Welcoming Joy Kidney's story! Adding TWO More Heroes to Our List!

Friends, I can't begin to tell you the delight it gives me to open my email and see a message related to POW relay in my inbox. This latest one was from Joy Kidney. She's given me permission to share it here and she's joined our Facebook Page (World War II Radio Heroes). And, do you know what her contribution means.... we are adding TWO more Heroes to our master list, bringing our total to 302!

My mother's family lost three of five brothers in WWII. The middle one, Dale Wilson, was lost just off New Guinea, the copilot of a B-25. They were never found.

My grandparents got three letters from the west coast from shortwave listeners. One is listed on page 176--Mrs. H.L. Flowers--but her letter was sent from Seattle, Washington.

The other two aren't listed: Nancy Street of Reno, Nevada, and M/M F. G. Dolliver of Los Angeles. I'd like to include them among these state-side heroes. They gave my grandparents hope for several months.

The same three people also named John Stack, the bomber's navigator, but none of the other four. 

I'm writing a book about the Wilson family, and have a website with a WWII section. I'd started a blog piece called "Radio Tokyo Named Dale Ross Wilson as a POW."   JoyNealKidney.com

Sanford Lowe Strikes Again! At least 12,023 letters sent over the course of WWII!

Friends, I am excited to share this news in one of several upcoming blog posts.

 

Last week I received a lovely email from Mr. John Sutcliffe, son of Flying Officer (F/O) John (Jack) Sutcliffe from Toronto, Ontario.  Mr. Sutcliffe shared with me the four letters that his family received regarding his father's imprisonment during WWII. I recognized a line in one of the letters instantaneously...

"This is the 12,023rd message forwarded by me from Tokyo and Berlin. Please refer to this number when acknowledging message." He goes on to note that he is an "Independent Short Wave Monitor."

We know him don't we? It is our dear Mr. Sanford Lowe of NY, NY. We'd recognize his style anywhere. He always noted which letter number your message was and he often noted who donated the postage that was applied to your letter.

 

For those new to this story, Mr. Lowe wrote to my family, the Spahr's in May 1943 to report my grandfather had been captured and was serving as a POW in Germany. We were his 873rd message sent since January 1, 1943.  In the Second Edition of World War II Radio Heroes: Letters of Compassion (2013) I detail on pages 33, 132, and 162-64 that Mr. Lowe sent letters to other families as well, including the Heer and Young families, and at that time I found documentation that he had sent 10,379 letters over the course of the war. The Sutcliffe collection adds to that and now affirms Mr. Lowe's total to be at least 12,023!  Amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23 Names Added to POW Message Relay!

As I am knee-deep in reading, writing, scanning and editing for the 2nd edition of the book, I was overwhelmed to find another list of POW monitors that I had not yet known. This list was found thanks to the copious amount of materials sent to me by T/Sgt. Heer, himself a former POW held by the Japanese who discovered the letters sent to his family. In his research he found a Coshocton Tribune article noting the letters received by the Shurtz family. The article listed each letter and postcard author! Here they are (apologies for formatting chaos, I had to get back to the book!):

Last Name	First Name	City/Town	State
Landis	Paul	Lancaster	Pennsylvania
Smetzer	Mrs. Olive	Bakersfield	California
Hagedorn	Mrs. Carl	Everett	Washington
O’Connor	Miss. Frann	Binghamton	New York
Fortier	Lt. B.D.	Kingman	Arizona
Ferguson	Clifford	Berwick	Maine
Workman	Mrs. W.	Burlingame	California
Gates	Mrs. Clyde	Lansing	Michigan
Zarback	Mrs. Evelyn	Tacoma	Washington
Umbriaco	Mike	Denver	Colorado
Myers	Mrs. Violet	Albuquerque	New Mexico
Neale	D.H.	Toronto	Canada
Gallagher	G.C.	San Francisco	California
Self	Roy H.	Roy	New Mexico
Medsker	Mrs. Louis	Boise	Idaho
Hart	Mrs. R.R.	Harley	Idaho
Dept. Electrical Eng.	Univ. N.M.	Albuquerque	New Mexico
Wright	Mrs. C.E.	Scotia	California
Branson	Stanley	Corvallis	Oregon
Wagner	Jesse D.	Medford	Oregon
South	B.O.	San Francisco	California
Hollarn	Mrs. G.L.	Santa Cruz	California
Snook	Mrs. I.J.	Pogosa Springs	Colorado

 

We're Naming Names! Celebrate these SWLs and Hams from 1943!

I am so pleased to provide the best list I can currently come up with that includes men and women who participated in POW message relay during WWII. If you have additions or corrections, please email me. In the coming weeks we'll be asking Congress to publically recognize them for their amazing and compassionate work.

Thank you for visiting and please spread this news to others.

Details are: Last Name First Name City/Town State


Allison Mrs. Thomas Jr. Birmingham Alabama

Denson Otto E. North Birmingham Alabama

Grubbs Mrs. Robert Bessemer Alabama

Harper Kathyleen Birmingham Alabama

Wohlford Ted Wylam Alabama

Badler Mr. Norman Los Angeles California

Bourgeotte (?) Mrs. W.K. Los Angeles California

Hite H.E. Redondo Beach California

Hodson E.C. Inglewood California

Kissinger W.E. Los Angeles California

Muller Mrs. L.F. Cos Cob Connecticut

Vorisak (?) B New Preston Connecticut

Yanowsky Joseph Waterbury Connecticut

Costenbader Marguerite Washington District of Columbia

Maloney Madeline Washington District of Columbia

West Mildred Tampa Florida

Daily Mr. Claud New Albany Indiana

Gordon Mr. Alex E. Indianapolis 4 Indiana

Johnson W.E. South Bend Indiana

McLaughlin Rev. W.G. Montgomery Indiana

Smith Ida Prairieton Indiana

McCann Mrs. Russ Centerville Iowa

McFarland I (?) Dubuque Iowa

Schofalidge (?) C.M. Moravia Iowa

Gabbard Mrs. Charles E. Campton Kentucky

Rapier Edw. D. New Orleans Louisiana

Given Mrs. Fred West Auburn Maine

Heim Mrs. Edna Lovell Maine

Bardfield Morton Brookline Massachusetts

Bell Ella Haverhill Massachusetts

Loomi Mrs. W.G. Holyoke Massachusetts

Woodley Hazel Somerville Massachusetts

Barnes Stuart Detroit Michigan

Finke Walter A. Saginaw Michigan

Hayward Mr. Charles Dearborn Michigan

Miller Miss C.L. Detroit 27 Michigan

Moore Ralph Detroit 10 Michigan

Taylor Mrs. Lyda M. Detroit Michigan

Bettin Mr. Roger Lakefield Minnesota

R.P. Read Hopkins Minnesota

Ryan Mrs. Dorence Marshall Minnesota

Hodges Mrs. Alma Rolla Missouri

Fike John R. Omaha Nebraska

Alvarez Mrs. Jean Newark New Jersey

Barry Mrs. L.A. East Orange New Jersey

Bigler George Camden New Jersey

Cooper Mrs. E.E. Wildwood Crest New Jersey

Jahn H.R. Montclair New Jersey

Kennedy Mr. George Montclair New Jersey

Levenson Mr. L.I. Atlantic City New Jersey

Moore Mrs. H.H. Plainfield New Jersey

Oriolo Nicholas North Bergen New Jersey

Pelton Mrs. K.R. Westfield New Jersey

Smith Mrs. Emily Camden New Jersey

Teeple Miss Ann Nutley New Jersey

Anonymous “a friend” Not given Frankfort New York

Anonymous “a loyal American” Not given New York New York

Beck Miss Tilde New York 28 New York

Coonley William E. Troy New York

Dannemann Mr. F.W.C. Brooklyn 20 New York

Delappe Mrs. Walter Yaphank, Long Island New York

Duncan Walter Brooklyn 2 New York

Fernandez Mrs. J. New York New York

Feye Jack Kingston New York

Finger Mrs. Francis Huntington, Long Island New York

Grace Oliver R. Great Neck New York

Hensen Arthur R. Ithaca New York

Huston Francis E. Tioga Center New York

Kienitz John Brooklyn New York

Lancer Miss Marion Senaca Falls New York

Lande Mrs. George Brooklyn New York

Levins Mr. J. Brooklyn 25 New York

Livingston Mr. & Mrs. Rochester New York

Lowe Mr. Sanford New York 24 New York

Quinn Mrs. Joseph Syracuse New York

Taylor Helen Utica New York

Taylor Mr. Curtis Utica 2 New York

Walters Irene Patchogue New York

Warren Roger Ithaca New York

Washila Mr. J. Leo J. New York New York

Winkler Herman Bronx New York

Wittpen Russell New York 7 New York

Bottorf Charles I. New Bern North Carolina

Propst Mr. David Black Mountain North Carolina

Shelton Mr. W.F. Louisburg North Carolina

Wright Mrs. Edward N. Asheville North Carolina

Arbogast E.F. Stone Creek Ohio

Bamberger Ed. Shaker Heights Ohio

Cartwright Mrs. Mary Akron 5 Ohio

Christiauas Miss Laura Cleveland Ohio

Eggleston Mrs. John Ostrander Ohio

Farrell John R. Cleveland Ohio

Gilli Mrs. Rose Willoughby Ohio

Heck Mrs. John Springfield Ohio

Lewis Mrs. R.D. Cincinnati Ohio

Moran Mrs. A.F. New Athens Ohio

Olson Mrs. B.C. North Canton Ohio

Shonting Martin G. Troy Ohio

Yant Mrs. Don Lima Ohio

Ball Mrs. Kenneth Erie Pennsylvania

Bender Irwin F. Oberlin Pennsylvania

Davis Mrs. Josephine Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Dudley Mrs. Edgar Elizabeth Pennsylvania

Hill Miss Flora L. Lewistown Pennsylvania

Hoffield Magdalene Pittsburgh (N.S.) Pennsylvania

Hoffman Geo. R. Johnstown Pennsylvania

Jankauskas Mr. Flavius Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Kahler Mrs. F.H. Bloomsburg Pennsylvania

Kary (Karagianis) Paul L. Johnstown Pennsylvania

Lees Samuel South Langhorne Pennsylvania

Love G.M. (?) Connelsville Pennsylvania

Schum Mr. LeRoy Reading Pennsylvania

Schwartz Catherine Oil City Pennsylvania

Skilton Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Carbondale Pennsylvania

Spadacene Mrs. Carl Erie Pennsylvania

Sulzer Mrs. G.H. Cheyney Pennsylvania

Susan Mrs. Joseph McKeesport Pennsylvania

Thompson Mrs. Jack Monongahela Pennsylvania

Watkins Morris Ulster Pennsylvania

White Mrs. Newton Bloomsburg Pennsylvania

Zaleski Robert Philadelphia 34 Pennsylvania

Hitchcock A.J. Chattanooga Tennessee

Bird Mrs. J.R. Bowie Texas

Seigle Mrs. Earl Tyler Texas

Allaway Mrs. Unknown Unknown

Grubbs Mrs. Unknown Unknown

Lapan Mrs. George Essex Jet Vermont

Fowler Margaret Charlottesville Virginia

Pickett Mr. Robert Roanoke Virginia

Clark Mrs. V. C. Olympia Washington

Bradford Mrs. J.C. Pennsboro West Virginia

Christian Mrs. Dan Slagle West Virginia

Hazelbaker Miss Mary Pennsboro West Virginia

Keith Mrs. F.E. Parkersburg West Virginia

Murray Mr. & Mrs. John Chester West Virginia

Vickers Mrs. Keith Huntington West Virginia