My great-grandfather, William Riley (right), with an unknown friend (left) standing in front of a plane during World War II.
On Dec. 20, 1943, my great-grandfather, William (Bill) Riley and his crew were shot down in Berlin, Germany on their first mission. Soon after, they were captured and became Prisoners of War (POWs) for the rest of World War II. While in the POW camp, the American Red Cross was able to get them mail from their loved ones and other necessities or things to help pass their time, such as notebooks. My grandparents still have one of his notebooks from his time in the camp. In it, he wrote poems and drew pictures. One thing he dedicated multiple pages to was a list of songs. The following is a list of the songs written down by my great-grandfather, a Prisoner of War During World War II.
After You’ve Gone – Benny Goodman
‘S Wonderful – Benny Goodman
I Must Have That Man – Benny Goodman
Freeze and Melt – Eddie Lang
West End Blues – Louis Armstrong
The Blue Room – Benny Goodman
Make Believe – Benny Goodman
The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise – Benny Goodman
Solo Flight – Benny Goodman
Mission to Moscow – Benny Goodman
It’s Always You – Benny Goodman
Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman
Boogie Woogie – Tommy Dorsey
Weary Blues – Tommy Dorsey
Cherry – Harry James
Jump Town – Harry James
Holiday for Strings – Jimmy Dorsey
Ohio – Jimmy Dorsey
I’ll Be Seeing You – Bing Crosby
I Love You – Bing Crosby
Do Nothing ‘Till You Hear From Me – Woody Herman
By the River of Roses – Woody Herman
Shoo Shoo Baby – Jerry Wald
Crazy Blues – Jerry Wald
Marianne – Kenny Baker
Easter Sunday With You – Kenny Baker
Ain’t Got A Dime to My Name – Bing Crosby
The Road to Morocco – Bing Crosby
My First Love – Jimmy Dorsey
When They Ask About You – Jimmy Dorsey
For Me and My Gal – Judy Garland
When You Wore a Tulip – Judy Garland
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition – The Merry Macs
Tweedle-O-Twill – The Merry Macs
Cow Cow Boogie – Ella Fitzgerald
When My Sugar Walks Down the Street – Ella Fitzgerald
Now I know – Dinah Shore
I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Nite – Dinah Shore
Mocking Bird Lament – Dinah Shore
Where You Are – Dinah Shore
Besame Mucho – Jimmy Dorsey
My Ideal – Jimmy Dorsey
All of Me – Count Basie
Rusty Dusty Blues – Count Basie
Dancing Under the Stars – Bing Crosby
Palace in Paradise – Bing Crosby
Along the Santa Fe trail – Glenn Miller
Rhapsody in Blue – Glenn Miller
Caribbean Clipper – Glenn Miller
Blue Rain – Glenn Miller
Oh! Miss Jaxson – Charlie Barnet
Washington Whirligig – Charlie Barnet
G.I. Jive – Louis Jordan
Is You Is or Is You Ain’t – Louis Jordan
Dance With a Dolly – Tony Pastor
Don’t Blame Me – Shep Fields
That Old Black Magic – Horace Heidt
If I Cared a Little Bit Less – Horace Heidt
Jersey Bounce – Shep Fields
Long May We Love – Shep Fields
Don’t Believe Everything You Dream – The Ink Spots
A Lovely Way To Spend an Evening – The Ink Spots
It’s Love Love Love – Guy Lombardo
Can’t You Do a Friend a Favor – Guy Lombardo
Take It Easy – Guy Lombardo
Speak Low – Guy Lombardo
Mississippi Dream Boat – Jerry Wald
Poinciana – Jerry Wald
No Love, No Nothin’ – Judy Garland
A Journey to a Star – Judy Garland
Flatbush Flanagan – Harry James
I’ll Get By – Harry James
Dancing in the Dark – Artie Shaw
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – Artie Shaw
Let’s Just Pretend – Tommy Dorsey
I’ll Be Seeing You – Tommy Dorsey