Leonard Feller

Leonard Feller was born in September 1919 in New York City, one of eleven children. His two older brothers served in World War I, and his two brothers Joseph and Michael volunteered to fight in Spain on the Loyalist side in the Lincoln Brigade during that country’s civil war in the 1930s.  Joseph was killed in Spain, and Michael was killed in World War II. Michael was a sergeant and aircraft gunner and is buried in France in an American cemetery.

Prior to being drafted in 1941, Feller was in his first year of college.  His adjustment to military life was not “wrenching.” He viewed it as something he had to do, and he accepted it. Feller was trained at Camp Croft in Spartanburg, South Carolina as an anti-tank gunner, then transferred to an intelligence unit where he immediately applied for officers’ training as a navigation cadet. After completing that school, he went to US Army Airborne School, or Jump School, and did nine jumps. Feller was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant and assigned to the 392^nd Bomb Group.

After South Carolina, the 392nd went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Topeka, Kansas before leaving for England from Presque Isle, Maine. Traveling from Topeka to Presque Isle, Feller’s B-24 plane had engine trouble, had to return to Topeka, then fly solo, with Feller as a novice navigator across the Atlantic, which put a lot of pressure on him. It took about 14 hours to get to England. His plane first landed in Iceland, then Prestwick, Scotland and finally England.

In England, Feller and his comrades were housed in Quonset huts made of metal; they were not extremely comfortable but were livable. The local English people were courteous and glad to have the soldiers there; but, sometimes they disliked the Americans tipping at local businesses, which they thought excessive.

Feller and his crew went on bombing missions out of an air base in Wendling, England. Their twelfth and final mission, in January 1944, was to bomb the Kiel Canal leading to the Baltic Sea in Germany. Their plane was hit by German fighter plane fire, caught fire, and the Americans were immediately ordered to abandon their plane. Once they opened their parachutes, they were easy to spot, so were captured quickly. They were fortunate to be shot down over land, as many other planes were shot down over water, and their crews did not survive. Feller landed in an open field and was captured by German police officers, then taken by train to an interrogation center in Frankfurt.

At “Dulag Luft,” a transit prisoner of war (POW) camp, Feller was interrogated, registered, photographed, and given a card. According to the Geneva Convention, POWs were only supposed to give their name, rank, and serial number to their captors. His fellow crew members were transferred a day or two after the procedure, but Feller was kept for ten days, not knowing if it was because he was Jewish, or that he did not provide any information. At the time, he did not know the full extent of German persecution of Jews.

Living conditions were poor at Dulag Luft. The food was terrible, there were no lights, and Feller was interrogated every four hours. After ten days, he was transferred by train to Stalag Luft 1, a German World War II POW camp for Allied airmen; Feller was both amazed and terrified by the bomb destruction he witnessed on the way. One thing that helped him were the Red Cross parcels, which contained Spam pork, chocolate, powdered milk, and cigarettes. Yet even when these were combined with issued rations, prisoners still were always hungry. They received mail infrequently. Mail sent from America in April arrived in September, and Feller was only allowed to send four letters a month. He had two girlfriends in the US. One sent him a “Dear John” letter breaking off their relationship, which caused him to be almost relieved in a way!

The POW camp was often boring, but the Germans adhered to the Geneva Convention, and the prisoners there were talented people from all social classes, including painters and actors. Feller was the Educational Director for his compound. One officer had a radio linked to the BBC, and would transcribe news and deliver it to POWs. Eventually, all the Jewish POWs in the camp were taken from all four compounds and placed in one barracks building.

Escape attempt efforts included hiding in wagons and digging tunnels; but, the people who escaped were always recaptured. The beds were planks of wood with straw and a thin blanket. Living conditions never got too bad for Feller, but he was always hungry and uncomfortable. Books were available, and he read two hundred while there. The camp was not a traumatic experience for Feller; but, he stressed that he did not want to downplay how bad the camp actually was. He remarked that, “The joy of life today makes [the camp] a forgotten incident in my life.” “Yes, I’m a survivor, but that doesn’t make me a hero.”

When the Russians liberated the camp, it was a joyous day for Feller. The Germans left the night before, and the rumor was that the Russians were taking them to Odessa. On May 13, 1945, however, the United States landed forty B-17s, which took the prisoners to Camp Lucky Strike at Leone, France for a few weeks, until they were sent to England to await departure to the United States by ship. Feller had been a POW for sixteen months. While he was in England, his family found out he was freed, and sent him some money.

Feller surprised his family by coming home without telling anyone. His family was getting ready for Sabbath when he first met his 4-year-old nephew. Feller was sent on leave to Atlantic City for recreation, then officially discharged on December 2, 1945. After the service, he used the GI Bill for college, and became a CPA in accounting. Awards Feller received for his service include the Prisoner of War medal, American Defense Ribbon, the European-African Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Air Medal 2nd Bomb Division, and Oak Leaf Cluster 2nd Bomb Division medal. 

Leonard Feller passed away on July 5, 2021, at the age of 101, just a couple months shy of reaching 102! He was loved and respected by all who knew him.

Additional Resources:

• American Air Museum in Britain – Leonard Feller
• 8th Air Force – Leonard Feller