SCHARF, Bernard Fred

Name: Bernard Fred SCHARF

Born 30 January 1913

Birthplace: New Prague, Minnesota

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 31

Died  13 May 1982 in Boonville, California, age 69

Service: USAAF

Service ID: 37272775

Service Rank: Staff Sergeant

Duties: Gunner

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Squadron

Airbase: Bassingboum, Cambridgeshire UK

Aircraft: B-17G 42-97173

Date shot down: 8 July 1944

Fate of crew: 1 KIA, 2 captured immediately, 6 evaded; 5 of those captured destined for Buchenwald (BOWEN, FORE, WARD, Scharf, and ZEISER).

Evasion summary: Were with Bowen & Zeiser at some point. Arrangement was made for them to go to Paris on July 9th. Desoubrie and Orsini took the group to 2 Square des Aliscamps or villa Voisin.

Date captured: 10 July 1944

Capture summary: In Paris, with FORE and WARD; credited to DESOUBRIE

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78353

Notes on Buchenwald internment: Spoke German and some Polish, and with Spierenberg was a key translator. Spoke to Luftwaffe Officer Trautloft believed to be responsible for the evacuation of the airmen.

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, South Compound

Kriege ID: 8190

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag VIIA, Moosburg, by train from Spremberg after forced winter march, 27-30 January, arriving 4 February 1945.

Notes on SVIIA internment:

Liberation: 29 April 1945 by units of the 14th Armored Division from Patton’s Third Army.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

VA status:

Notes on Post-War period: Not located by the KLB Club when they started organizing in the 1980s.