SHANGJAO
May 1, 1945
SUBJECT: Second Lieutenant Glenn J. Geyer, USAAF. Evasion from Shanghai area.
Lieutenant Geyer is a P-51 pilot of the 118th Fighter Squadron, 68th Wing of the Fourteenth USAF. His Army serial number is 0701750. On January 20, 1945, Lt. Geyer was flying his 6th or 7th combat mission and was shot down by AA over Shanghai. Following is an account of the mission and the subsequent escape from the Shanghai area, based on the interrogation made following his arrival in Shangjao (Shangrao) AGAS Headquarters on April 29, 1945.
Lt. Geyer took off from Suichuan airbase at about 0900, 20 January and with planes from the 74th Fighter Squadron staged at Nancheng auxiliary airbase and continued to target area at Shanghai. His flight of seven planes was ordered to strafe the Lunghwa airdrome, immediately south of the city, and was over target at about 1300. This was a strafing mission so no bombs or wing tanks were carried.
As Lt. Geyer made his first pass over the field he fired at a Sally with no visible results and on his second pass left an Oscar smoking but not burning. During these runs he noticed no Flak and no AA gun positions but several dummy planes in revetments which appeared to be carefully constructed. On the third pass, he hit a Sally and saw it burst into flames but as he pulled up he felt the impact and explosion of what he believed to be an explosive shell directly under him. He looked for other planes unsuccessfully, and felt that he had missed radio instructions to withdraw after the first pass.
As he continued to fly southward along the river, his oil and coolant indicator hit the top and shortly thereafter his cockpit filled with smoke and he made the decision to bail out. He climbed for altitude and could see the ocean to his left and the river and railroad off to his right so chose a spot to miss them all, jettisoned his canopy, put the plane in a slow climb and bailed out at, what he estimated to be, about two thousand feet. One foot caught on the rear edge of the cockpit but he kicked himself free and made a successful jump.
He landed in a rice paddy without injury, at a point about eleven miles south of Shanghai and north of Fenghsien (Fengxian) city. Leaving parachute and pack he went to a farmer standing nearby and attempted, with a Pointe-Talkie and a flag, to convey his appeal to be taken to friendly guerrillas. Instead of this the farmer guided him to a place about six hundred yards distant from where his plane had crashed.
Seeing the danger in this, Lt. Geyer set off by himself and soon he saw a man running towards him motioning him to remove his clothes. He put on this man's hat and gown and followed him to the home of a guerrilla captain, a distance of about one mile. Because of danger from the Japanese they walked until dark and remained overnight in another house. The next day they walked to the temporary headquarters of Gen. Ting Si San, the guerrilla leader in the area, located about seven miles from Fenghsien (Fengxian).
Lt. Geyer spent twenty days in the area, moving occasionally to other houses, in the care of two of the guerrillas, while Gen. Ting made a trip to determine the best route of escape for him. During this time, he heard that another pilot had been saved by the guerrillas of Gen. Ting but subsequently taken from them by the Communists. This was undoubtedly Lt. H.B. Tollet, who was discovered by AGAS representatives at Communist Headquarters south of Hangchow (Hangzhou) Bay on April 2, 1945.
Due to Communist interference, it was considered unfeasible to take Lt. Geyer out by junk from the east coast of Pootung Peninsula so on February 10, with Gen. Ting and a party of guards, he went southwest for three days, traveling only at night, to the headquarters of Gen. Ma Pat Sun near Pinghu.
From February 13 to March 25, he remained in this area moving from house to house and receiving the best of care from the guerrillas, who made frequent trips to Shanghai to buy him clothing and luxury items. He received instructions from AGAS to wait here until withdrawal plans could be worked out. He learned that the Japanese Gendarmes had taken Gen. Ting's brother and the wife of a guerrilla captain as hostages and had sent a letter asking Gen. Ting to turn over Lt. Geyer. Gen. Ting replied that his brother must take his chances but Lt. Geyer was a member of allied Forces and would not be betrayed. One of the Japanese letters said that they only wanted a word or two with Geyer and then they would return him safely.
Because of various complications, Lt. Geyer was delayed until he finally departed with Gen. Ting and a force of several hundred men, who were en route to Western Chekiang (Zhejiang) for training. They moved by night and very slowly over the many rice paddies and small canals that characterize this landscape. Because of Japanese activity in this area they were forced to move carefully and found it necessary to go south as far as Haining before crossing the railroad. The crossing of the railroad and the Grand Canal was made without incident and they arrived on April 6 in a small village east of Linghu. The travel in this area is much safer, making daylight travel feasible.
Here Lt. Geyer stayed at the headquarters of Gen. Chang Bang Fi. An AGAS representative met him here and expedited their return to Free China by advising Gen. Ting to continue the trip in spite of the obstacles caused by Red activities. On April 11, with the sane force of seven hundred men, they started south. They avoided Taching because of communist forces there and continued south, passing Hangchow (Hangzhou) to the west, and crossed the Hangchow-Wuhsing (Hangzou-Wuzhenzhen) Highway.
On April 19, he arrived at AGAS Post in Fenshui (Fenshuizhen) where he parted company with Gen. Ting and his soldiers. On April 25, he went by river sampan to Shunan (Chun'an) thence to Shangjao (Shangrao), AGAS Headquarters, arriving on April 29, 100 days after being shot down.
Lt. Geyer stated that the cloth map, Pointe-Talkie and back flag were useful for making initial contact but that all further needs can be attended to by the guerrillas. He was convinced of the loyalty and cooperative spirit of the several guerrilla groups in the Shanghai area and the validity of the evasion rules to be followed by fliers who come down in this area.
