STALAG III Newsletter
“Pilots, man your planes!” blared over the speaker, followed by a sound like a giant’s jew’s-harp. Everything went as planned. Mac’s 16th mission was with the 303 Bomber Group of the 8th Airforce in a plane called “Red.” “At attention! Your assignment-- fly to Merseburg, Germany. Target Mannheim. Prepare to take over for a visual bomb-run.” Inhale. “Operation cancelled.” Exhale. An early helicopter was on the Allied Air Force runway near the crew.
“That silly-looking whirly gig of a piece of equipment, a helicopter, couldn’t possibly fly.” Mac said to “Tex”, Captain John Cornyn, laughing,” I’m never going up in one of those.”
Cornyn was curious to fly one. His response released Mac’s exuberance for anything new. A
natural curiosity for newfangled inventions piqued Mac’s interest. Mac sketched the helicopter.
“Operation resume.” Inhale. “Take your place in formation.”
Over Mannheim, flak was accurate. Red took a hit under the turret chin. Ammunition exploded. Smoke filled the cockpit. Flake Dyson, the engineer, was blown out of the fuselage
and from turret position, ending up between co-pilots Jack Rose and John Cornyn. Then came the worst hit. In the right wing, behind engine number four. Flak left holes throughout the plane. More holes than Captain Cornyn had seen before. The first warning bell rang. Chutes were grabbed. Flak suits removed. The explosions were deafening without the headphones. Red’s crew prepared for bail-out. Mac was tying his boot. The ship nosedived in a spin. Mac faced down, spinning against his harness straps. He’d hit first of all the men after a five mile drop.
Keep your wits about you. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed it be thy name… No one could parachute out. The force was too great. Wings turned over. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He was whiplashed like the tail in crack the whip. As we forgive those who trespassed against us… Red wasn’t responding to controls. Rose throttled back on engines one and two. The ship righted. “Navigator!” came in through the headsets. “Set!” Mac gave him a heading. We might make it! If the fire blows out, we might make it! Second bell sounded. “Prepare to abandon ship.”
Thought left. His training kicked in. Fire in the wing was now burning near the waist gunner. It might blow out. By proper procedure, Mac was the first one out of the plane. Mac and his crew were captured and interrogated at Oberursel, Germany. He was a prisoner in Sagan’s Stalag Luft III, Stalag XIIID near Nuremberg and Stalag VIIA in Moosburg where he continued to draw guards, Kommadants and scenes of Germany while held captive. POWs exchanged cartoons and drawings, but Mac’s family does not know the artist (EGAP) of this “Popeye”, anyone know?
Franklin McMahon’s art has been collected by the Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Princeton University Art Museum, and the National Air and Space Museum. His artwork has been published by too many magazines, books and newspapers to list, yet includes The New York Times, The New Yorker, Chicago Tribune, Look and Life Magazines. He is awarded Illinois State Treasure, three Emmys and a Peabody for films and videos, inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, Martin Luther King Award for Civil Right Achievement and honorary degrees from Loyola University and Lake Forest College. His films have been broadcast by PBS, WTTW and CBS.
Martin, Douglas (March 7, 2012). "Franklin McMahon, Who Drew the News, Dies at 90". The New York Times
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Aquarius Press
June 2021 Launch
