Ernest Thorp grew up in Illinois with two passions - farming and flying. He earned a pilot's license while in college, and enlisted into the Army Air Force in May of 1942. Thorp was assigned to the 729th Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group, and flew missions as a B-17 co-pilot over northern Europe. He was shot down on August 4th while on his eighteenth mission. He bailed out over the North Sea, was pulled out of the water by German fishermen, and spent the rest of the war as a Prisoner of War, moving from camp to camp as Germany was nearing defeat.
Photos
Caption
Cadet Ernest Thorp in April, 1943, shortly after being inducted.Where:
UnknownWhen:
April, 1943Ownership:
Public domain 
Caption
Cadet Thorp, on the left with fellow air cadet Roesch, in San Antonio, Texas in April, 1943. Where:
San Antonio, Texas When:
April, 1943Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Cadet Thorp at San Antonio, Texas on April 20th, 1943. Where:
San Antonio, Texas When:
April 20th, 1943Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Cadet Thorp at San Antonio, Texas on April 20th, 1943. Where:
San Antonio, Texas When:
April 20th, 1943Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
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Thorp’s Primary Flight Training instructor H.A. Langley cockpit with several cadets. Primary School was at Chickasaw, Oklahoma.Where:
Chickasaw, OklahomaWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Thorp relaxes at home during his leave in Illinois in January, 1944. Where:
IllinoisWhen:
January, 1944Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Portrait of Ernest Thorp taken at his Advanced Training School in Altus, Oklahoma, November 1943. Where:
Altus, OklahomaWhen:
November 1943Ownership:
Public domain
Caption
Newly commissioned Second Lieutenant Thorp stands next to one of the family’s tractors back on the farm during his leave in January, 1944. Where:
UnknownWhen:
January, 1944Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Thorp during his January, 1944 leave. Where:
UnknownWhen:
January, 1944 Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Second Lieutenant Ernest Thorp stands for a photograph, proudly displaying both his lieutenant bars and flight wings, both awarded in a ceremony in January. Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
This portrait was taken of Lieutenant Thorp shortly before his B-17 crew flew to England in early 1944.Where:
UnknownWhen:
early 1944Ownership:
Public domain 
Caption
A portrait of the Thorp family. In the front row, from left to right are Ernest, his mother Louise, his sister Sarah and father Claude. In the back are sisters Ruth, Norma and Andrea. Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Ernest with his fiancé Mary Ellen Harris during his January 1944 leave. Where:
UnknownWhen:
January 1944Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
See especially his flight wings and the U.S. Army Air Force patch. Once in England, he was assigned an Eight Air Force patch for the right shoulder of his blouse. He kept the U.S.A. Air Force patch, as per Air Force regulations for his left shoulder.Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Public domain 
Caption
The B-17 crew that Thorp trained with while stationed in Sioux City, Iowa. In the front row, kneeling are Doan, Markland, Byer and Woodrick. In the back are Simi, Thorp, Michelson, Anderson and Thurston. Where:
Sioux City, IowaWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Lieutenant Thorp in the cockpit. The view is the bombardier perspective. Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Thorp stands near the nose of his B-17 in April of 1944, when the crew underwent training at Sioux City, Iowa. Where:
Sioux City, IowaWhen:
April of 1944Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Thorp is suited up for a mission during training at Sioux City. Where:
Sioux CityWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Thorp flew just one mission with the crew of the B-17 nicknamed ‘the Punched Fowl,’ when the plane was shot down over the North Sea. In the back row, standing, are Arey, unknown, Danner and Floyd. Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
The nose art for ‘the Punched Fowl.’ Thorp was on his 18th mission when he bailed out of the plane over the North Sea on August 4th. Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
B-17s in formation during a mission over wartime Europe. Where:
over wartime EuropeWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Lieutenant Thorp’s prisoner personnel record. Note the fingerprint and the next of kin information.Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Public domain 
Caption
A photo of unknown fixing a meal in Stalag Luft III, circa April, 1944. The caption reads “Grinding out a ‘bash’. Kriegie Burner, DeLuxe model.”Where:
Stalag Luft IIIWhen:
circa April, 1944Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Red Cross trucks, know to the prisoners affectionately as ‘white angles.’ They delivered the all-important Red Cross parcels that kept the POWs alive. Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
This is a photo of one of Stulag Luft VII-A’s liberators, a two star general.Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
POWs line up to be processed before they start on the long trek home. The photo was taken at Stalag Luft VII-A sometime in May of 1945. Where:
Stalag Luft VII-AWhen:
May of 1945Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Moosburg, Germany shortly after the inmates of Stalag Luft VII-A were liberated in April of 1945. Where:
Moosburg, GermanyWhen:
April of 1945Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
The pier at Staten Island as it appeared to Thorp as his ship entered New York harbor in June of 1945. The caption reads “Home! Staten Island Pier 15, NY, NY.” Where:
New York harbor When:
June of 1945Ownership:
Narrator’s Photo
Caption
Mary Ellen and Ernest, after they are finally reunited, after a very long year. The two were married on July 29th, 1945 at the end of Ernest’s two month leave. (Permission to use photograph by Macy (photographer) of Clinton, Illinois.) Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Permission to use photograph by Macy (photographer) of Clinton, Illinois. May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator
Caption
Thorp was still fit enough to wear his wartime uniform some 55 years later, when this photo was taken in 2000. Where:
UnknownWhen:
2000Ownership:
Permission to use photograph by Mark Woods [photographer] of Clinton, Illinois.) (May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator
Caption
This wartime map shows the locations of all of the Eighth Air Force fighter and bomber groups in Norfolk and Suffolk Counties of England, north of London, during the war.Where:
UnknownWhen:
UnknownOwnership:
Public domain