Omer Sharpe
Omer Sharpe was born in 1921 and grew up in Lubbock, TX. He served in the US Army Air Corps in Europe, and by 1944 Sharpe was a Staff Sergeant and ball turret gunner in the 91st Bombardment group, also known as The Ragged Irregulars. On February 22, 1944, Sharpe and his fellows were shot down by enemy forces south of Minden, Germany. Sharpe was captured by German forces and imprisoned at Stalag Luft IV, a prisoner-of-war camp located in Tychowo, Poland, for fourteen months.
Letter from Captain William H. Biggs, Chaplain of the 91st Bombardment Group, to Mr. George Sharpe offering condolences on the disappearance of Sgt. Omer Sharpe.
Letter from Beverly Alexander, wife of Charles Alexander, another member of the 91st Bombardment Group, to Mr. George Sharpe.
Photo of First Lieutenant Charles Alexander, husband to Beverly.
Postcard dated February 27, 1944 from Sgt. Omer Sharpe to his father George, written while Omer was held captive by the Germans.
Letter from Colonel Howard F. Bresee to Mr. George Sharpe confirming the internment of Sgt. Omer Sharpe at the German POW camp Stalag Luft #4.
Prisoners were allowed to send short postcards home to their families, like that included here, but the correspondence was heavily censored and gave no indication of the harsh living conditions at the camp (although Sharpe weighed a mere 120 lbs. when he was released in 1945). This collection also includes correspondence between the US government and George H. Sharpe, Omer’s father, regarding his son’s imprisonment.