Chapter 10 - PAOLO THE SLEUTH

The Sarntal activity was really heating up. But what about Paolo at the newspaper in Bolzano? He'd been a very busy reporter!

February 18, 2000

Bolzano, 18th of February 2000

Hi Jim, Diane and all the others

After a very busy week, I have eventually enough time to tell you something about my research. I really would like to tell you that I've found the exact location of the crash, but in fact I'm still investigating. You know, working with this kind of horal and written sources is quite difficult: believe me, it's almost impossibile to find documents regarding this case. I couldn't even find the exact location of every Flak group in this Land, because of the absolute lack of informations: every piece of paper was destroyed. Working with the oral history is hard, too, because everyone remembers different things in a different way and different times. In addition, most of the male locals which are now 70-80 years old were abroad - mostly in Russia - during WWII. So, almost no direct witnesses of the events. As I've already told you, I estabilish that the crash location, I mean 5 km NE of Bolzano, should be between the middle Isarco valley adn two planos: Renon and Sciliar. Speaking with a former Luftwaffe pilot, he told me that he has heard many times the story/legend of an American pilot, who planned with his parachute on some rocks in the middle of the Sciliar, at about 2500 metres, during 1944. He was "saved" by local climbers and then captured by the Germans.

That's it. I tought, it could be Olson. But I needed more. Specially, I needed the remains of the Wisner's P-38. I spoke to many locals, then I simply decided to go there, arranging some meetings. I did it thursday, with the former Luftwaffe pilot - Anton Weissteiner - and a journalist - Giancarlo Ansaloni - who has been lived there, between the villages of Siusi and Castelrotto, for many years. After a very hard day, interviewing about ten people, I still don't know if I've found the solution or not. I have to distinguish between real facts, legends and mental confusion after so many years. So, I'm trying to give you the most objetcive picture of what I got. It's abolutely sure that an American airplane crashed in the area in 1944. It crashed in the middle of some trees in San Costantino, few houses between the villages of Fiè and Siusi. It crashed during the daytime: it could have been around 11.30, that means "our" time. Apparently, no one can distinguish between a fighter and a bomber, but many locals think it was a fighter. Two or three persons remember that the airplane, which was partially in flames, circled around the villages of Fiè and Siusi at about 300 meters, bevore crashing between the trees with a very "noisy" ground impact. I would say, It couldn't have been a B-17 or a B-24. I spoke to Keith Bullock, a former Raf pilot which lives in Tyrol. He made a list of the allied bombers-crashes in the area (only bombers, unfortunately) and he has no informations regarding this case.

After the crash, many locals went there, as you can imagine. And many took several pieces of the airplane. I found one piece, which was used by a local farmer to create a monument made by this piece and other bomb-pieces. It's what we call a "longherone", which I can't translate into English. It's a tube wit this characteristics. it's about 120 cm long, it has a square shape and a diametre of 5-6 cm. Weissteiner believes that an expert of the USAAF could determine if it was part of a P-38. I took some pictures: in the next days I'll scan them and send to you. The farmer - which is 73 - thinks that some remains could still be there, but we should wait for the good season (now it's snowing) and try to locate them, maybe with a metal detector which I don't have. Speaking about the period, many locals believe that it could be October, but a local historian - not a professional one, a retired teacher - wrote a book in which he set the event in July, 1944. If he's right, we're wrong and the case is closed. Many locals remember that a corps was found inside the plane. Only one corps. So again, it couldn't have been a bomber. Was is Wisner's body? I tried to find an indication in the official documentation of the local cemetery, 'cause someone told me that the body was buried there, before it was given to the Americans, probably in 1946. I have to check the reports of the local Town council. It could be the best way to find out the truth. I'll do it in the next week, 'cause it was closed.

Now the biggest problem: no one seems to have noticed an explosion in the air (Olson's plane against Twedt's plane) but many - almost all - remember that two pilots went down on parachute. The first, as I told you, finished between the rocks at about 2500 m. The second it's another stuff, because eveyone has different memories. Someone it's not sure that the two episodes (the crash in San Costantino and the two parachutes) happened the same day. And all this is very confusing. One survivor it's enough: it could have been Olson and it were "perfetc": Wisner died, Olson survived and was captured. But what about the second prisoner?

Now I need your help again:

1) it's possible to find out where exactly Olson was captured, before he was sent to the Stalag in Germany?

2) are you absolutley sure that Twedt died after the crash?

3) If yes, could you find out what happened to him then? When and where his body was recover? How where the conditions of the body? If its remains were never recovered, as Wisner, how can we be sure that he wasn't captured by the Germans, too?

4) someone of the locals told me that one of the prisoners was a coloured: what about Twedt and Olson?

You could maybe ask CILHI for further information. I don't know if I told you everything, but I do hope so. If that's "our" case, I would feel like a Pulitzer-winner. If not, I'll have to start again. But don't worry, in every case I'll survive!!!

ciao

Paolo ------------------------------------------

Diana followed up.

February 18, 2000

Ciao, Paolo!

We were beginning to wonder if you'd disappeared, but it looks like you've just been very busy. Jim is out of town for a couple of weeks, so I will try to answer what questions I can. He's the keeper of the files, so I may not be able to give you everything you need, but I'll try. Since we last heard from you, a lot has happened. Jim was able to obtain a copy of Olson's capture report, which places his landing in the Sarn Valley. I don't know if this is where you've been looking or not, because none of the towns are familiar to me. I will attach a copy of that report to this message, and perhaps you can locate the crash. That should answer your question Number 1. As for the other questions, I will answer them in order.

2. I'm not absolutely sure that Twedt died. However, my grandmother was never able to find any record of his return. I have ordered his file from the U.S. government, but it hasn't arrived yet (it takes as long as six months, and I ordered it over 3 months ago).

3. I'm hoping Twedt's file will reveal what happened to his remains. Wisner's file mention remains, but it cannot say for sure they belonged to him. They were in a mausoleum in Griesheim/Main, Germany, along with an identification bracelet, but there are holes in the file that leave us guessing as to how the remains and bracelet got there, where they came from, why they were mentioned in my uncle's file, and where they went after they were removed. CILHI tells me that the file that could answer these questions is "missing." That's why we had to start searching at your end. There are too many gaps in the story.

4. Lowell Twedt was white; I don't know about Olson, but I'm pretty sure he was white, too. We still have had no luck in finding out if Olson is still alive, but Jim is working on it. Jim said he would try to get on line while he's away. If he's successful in getting connected, perhaps he will have more to add, especially about the airplane parts. In the meantime, thank you for all your hard work. I know it will pay off for all of us. Your dedication is admirable. Here is the capture report.

Diana -----------------------------------

Diana was anxious to tie Paolo into the Sarntal merry-go-round!

February 18, 2000

Jim If you've gotten this email from me, you no doubt were able to get Paolo's, too. I cc'd you on my response to him, but I deliberately left anyone's name out of the mix. But he's getting so involved, I think we need to get him onto the right track. I haven't heard from Mair since my last email, but perhaps the two of them should join forces. Paolo seems to have some good contacts, and Mair could be his legs. Since you're the primary contact for both of them, I leave it up to you to decide. Your instinct for not getting Paolo in touch with Inga was a good one, since "her" crash was a dead end. Her life doesn't need any unnecessary complications, but she's still so involved, I don't see how she can keep from crossing Paolo's path -- especially since she's working with Mair. But we may have narrowed down the location, and I'd hate for Paolo to be spinning his wheels, searching in the wrong place. If he's after a Pulitzer, he should at least get the story right... Standing by (and it's killing me!),

D -------------------------

Paolo had discovered Inga.

February 20, 2000

Ciao Diane

I analysed the Olson's capture report: no parachute at all: it's written that the pilot was "rescued" from the remains of its Lightning. That means only one thing: Anderson was wrong when he spoke about a collision between Olson's and Twedt's planes. No explosion in the air. No deflagration. Olson landed in the Sarntal Valley, and landed so "softly" that he could survive the crash. The valley is mountaineous with lots of trees. I cant' imagine how could the P-38 land in this territory, but we have to believe that the German report is correct. Today I had a very bad surprise: a local German-speaking newspaper wrote the story, for the first time. The article says that three P-38 were hit by the FLAK in the Sarntal valley. It doesn't mention any remains of both the other two airplanes and pilots. I was very disappointed: this was "my" story. I think, it was Inga Hosp who gave the information to the newspaper. Have you ever heard from her? She is the wife of a local German politician. Someone told me two weeks ago that she was investigating the case, too. I tried to reach her, but I couldn't. Maybe, she doesn't want to speak to me. Actually, I don't know what she knows. Do you? Tomorrow morning I'll go to Sarntal and look for any document. Please, if you are in touch with several other locals, tell it to me. I don't want to be the only one, but I worked very hard at this case and my editor will fire me if he knows that another newspaper publish the story at first, after all of my work.

ciao Paolo -------------------------

The team leaders had tried to maintain a degree of separation between the volunteer searchers in Italy during their initial participation to avoid limiting the scope of their efforts, but it became evident that all hands needed to be joined in a circle as the net tightened. With Jim traveling and not in touch, Diana was left dangling.

February 21, 2000

HELP!!!! Jim, If you've read the copies of my last two letters to Inga and Paolo, you know why I'm screaming. I'm very embarrassed by this whole thing. Paolo has been working hard, and he's been on the wrong track, so he feels pretty betrayed. Of course, we didn't know he was chasing the wrong site, and couldn't have known, since he was out of touch for more than a week while he was investigating, but I still feel guilty, guilty, guilty. …………. Who knew it would get to this? It's a mess, and I need (you) to back me up when we straighten it out. I'm trying to be as tactful as I can, but the sooner we get to full disclosure with everyone working together, the happier I'll be -- and the more I think we'll find out in the long run. I hope your trip is good ("Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"). I'll be so happy when you're back in touch. I feel like a ship without a rudder AND an anchor.

D -----------------------------------

There was relative quiet on the email circuit for the next few days as Inga was ill and Paolo's computer was also apparently ill.

February 22, 2000

Greatings all

Unfortunately, since the last sunday my e-mail doesn't work. So, if you have sent to me some messages, please redirect them at this address, but if you asnwer me now, put both addresses. Now the good news. I think we are really next to the truth. Yesterday I went to Sarntal, where Olson was captured. A fighter hit by the flak crashed between some trees at about 1200 meters, after having flew over the village of Sarentino at about 2-300 meters of altitude. Old locals are remembering of one dead pilot and two parachutes - these two pilotes were both captured and immediately transfer to Bolzano, where -as you know - I live. One is certainly Olson, the other could have been either Twedt or Wisner. There are still two or three direct witnesses. I will speak to them next Friday. I will go to the place of the crash, too. This place called "Garmisegg Wiesen" is quite isolated, about half an hour of hike or trek, I don't know. There is still a piece of the airplane, next to a hut. I'll find it and take some pictures for documentation. I still have no idea of the identity of the dead pilot: he wasn't buried at the local cemetery: I've already checked that out. I'm quite sure, I'll be able to reconstruct the dinamic of the accidentand hopefully the identity of the dead, too.

The major of Sarentino is very cooperative; I suggest, if everything goes right it will be possible to organise a ceremony in the next summer. Maybe, to put there a small monument or something else for all the people who died making their duty during WWII and against every war.

Speaking about the Olson capture report, I can tell you that the document you sent to me is coming from Wetzlar, a small town north of Frankfurt. It used to be a "transit camp" for the air officer captured during WWII. Olson arrived there at the 23rd of October 1944: quite a long journey, from South Tyrol. The document doesn't come directly from the FLAK: that means that it could be not so precise, speaking about Olson being estracted from the remains of the Lightning. It could be decisive to obtain informations regarding Twedt. I'll attach five pictures. As I told you, in a small village I've found a"monument" made by pieces of bomb remains. There is a tube, which you cansee from the pictures, which comes for sure from the remains of the fighter which crashed in San Costantino (Schlerngebiet) in 1944. Maybe it has nothing to do with our case, but I'm not so sure. So, you'd better check if this square tube (120 cm long, diameter of 5-6 cm) comes out of a P-38.

ciao

Paolo --------------------------------------