CAPT. VERE M. BOWMAN

Vere Bowman, who was shot down as a bomber pilot over Italy, arrived on November 10th, 1943 at his farm home, Homer Hess Farms, near Eau Claire, Michigan; it was a surprise furlough visit. Pilot of an American bomber, Lt. Bowman was permitted to fly to New York City; completing the rest of his trip home from there by train. His arrival that Tuesday was only a few days after he was erroneously reported missing in action for a second time. Lt. Bowman had been overseas for nearly eight months. He enlisted in the Army Air Force April 3rd, 1941. After graduating from Eau Claire High School, he attended Albion College and Western Kentucky Teachers' College. The latter is where he was accepted for cadet aviation training on January 12, 1942.

His life had been crowded full of action since early August 1943. First it was invasion of the island of Pantelleria, then Lapidusa, then Sicily, and then Italy's mainland. His part was as a pilot in the advance air troops, whose business was to soften up the enemy for invasion. Pantalleria, Lapidusa and Sicily all fell in order. Then, while on a bombing mission over the Italian mainland territory, his plane was shot down.

Mrs. Pearle E. Bowman of Eau Claire, had received a clipping from a newspaper in Washington, D. C., telling of the adventure of her son, then a Lt. at the age of 24, of the Army Air Force in Sicily, who wandered through enemy territory after his plane crashed, and later was rescued by a Canadian engineer reconnaissance party following Italy's surrender. The story by Thomas R. Henry, overseas correspondent for The Evening Star, Washington, D. C., published in the paper on October 9, 1943; it reads as follows:

Three miles off of the Italian coast of Verbicaro, the fighter-bomber piloted by Lieut. Vere M. Bowman of Eau Claire, Mich., crashed into the water in flames. Lieut. Bowman himself made a successful parachute jump and got into his rubber dinghy. Thereupon, started a rare story of misadventure.

First, he floated for about seven hours. This occurred only a few days after the surrender of Messina. Italy was still an enemy country. So close to the shore, there was little chance of help from an air-sea rescue service.

An Italian ambulance plane equipped with pontoons landed near him and circled about in the water. He dared not attract its attention though, it turned out afterward it was actually hunting for him in response to a broadcast appeal. He got ashore and slept for a little while in some bushes, completely exhausted. Then he started to make his way south, hoping to contact British forces on their way northward. All day he moved through vineyards, completely concealed by the thick foliage.

Once he jumped down into a cactus-lined donkey trail only to see four Germans sitting there smoking their pipes, with their guns laid down in front of them. Just as they spotted him, Lieut. Bowman jumped back into the shelter of the vineyard from which he had emerged and, he says, "ran for hours until I couldn't make it anymore. Then I fell into a stream and the cold water was so refreshing that I was able to go on a little more."

All this time his only food was grapes. The vineyards he had followed eventually gave out. He found himself in barren hills. He had lost his water bottle and was tortured with thirst. 

He spotted a lonely house, where he watched it for about three hours. Finally, he saw a little boy come out and he called to him. The child was thrilled. He said his parents were away and only he and his little sister were in the dwelling. The boy brought Lieut. Bowman water and peaches, but it developed later at the same time he sent his little sister to summon soldiers from a nearby garrison.

A squad of soldiers surrounded him and took him back to the shore town near which he had first landed. He was locked up in an old stable full of lice in an old barn; a few days later, taken to a nearby Italian town and imprisoned in the town jail, where he was given one meal of macaroni a day. He remained there a week until the arrival of a Canadian engineer reconnaissance party, headed by Lieut. Richard Newton of Montreal. Then for the first time Lieut. Bowman learned, and so did his jailors, that Italy was out of the war.

The Canadian troops nearby stormed the jail and liberated Lt. Bowman and other prisoners. He rejoined the Air Corps. In total, he was confined in the Italian barn five or six days and in the jail from 10 to 12 days, making his total confinement 18 or 19 days, as near as he can recall.  

Bowman said on his arrival back to Eau Claire, "Yes. it's good to get home." he remarked. “I'm glad to see my mother, but of course I want to get back and do what I can in the gallant fight my fellow pilots and fellow soldiers are making against the Axis enemy."

The grouping shown consists of Bowman's wartime items; the tan leather squadron patch (shown below) depicts the insignia for the “67 sad sacks”, which were a loose organization of pilots that trained in fighter planes in Tallahassee, Florida before being pulled out early for combat duties in England. After the brief stint in England, the sad sacks were shipped to North Africa, which is when the insignia was made for the unit. Many of the pilots fought over the Mediterranean, reassigned to fighters and fighter bomber groups. From his flight logbook (shown below), it shows Lt. Bowman mostly flew in A-36 fighter bomber planes in the 27th Fighter Group, 12th Airforce.

Of note, the plane that he was flying upon being shot down was nicknamed, “Cactus Jack.” Perhaps a foreshadowing into his journey along the “cactus” lined trails while escaping enemy soldiers? 

Vere Bowman eventually rose to the rank of Captain, accruing 44 missions flown over Europe during his service. He returned to Southwest Michigan after the war and passed away in 2000, at the age of 80. Thank you for your service.