einige vor ihrem Kriegseinsatz in
bekannten Big Bands engagiert waren. Das Orchester im Südlager wurde von Dorman
"Shady" Lane geführt, der Glee Club im Südlager stand unter der Leiter
von John Lashly aus South Carolina, der Arrangements für die Merrimacs gemacht
hatte, die für ein nationales Radioprogramm in den USA gesendet wurden.
Im Dezember 2008 erhielt Helga
Radau vom Sohn John Lashlys eine CD mit der in Barth entstandenen musikalischen
Komödie "Hit the Bottle",
die im Stalag Luft I von
Nelson Gidding getextet und produziert worden war, der in späteren Jahren
die Filmusik für "The
Andromeda Strain" und "The Hindenburg" komponierte. Von John
Lashly stammen Text und Musik des wehmütigen Songs "Low
Is the Sun", der die Sehnsucht der Kriegsgefangenen nach der Heimat und
ihren Lieben zum Ausdruck bringt.
Im Dezember 1944 brachte der
amerikanische Radiosender CBS seinem "Report to the Nation" einen Bericht
über "Hit The Bottle" und Stalag Luft I, mit musikalischen Kostproben und
den Songs "Low Is the Sun" und "All Through the Night", der von
Harry Korger komponiert wurde. Texte und Noten hatte der Kriegsgefangenen
Cecil B. Fishcer in die USA gebracht, der gegen einen in amerikanischer
Kriegsgefangenschaft befindlichen Deutschen ausgetauscht worden war.
Die deutsche Lagerkommandantur
wollte zuerst die Gründung von Orchstern und Bands nicht erlauben, da sie den
American Jazz als "Cow Music" bezeichnete. Nachdem die Musiker
versprachen, nur klassische Musik zu spielen und sie zu den Konzerten einzuladen,
stand einer musikalischen Betätigung nichts im Wege. Allerdings hielten sich die
Musiker nicht an ihr Versprechen, und die Deutschen erfreuten sich sicherlich an
mitreißenden Jazzkonzerten.
Helga Radau
http://www.merkki.com/gidding_nelson.htm
Writer and Director of the Stalag Luft I production
of "Hit the Bottle". Began writing his novel "End Over End" (1946) while a
Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft I.
Screenwriter Nelson Gidding died of congestive heart
failure on May 1, 2004 at age 84. Mr. Gidding was nominated in 1958, along with
Don Mankiewicz for the Best Screenplay Adapted Oscar for the true crime drama "I
Want to Live!" The movie was directed by Robert Wise. Mr. Wise and Mr.
Gidding made five films together, including the original version of "The
Haunting (1953) " and "Odds Against Tomorrow
(1959)." Nelson Gidding’s many credits include the adaptation of Michael
Crichton’s "The Andromeda Strain (1971)", "Nine
Hours to Rama" which dealt with the assassination of Mohandas K.
Gandhi, the cheesy Burt Reynolds’ missing-link film "Skullduggery,"
"The Hindenberg" (1975), "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
(1979)" and "Onionhead." Mr. Gidding served his
country in the Army Air Corp during WWII. His B-26 was shot down in Italy and
Mr. Gidding spent 18 months in a German POW camp. He lived next door to
Larry David in Los Angeles and taught screenwriting at
USC’s film school.
Nelson Gidding was honored with a memorial tribute at
the 2005 Academy Awards.
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?act=findpost&pid=683630
Harry Korger could be described as a “renaissance man”. He was a Bombardier,
Navigator, Musician, POW, Author, and most importantly a family man. His life’s
journey would take him from Wisconsin, to the Middle East, Romania, Italy, a POW
camp in Germany, and back home again. He had to parachute from two airplanes in
circumstances where staying on board was not an option. In both cases, he was
lucky to have survived. On a third occasion he was a crewman on a bomber that
crash landed. He walked away from that too. He survived almost two years in a
German POW camp. He experienced more in 3 short years than most of us will ever
see in a lifetime.
This is his story
Harold F. Korger was born October 7, 1918 to German American parents in Eau
Claire Wisconsin. Growing up, he grew fond of music and it became part of his
life until the day he died. He graduated from High School and attended the
University of Wisconsin and earned a Bachelors Degree in Music in 1940. He would
put that degree to use as the music director of the Eagle River Schools until
the war would cut his teaching career short.
HARRY JOINS THE AAF
In December 1941, Harry made a decision that would change his life forever. He
enlisted in the US Army Air Force. He graduated from Bombardier School at
Midland Field in 1942 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. He married his sweetheart
Bernice while at Midland in August 1942. He was stationed at various locations
in the USA before transferring overseas in February 1943 and was assigned to the
98th Bomb Group, then stationed in the Middle East. They were known as the
Pyramiders.
Harry was soon in the thick of the fighting.
PLOESTI
The 98th Bomb group left the United States on July 15, 1942 and arrived in
Palestine in late July. They flew their first mission to Mersa Metruh on August
1, 1942. The 98th was initially assigned to the USMEAF (United States Middle
East Air Force). However, the USMEAF was dissolved on November 12, 1942. At that
time, the 98th came under the 9th Air Force. The 98th was under the command of
the 12th Air Force in September and October 1943. Then, it was under the 15th
Air Force beginning on 1 November 1943.
Harry started flying missions with the 98th shortly after he arrived, bombing
mostly targets in Italy. He had 23 missions and almost 300 hours of flying time
under his belt while flying as the Bombardier of the B-24 “BIG OPERATOR” when
the mission that would define his military career was announced. It was the
mission to attack the oil refineries at Ploesti Romania.
Harry was hand picked by Col. John “Killer” Kane to be his Bombardier for the
mission. Col Kane earned the Medal of Honor as the Pilot of “Hail Columbia” and
as group commander during the raid.
On the Morning of August 1, 1943 “Hail Columbia” took off from their base in
Libya, and the rest is history.
In letters Harry wrote home he related that he flew with Colonel John R. Kane,
former West Point all-American football player, on the Ploesti mission. "I saw
old friends crash to a flaming death before my eyes," he wrote. "The Jerries
were throwing up everything at us. Our plane was shot to shreds but, by sheer
flying skill, Colonel Kane got us out."
"My bombs hit dead center on my target and we wiped the place out. Then, the
fighters jumped us and more of our friends went down, but they took at least
four or five Jerries down with them for every one of us."
They reached a friendly airfield, after flying on "a wing and a prayer, mostly
prayer," Lieutenant Korger related.
Once the bombs were dropped and they left Ploesti, “Hail Columbia” crash landed
on Cyprus and everyone survived thanks to the flying skills of John Kane. The
following day the crew spent the day looking over the plane and marveling at the
number of bullet and shell holes, each wondering how no one got seriously
wounded.
This would not be the only plane Harry flew that would be destroyed. He would
get chance number 2 in a month.
On September 3, 1943, Harry would fly what he thought would be his last (30th)
mission before going home to his beloved Bernice. He was given the option of
flying home and doing a bond tour, but Harry decided he should finish his
missions. It was a decision he would later regret. His final mission was
supposed to be routine, over Sulmona, Italy. On the way to the target “Big
Operator” was attacked by fighters and JU 88’s. His group was attacked by
ME-110’s shooting rockets. They were hit several times and went into a flat
spin. Harry jumped and earned the first of his 2 Caterpillar Club pins. Four of
the crew was killed. Harry was injured but wounded.
For his service up to this point, Harry earned the DFC with 1 OLC, The Air Medal
with 4 OLCs, and the Purple Heart. One of his DFCs was earned for Ploesti.
Harry hit the ground fairly hard, and was rounded up by the Italian police. He
and other crew members were taken into town to begin almost 2 years in captivity.
OFLAG 64
In the next few months, Harry was transferred by the Italians to Stalag VIIA to
Stalag VA and then OFLAG 64.
Oflag 64 was opened at Shubin Poland as an officer’s camp. It quickly became a
model camp that the Germans used for propaganda purposes to show the Red Cross
and Swiss authorities how “great“the Reich was treating Allied POWs. The camp
had a theater, and published its own newspaper. It was better than the average
camp. Harry spent 2 months at Shubin and while he was there was quickly
assimilated into the activities of the camp. He joined the band and the glee
club. He participated in some of the plays put on in the camp theater.
In January 1944, all the AAF officers who where held at Oflag 64 were given
orders to move to Stalag Luft 1 located at Barth Germany. Harry and his fellow
prisoners packed their bags and got on the train.
While at Oflag 64, Harry began to send coded messages to MIS in the United
States. He had been trained in a fairly simple code my MIS before he even left
the United States. These code writers where instrumental in passing on
information and requesting specific escape items sent in special parcels to the
camp by MIS. Even items such as guns were sent in these parcels.
STALAG LUFT 1
Stalag Luft 1 would be the final POW camp Harry would be held in until
liberation. As in Oflag 64, Harry quickly became an active member of a number of
camp activities.
Throughout his days as a POW, Harry kept a detailed diary of his capture and of
the functions participated in camp. He pasted photos of his wife Bernie in it,
letters and parcel labels from boxes, and other items.
Harry’s
number one love was MUSIC.
The following is a portion of an article, written by Lowell Bennett,
International News Service correspondent, who was a prisoner of war at Stalag
Luft I and articles from Harry’s home town newspapers. Lowell Bennett was shot
down in an RAF raid over Berlin on December 2, 1942. These articles give a good
indication of how involved Harry was in the camp.
"Under the professional directorship of First Lieutenant Harry F. Korger (whose
family lives at Eau Claire, WI), our Kriege Glee Club has expanded into one of
the most important entertainment and morale factors in camp. The club began in
April, with a double quartet, and now is 36 men strong and has put on five
king-size shows.
The club, which incorporates the Catholic choir, handles all types of
music--from Negro spirituals through military medleys to popular dance songs.
Korger, who was a high school band director in Eagle River before the war, does
all the arrangements from memory, with the help of First Lieutenant Marshall E.
Tyler of Indian Falls Road, Corfu, New York, who studied music at the Eastman
School of Music and who is the club's accompanist.
"Korger, an old-timer here—he was shot down September 3, 1943— has written a
ballad, which he calls All Through the Night, and a march, Kriegies on Parade,
both of which were enthusiastically received here. Korger also plays the third
saxophone in our Round the Benders Swing Band.
A copy of the ballad, All Through the Night, dedicated to his wife, Bernice, who
lives in Eagle River, was received by her February 5. In a letter dated October
20, Lieutenant Korger wrote: "My show On the Air is making a big hit with all
the fellows, and I'm very happy about it. I made arrangements for the glee club
for a medley from This Is the Army, Sleep Song, Battle of Jericho, and Marching
Along. The orchestra played Smoke Rings, Kalamazoo, Silent Love, Slow Swing (written
by our tenor man, Eddie Edwards), Sentimental Over You, etc. Several comedy
skits round out the program. Emcee is Lieutenant Simms."
In a letter of September 3, 1944, Lieutenant Korger wrote: "My choir sings High
Mass every other Sunday and really do a nice job--eighteen voices and the whole
thing is A Capella. I've also written and arranged a few hymns that we sing. The
glee club of 36 voices will put on another concert soon. Our orchestra, now
augmented to 12 pieces, plays for chow every other night. We have 4 saxes (and
clarinets), 3 trumpets, guitar, bass fiddle, piano, drums, and a trombone.
Several of the boys have played with big name bands in the states. Our biggest
drawback here is the lack of music—we have to arrange most of our own and it
becomes a job at times.
"An amusing note was this: We received some glee club music but, to our
astonishment, it was all arranged for mixed voices (female and male)."
In the book “Not as Briefed”, C. Ross Greening, a Fellow POW who also
participated in the Doolittle Raid, dedicated a painting to Harry. Greening was
an accomplished painter who published the book after the war including many of
his works that he completed while in Stalag Luft I. The painting of Harry
features him holding his music conductor’s baton. Harry was given the painting
by Ross and was later used in the book. The painting was also incorporated into
the travelling “POW EXPOSITION” that Greening put together featuring simulated
POW camp rooms, POW art, and items made in the camp. It travelled to many of the
largest Department Stores in the country in 1946.
A song written by Harry in Stalag Luft 1 called “All Through the Night” was
recorded and sold by RCA records in conjunction with Greening’s travelling POW
exhibit.
LIBERATION
On May 1, 1945 the Russians liberated Stalag Luft 1. It was a joyous day for
Harry. In his diary he detailed the next few days’ events. He and his buddies
went to the camp office and recovered their POW ID cards. Harry took a portrait
photo of Herman Goering off the wall of the commandant’s office.
Once negotiations were completed with the Russians, the POWs of Stalag Luft 1
were flow to France to Camp Lucky strike and some time off in Paris.
In his letters, Harry complained about having to sit and wait for transportation
home. After 2 years he was DONE with spending time in Europe. He was ready to go
home.
He finally got his wish and docked in the US in August 1945 into the waiting
arms of his wife Bernice.
POSTWAR
Harry made the decision to stay in the USAF and made it a career. He retired in
1971 as a Colonel.
In the years between WWII and his retirement, he never again saw combat, but
that doesn’t mean he didn’t risk his life.
On Feb 16, 1956 he was the Navigator of a B-52 on a mission Near Tracy, CA. The
plane caught on fire after an alternator failed, and exploded. Harry earned his
2nd Caterpillar Club pin. He ejected from the B-52 at 36,000 feet breaking his
arm. He and 3 other crewmen survived, 4 did not. His B-52 was the first to be
lost by the USAF.
He became a Senior Navigator after WWII, designing a navigation computer and
writing articles for journals. He was well known in the navigation community.
He continued to enjoy music by being a Choir Director at a number of Catholic
churches near bases where he served.
After his retirement from the USAF in 1971, he eventually settled in Oregon
where he lived with his wife and family until he passed away in 1995 at the age
of 77.
For his service Harry was awarded the following decorations: DFC + 1 OLC, Air
Medal 4 OLC, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation
Medal and the Joint Services Commendation Medal.
When I think of the “Greatest Generation”, I think of men like Harry Korger.