The year was 1944. Poland found itself under the oppressive occupation of German forces. Previously, the predominantly Polish ethnic territories were annexed under German control while the ethnically diverse territories, to include those of Ukrainian and Belarusian heritage, were assigned to the USSR. This is no longer the case. Over the summer of 1941, Germany had attacked the Soviet Union and seized control of the entirety of Poland. In the winter of 1944, Allied Forces fought to free the Polish people from the invasive powers. This is where our story begins.
The crew of the American B-25 bomber christened Ursa Major received their orders on a cold, winter day. Their mission was to join a fleet of bombers assigned to lay waste to a Nazi-controlled synthetic fuel factory in Oswiecim, Poland. This factory was known to be heavily guarded by anti-aircraft artillery, but the company of the Ursa Major did not let fear hinder the execution of their orders. Suiting up, they quickly boarded the bomber and took flight alongside the fleet.
The air in the bomber pulsed with tension during the time between takeoff and arrival at the target site. Each member of the crew performed their duties admirably through the trepidation as the seconds clawed their way into minutes and the minutes plodded along into hours. At long last, the Ursa Major was within kilometers of the target.
It was then that the story broke. Radio static burst through the frequency as the lead bomber’s signal was intercepted by the Ursa Major. The words that followed pressed down on the crew as crushing as the ten-ton bomber itself. Somehow, news of the impending attack had reached the ears of the Third Reich. They would be prepared for the Allies’ arrival. Nevertheless, command informed the fleet that the mission was to proceed as previously outlined. To their avail or to their demise, the Allies would go head to head against the Axis Powers within the hour.
This story is loosely based on my great-grandfather’s time MIA in Poland during WWII. His bomber was shot down near the Gorce Mountains and his company was forced to survive in the wild as they trekked across the mountains in an attempt to reach the Russian border. Over the course of approximately 3 months, they evaded Nazi pursuit and overcame winter conditions and a shortage of supplies to arrive the worse-for-wear in Russia, where they were picked up by Allied forces and finally returned home.
This story will primarily focus on challenges involving man vs. environment, but interpersonal conflicts will arise as well.
Hosted and narrated by:
kpenti
Started 11/19/21.
Scenes played: 1
License: Community License
18+
