Master Sergeant Morris Sheppard is a bit of an enigma. He signed his name in the shed as "M/Sgt" & in contemporary newspaper articles reporting his capture, PoW status & release he is also referred to in this way. However, his PoW return summary available from the US Military Archives records him as being a Pfc (Private First Class); in addition, after he had passed away, & his family wanted to record his "M/Sgt" rank on his tombstone, the American military would not allow it.

He served in the 82nd Airborne, one of the two American Airborne forces dropped on D-Day (6th June 1944) & was captured on that day. He then escaped, was recaptured, escaped, recaptured... until he was finally brought to the shed. Upon transfer to his final PoW camp, he then escaped again & made his way to the advancing Russian lines & ended up in Moscow!

M/Sgt Morris W Sheppard, ASN 37164445, from Point Pleasant, Madison Lake Minnesota jumped on D-Day with the 1HHC of the 505th PIR, and was was captured on June 6 (and then escaped and was re-captured several times!! He was to the same stalag that Willen, Stalag 3C Alt Drewitz Brandenburg, Prussia 52-14.

In a letter written by Jim Sheppard (son), he adds...

Dear Sir,

I am enclosing a page from a POW pamphlet that has the name of Morris Sheppard, my father.

I am sorry to say that he passed away on August 31st 2004. He was in the rest home when he showed me the pamphlet and told me that there was a monastery that he and others were moved to and that he had fashioned a rope from bed sheets and went out the 2nd story window. It broke and he fell a ways but landed ok and managed to throw it up to the others in the room and a couple of them followed him out. He was recaptured by the SS and they beat him severely.

He did manage a successful escape later and ended up going thru Poland and Russia. If there is anything you can fill in or if you can send pictures of the shed it would be greatly appreciated. Also if there is a Monastery in the area it is possible it would be the one he escaped from.

Dad was going to have a nurse in the home write you a letter but he passed on before he had a chance as I said any help you can give us for the family history would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance
Jim Sheppard