As a young man Roland Martin had dreams of becoming a commercial airline pilot. After the the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Martin knew his path to fulfilling his dream and joined the Army Air Corps.

Martin was assigned to a Boeing B17 Flying Fortress and headed to England. Martin joined the 525th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force flying the B17 bomber, “Iron Maiden.” The airmen’s days were filled with missions targeting industrial sites and marshalling yards with bomb drops in Germany.

October 14, 1943, Martin and his crew were informed that they would participate in a run at the Schweinfurt ball bearing factory that had been bombed earlier in the year with heavy casualties. While over the target the "Iron Maiden" was met with accurate enemy flak and Martin was forced to crash land the bomber. For two weeks, Martin avoided capture behind enemy lines. He was eventually found, and sent to the Stalag Luft I camp. Near the end of the war, the German guards abandoned the camp, leaving Martin free to leave. It was then that he saw nearby a slave labor camp, witnessing its horror first hand.

Interview recorded on November 4, 2023



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