The B-24 bomber Manierre flew was nicknamed the Passion Pit. The crew flew two missions during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. They bombed two positions behind the German front lines attempting to disrupt the lines of communications.

The upper limit for bombing missions was originally set at 25 but was increased to 35 as the war progressed and the number of lost crews grew. In combat, the completion of 35 missions resulted in a fatality rate of over 70%.

On Aug. 13, 1944, the Passion Pit was on its 31st bombing mission targeting road junctions between Le Havre and Rouen, France when it was shot down. The crew later found out the required number of missions had been lowered to 31 that day. Had they returned to the UK, it would have been their last mission.

All ten crew members survived and were captured by the Germans, although one managed to escape. The remaining men, including William and his friend, bombardier Irwin Stovroff, were transported to an interrogation center.

This is a photo of Bill Manierre from the book for his basic pilot class 43-K at Waco Army Air Field, Texas. (Photo courtesy of the Marquette Regional History Center)

Irwin later said, “After the Dulag Luft (interrogation), I later found myself with my co-pilot Bill Manierre in a large room. Bill pointed out a beat up and dirty POW who was staring at us. ‘Did I know who it was?’ I looked at the man and said, ‘no.’ Bill said, ‘He must know you’ and I replied, ‘I can’t figure out who he is.’

“Suddenly Bill exclaimed, ‘My God! THAT’S MY BROTHER!’ His brother immediately recognized Bill, and they met and embraced.

“The Germans were flabbergasted when they found out this was happening. Major Cy [Cyrus] Manierre was a West Point graduate who had been dropped into France and was working with the French Underground when captured and tortured. He told Bill and me to repeat his cover story, that he was a member of the Air Corps, who had been shot down and picked up the French Underground.”

Stovroff continued, “If the Germans knew the truth [that Cy was working for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), an intelligence agency and precursor to the CIA], he could have been shot as a spy. They believed him, and he was sent to the same camp as Bill and I. Their mother received two telegrams on the same day, 1 a.m., 1 p.m. reporting both sons- Missing in Action.”

The Germans even made propaganda showing the two brothers together as a way of showing how well they treated their prisoners.

Bill, Cy, and Irwin were all sent to Stalag Luft 1, a POW camp in Barth, Germany. Camp life was boring, and the conditions were poor. Reading was the most common pastime, followed by gardening and listening to the radio. One man even crafted a violin to provide music. The POWs were certain that the Allies would win the war, they only questioned how long it would take and just how crazy things would get in the camps before it happened.

The food provided to the prisoners was lousy, but they ate regularly. Then after a fire destroyed the food reserves, food was scarce, even horse meat was in short supply. At first the food was supplemented by Red Cross packages but towards the end of the war, the Germans kept the packages for themselves. Bill’s friend Irwin reported that he lost 25-30 pounds by the end of the war.

When word reached the camp that the Russians were advancing, the ranking Allied officer suggested the German commandant leave and take his men with him. The next morning, the POWs woke to find that the guards had disappeared overnight.

Bill and Irwin remained close after the war. Irwin returned to Illinois with Bill when they were discharged- delaying his own reunion with his parents- to make sure that his friend got home safely. Irwin was best man at Bill’s wedding to Anne McMillan in June 1946.

Following World War II, Bill went to Yale on the GI Bill, receiving his doctorate in English with a specialization in colonial American literature and entering academia. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship which allowed him to teach in Austria for two years in the late 1950s. Dr. Manierre then taught at Rutgers, the University of Virginia, and the University of Michigan.

Bill and his wife, Anne, were members of the Huron Mountain Club, with a cabin on the Pine River. They became accomplished naturalists, studying the ecology of the club over the course of 20 years. Bill specialized in bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants. He amassed a collection of just over 700 species of mosses, liverworts, lichens and hornworts, all found on C

lub lands. The collection was eventually donated to the Herbarium at Northern Michigan University.

In 2000, an endowed research award was established in William and Anne’s honor. It is presented in recognition of a peer-reviewed publication reporting research conducted under the auspices of the Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation.

William died in Marquette in November 2011.

To learn more about local World War II heroes, both military and civilian, join the Marquette Regional History Center for our 21st Annual Cemetery Walk at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery on Thursday, May 28. There are three options to enjoy this event- from 1-3 take a self-guided tour; then at 6, there will be guided tour groups, or a seated version (bring your lawn chair). All tours meet at the Holy Cross Cemetery Chapel off Wright Street. $5 suggested donation.

For more info visit Marquettehistory.org or call 906-226-3571.