Andrew Hines

Andrew H. Hines Jr. is a World War II veteran, former president of Florida Power Corporation, and retired chairman of Progress Energy, Inc. Raised in Lake City, the son of a sawmill operator, he attended the University of Florida graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. During World War II he served as a commissioned Army Air Force officer flying missions in Europe. Shot down over Hungary, Hines was a prisoner of war in several German prison camps known as “Stalags.”

Video Oral History

Below are excerpts from an oral history interview with Andrew H. Hines Jr. describing his childhood in Lake City Florida, his memories of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and his experiences in World War II. The oral history interview was conducted by Jim Schnur, Special Collections Librarian, Poynter Library, University of South Florida St. Petersburg in January 2009.

Click on any of the links below to view clips of Hines’ oral history interview.

Growing up in Lake City: Memories of life in Lake City as a boy; Description of community of Lancaster in North Florida; Conditions in Florida as a child.
University of Florida in the 1940s: Describes the University of Florida in early 1940s.
Teachers in Florida during his youth: Speaks about teachers in Florida during his youth.
Memories of December 7, 1941: Hines’ memories of December 7, 1941.
Going off to war: Memories of people on campus going off to war. Thoughts on war uniting the country.
Cutting trees: Speaking about father’s sawmill, cutting trees on the former premises of Camp Blanding and hitting bullets lodged in the trunks.
Off to basic training: Registering while at school – getting called up; Basic training in Miami; Training background.
Off to Italy: First training assignment. Observations on culture of Italian community and impact of war on countryside.
Short snorters: Hines’ describes “short snorters.” For a more detailed description of short snorters, click here: Short-Snorters. To view pictures of Andy Hines’ short snorters, click here.
First mission: Speaks about missions, including 1st mission – attack on oil refineries, planes and groups in squadron, and fighter activity.
German soldiers: Reflections on German soldiers.
Prison camp: Description of "Stalags," German word for prisoner of war camps. Includes description of food at camp. To learn more about the camps that Hines was in visit http://www.b24.net/pow/stalag3.htm
Becoming a POW: Describes experience of becoming a POW including: plane shot down, becoming a POW, trip to Budapest as POW, interview with American officer at prison camp, Red Cross food parcels, military protocol for communication between POWs and German soldiers, German
Keeping a diary: Describes why he kept a diary, how it was made. To view images of Hines’ diary, click here.
The gas chamber: Describes a scare when he thought he might be entering a gas chamber.
Liberation: Describes details leading to liberation: camp evacuation, the March, freezing weather, first time he thought he might not make it, the church, the German woman with hot water.
Points of peril: Discusses points of maximum peril for prisoners.
A souvenir of the war: Describes a piece of barbwire from the camp that he took as a memento.
The end of the war: Experiences after the War, including: chances of being sent to Pacific, returning to UF, GI Bill.
V-J Day: Discusses where he was on V-J day.
Life after the war: Describes life after the war, including work experience with GI and Progress Energy.
Chronology of war experiences: Recaps the chronology of experiences in war, includes description of witnessing plane crash, being shot down, imprisonment, transfers, liberation.
Visiting the Camps: Describes return to Europe to visit POW camps.
Reflecting on the war: An eloquent reflection on World War II. Hines reflects: would not have missed it, comparisons to present day.

Diary

While a prisoner of war, Andrew H. Hines Jr. kept a diary chronicling his experiences from capture to liberation. He handwrote the diary on the back of cigarette packages and obtained a metal can, which another POW fashioned into a case to hold the diary. The can was flattened with improvised “hinges” that held the pages together. The initial “H” is inscribed on the cover.

Andrew Hines enjoyed poetry and included in his diary the poem “Lie in the Dark and Listen” by Noel Coward. The poem adds dimension to his experiences, allowing the reader to visualize what it must have been like to lie in the dark, in enemy territory, listening to the war and wondering how it would all end.

The diary also includes descriptions of the evacuation march to Stalag VII A, POW sheet metal work, Red Cross parcels, and the Battle of Moosburg from a prisoner’s perspective. Hines kept the diary because he felt that the imprisonment was a significant event in his life and knowing that his memory of the time would become hazy, he felt the diary would capture the events as they really were.

There are 27 pages in the diary, 11 of which are reproduced here. To read a transcription of the entire diary Click here.

Click on the image of the diary above to view individual pages.

Images

Picture of Andrew Hines Jr. in his hometown of Alachua in the winter of 1940
Andrew Hines at Slippery Rock State Teachers College
Aviation cadets at Selmon Field in Monroe LA undergoing navigation training
Andrew Hines on a training flight
Picture of Andrew Hines and a friend - location unknown
Andrew Hines and Joe Ellis at Miami Beach during training, March 1943
Andrew Hines aviation cadet pictures (Picture 1)
Andrew Hines aviation cadet pictures (Picture 2)
Andrew Hines aviation cadet pictures (Picture 3)
Andrew Hines aviation cadet pictures (Picture 4)
Andrew Hines aviation cadet pictures (Picture 5)
Andrew Hines aviation cadet pictures (Picture 6)
Brochure from a reunion of former Priosners of War in Stalag Luft III
The crew of Army 6358 plane that took Andrew Hines overseas
Liberation of camp at moosburg (Picture 1)
Liberation of camp at moosburg (Picture 2)
Liberation of camp at moosburg (Picture 3)
Picture of a camp stove made by a prisoner
Picture of Andrew Hampton Hines Sr. in sailor's uniform
Andrew Hines: Fort Benning pass for physical exam (Page 1)
Information card for Andrew Hines issued at the POW camp
Additional Information sheet for Andrew Hines issued at the POW camp (1 of 2)
Additional Information sheet for Andrew Hines issued at the POW camp (2 of 2)
Postcard from Andrew Hines to his parents announcing his arrival in the United States (Page 1 of 2)
"To my favorite navigator, and may the stars always shine brightly for him"
Heart shield bible