[TFR 51-1]
[handwritten "70"]
Duplicate
Top Secret copy No. 2 [handwritten "in case file"]
2nd Chief Directorate 20 Jul 56 2/1-1674 DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE AMERICAS, MID USSR Comrade A.A. SOLDATOV
Reference No. 471/osa dated 18 July 1956
According to information of the Second Chief Directorate of the Committee for State Security, there are no American service members confined in camps or prisons in the Soviet Union at this time.
To our knowledge, during incidents with American aircraft in 1950 and 1952 in the Baltics and the Sea of Japan, no crew members of these aircraft were captured by the Soviet side.
DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE 2ND CHIEF DIRECTORATE, COMMITTEE FOR STATE SECURITY, attached to the COUNCIL OF MINISTERS USSR [TFR 51-2]
[handwritten "Committee for State Security"]
[Handwritten "72"]
Received by mail Translation from English 17 July 1956 THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
No. 42
The Embassy of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to refer to the matter of the detention of United States military personnel in the Soviet Union. For some time the United States Government has received reports from persons of various nationalities who have been freed from Soviet Government imprisonment during the last several years. According to such reports, these individuals have conversed with, seen, or heard reports concerning United States military aviation personnel, belonging either to the United States Air Force or to aviation units of the United States Navy, who were actually being detained in the Soviet Union. In all such cases the United States Government has sought to obtain, if possible, accurate information about American citizens being detained by the Soviet Government. The United States Government also notes that, according to international law and international practice, the Soviet Government is obliged to first and foremost inform the United States Government of any American citizens whom it holds in custody or must permit such citizens to contact the appropriate United States authorities.
The reports concerning such personnel have now become so frequent, detailed and reliable that, although the United States Government is not able to identify these American citizens currently being detained by the Soviet Government by name, it requests that the Soviet Government inform the United States Government, in detail, of every American service member [TFR 51-3]
[Handwritten "73"]
2.- who has been held in the Soviet Union at any time since 1 January 1949. The United States Government has not yet been informed by the Soviet Government about these individuals and requests the name of the person and the circumstances underlying his detention in each case.
Specifically, the United States Government has information and is compelled to believe that the Soviet Government has detained and continues to detain the following personnel:
1. One or more members of the crew of a United States Navy "Privateer"-type aircraft which went down in the Baltic Sea area on 8 April 1950. Since that time, the United States Government has received reports that some members of the crew of that American aircraft were and still are being held in various places of confinement in the Far Eastern region of the Soviet Union. In particular, the United States Government knows and holds to the fact that at least one American military aviator, believed to be a crew member of this United States Navy "Privateer", was located at Camp No. 20 in 1950 and in October, 1953. This camp is supposedly located near Tajshet at Collective Farm No. 25, approximately 54 kilometers from Tajshet. According to this information, the servicemember was serving a sentence for alleged espionage. Per descriptions, this American citizen had sustained burns to his face and legs in the aircraft crash and he was using crutches or a cane.
Reports have been received from former prisoners of the Soviet Government held at Vorkuta. They stated that in September 1950, as many as eight American citizens, believed to be members of the crew of the United States Navy "Privateer", referenced above, were seen in the area of Vorkuta. They specifically reported one person who was interned at Vorkuta in September 1950. This person stated that he was serving a twenty-five year sentence for espionage and was formerly [TFR 51-4]
[Handwritten "74"]
3.
a crew member on a United States aircraft which was downed.
The following information is provided to the Soviet Government. The crew of the United States Navy "Privateer," when it departed for its flight over the high seas in the Baltic region, consisted of the following United States Navy personnel, all of whom are United States citizens:
Name Rank Serial Number
Fett, Dzhon Kh. Lieutenant [LT] 320676 USNR
Sischaf, Govard U. Lieutenant [LT] 264095 USN
Rejnol'ds, Robert D. Junior Lieutenant [LT JG]368573 USN
Burges, Tommi L. Junior Lieutenant [ENS] 506762 USN
Danens, Dzhoe Kh, Jr. Seaman [AD1] 3685438 USN
Tomas, Dzhek U. Seaman [AD1] 2242750 USN
Bekmehn, Frehnk L. Seaman [AT1] 2799076 USN
Pursell, Edvard Dzh. Seaman [CT3] 2540438 USN
Rinier, Dzhosef Norris, Seaman [AT3] 2542600 USN
Jr.
Burassa, Dzhosef Dzhej Seaman [AL3] 9539864 USN
2. One or more members of the crew of a United States Air Force B-29 which went down on 13 June 1952, either in the area of the Sea of Japan or not far from the Kamchatka region of the Soviet Union. An officer, believed by the United States Government to have been a member of this crew, was seen in October 1953, in a Soviet hospital in an area north of Magadan, near the Kolyma River crossing between Ehlgen and Debin, at a place called Narionburg. This officer stated that he had been wrongfully convicted under Paragraph 6 of Article 58 of the Soviet Penal Code.
The following information is provided to the Soviet Government. The crew of the United States Air Force B-29 which has been missing in action since 13 June 1952, was comprised of the following personnel: [TFR 51-5]
[Handwritten "75"]
4.
Name Rank Serial Number
Bush, Samuehl N. Major [MAJ] AO 733811
Skullej, Dzhejms A. Senior Lieutenant [1LT] AO 693414
Servis, Samuehl D. Senior Lieutenant [1LT] AO 752509
Mak Donnell, Robert Dzh. Senior Lieutenant [1LT] AO 2222264
Homer, Uil'yam B. Senior Sergeant [MSG] AF 7025704
Mur, David L. Senior Sergeant [MSG] AF15229915
Blizard, Uil'yam A. Sergeant [SSG] AF 19244175
Monserat, Migehl U. Sergeant [SSG] AF 13164064
Berg, Eddi R. Sergeant [SSG] AF 17281746
Bonura, Leon F. Sergeant [SSG] AF 18359162
Bekker, Rosk G. Sergeant [SSG] AF 19391813
Pilsbehri, Dehnni Kh. Airman [A1C] AF 18245964
3. Given the specific cases listed above, involving crew members of two aircrafts, it is quite possible that the Soviet Government is detaining crew members of other American aircrafts, particularly crew members of aircrafts engaged in military activities in Korea since 1950, on behalf of the United Nations Command.
The United States Government requests the Soviet Government to investigate the above-mentioned matters as thoroughly as possible and to inform the American Embassy of the results of the investigation as quickly as possible.
American Embassy Moscow, 16 July 1956