Albert Deerwald was a gunner on the B-24 “Jenny Ann” during WW2.
B-24 “Jenny Ann” (41-28768) of the 747th Bomber Squadron, 456th Bomber Group, 15th Air Force departed Storna Airfield (Foggia, Italy) on October 20, 1944 on a mission to bomb the airfield in Bad Aibling, Germany. On the return flight, due to maintenance problems, the plan made a controlled emergency landing on a Po Delta Barrier Island. The B-24 Commander, 1LT Dickie spit the crew into three groups in order to best evade the enemy. One group, with the help of local Italian citizen fisherman were able to escape and evade capture. The local group was lead by the “Cicolani”, Achille Siveiro.
After the war, Roberto Rosselini, the famous Italian movie director, directed the movie “Paisan” or “Paisa” which depicted life as a partisan in Italy during the war; one part of the movie the Italian citizens who helped the crew were included as movie extras to included “Cicolani”.
In 2014, 2LT Sciaroni and the three Italian citizens, Giovani Achille Siviero “Cicolani” e di Francesco e Sergio Mantovani, were honored as heroes in the US Congress. The memorial was dedicated on November 7, 2021 in the town of Porto Tolle.
The Crew of B-24 “Jenny Ann” included:
1st LT David J. Dickie, Pilot, POW
2nd LT Paul J. Delecour, Co-Pilot -POW
2nd LT Richard H. Sciaroni, Navigator - Escaped
2nd LT Woodrow W. O’Brien, Bombardier, - POW
Sgt James S. Pentecost, Engineer/Gunner – POW
Sgt. Leonard C. Meton, Radio Operator/Gunner – Escaped
Sgt Albert J. Deerwald, Gunner – Escaped
Sgt. Olin B. Houghton, Gunner – Escaped
Sgt Chester W. Nowak, Gunner – Captured
Sgt Carroll D. Presnell, Gunner – Captured

Reference: Missing Aircraft Report (MACR): 9213

A memorial in Porto Tolle, Italy remembers the crew and the Italians who assisted them.