Wayne S. Proulx
B-17 Co-Pilot
100th Bomb Group / 351st Squadron
Last updated: February 14, 2025
Welcome! This web site is dedicated to Lieutenant Wayne Proulx's experience during World War II. He served in the US Army Air Corps as a B-17 co-pilot and was shot down on his 9th combat mission and taken prisoner by the Germans. Wayne kept a diary of his experience which was the source for much of the content on this website. Information you see in "quotes" was transcribed directly from his diary and, with few exceptions, covers every day of his service during the war. POW diaries like these were not allowed in the prison camps and would be confiscated if found, so Wayne sewed a pocket to the inside of his trenchcoat and hid his notes there. He wrote on scraps of paper and cardboard and upon his return to the states he transcribed them into a notebook.
Use the links at the top to learn a little bit about Wayne as well as follow him through each stage of his service in World War II from the time he joined the Army, through his training as a pilot and active service, to when he was liberated and shipped home.
You can also find links to additional resources related to Wayne's experiences at the bottom of this page and at various spots along his service tour.
Lastly, please take a few moments to let me know what you think on the 'Contact' page - your feedback will help make this site more enjoyable and informative to others.
Lieutenant Wayne Proulx - 1943
The Early Years
Wayne was born June 7, 1919, and grew up in Marlborough New Hampshire with his two brothers Earl and Gordon, and sister Bernice. In his early twenties, he would take the train every Monday from the neighboring town of Keene to get to his job at the Production Machine Company in Greenfield, Massachussettes. He was 22 years old, married to Ms. Rita Lambert and expecting their first child together when the U.S. entered World War II.
Enlistment
Wayne decided that he wanted to fly in the Army Air Corps, so he traveled to Springfield, MA, and passed the exams and physical for appointment as an aviation cadet. He returned a week later to be sworn in as an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps. It would be another 5 months before he was called to active duty, and he spent much of that time working and doing what he enjoyed with friends and family.