Warbird Information Exchange

Just a Christmas gift I think people should know about. Quoted from the history of the 14th Liaison Squadron:

"The month of December brought with it a determined German counteroffensive. In the progress of this counteraction very substantial US forces were bottled up in Bastogne, including the 101st Airborne Division, elements of the 9th and 10th Armored Divisions and the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion.

"Among the casualties were personnel suffering with abdominal wounds. There was no one available in the Bastogne pocket to care for this type of serious wound, therefore it became necessary to get a specialized surgeon into the pocket for without this immediate treatement certain death would have resulted in many if not all of the cases. Volunteers were requested and Lt. Ancel G. Taflinger, one of the squadron's flying officers, volunteered for the mission

"So on Christmas Day Lt. Taflinger lifted his slow, lumbering L-1 type aircraft into the cold afternoon's air with the volunteer surgeon, Major Howard P. Serrell, who prior to this particular trip had never flown in an airplane, and headed for the pocket. To assure the success of the mission, a flight of four P-47's, returning from a mission, were ordered to fly escort for Lt. Taflinger. From 1615 O'clock until 1650 O'clock during whick time this flight was airborne, the P-47's continually circled the L-1 until the plane was safely on the ground in a small field inside the enemy encircled pocket. A jeep from the 101st Airborne Division was awaiting the arrival of the surgeon, drove out to the plane, and hustled the surgeon off to his urgent duties.

"Because of the shortage of gasoline, the P-47's were forced to proceed to their home base making it necessary for Lt. Taflinger to return to his base unescorted where he landed after darkness had set in.

"The citation awarding the Silver Star to Lt Taflinger reads in part as follows:
'For gallantry in action. On 25 December 1944 an urgent call was received for immediate surgical aid for seriously wounded men of the 101st Airborne Division defending the enemy surrounded city of BASTOGNE, BELGIUM. Lieutenant TAFLINGER of the -Liaison Squadron courageously volunteered for the hazardous mission of flying a medical officer of the -Auxiliary Surgical Group into the besieged city in a liaison plane. By adroit maneuvering he evaded the heavy antiaircraft fire encountered over the enemy-held territory and succeeded in making a landing at dusk in a small field outside the city. Later that night he returned safely to his base, again braving heavy enemy antiaircraft fire.'

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