Weldon Elmer Wittwer

Military

BTG, McEvoy crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by fighters on mission #59 to the aircraft factories at Oschersleben, Germany on 11-Jan-44 in B-17 42-29999 'Fertile Myrtle'. MACR 1880 (8 pages in MACR 1879). Prisoner of War at Stalag XVIIB. 
Berne, IN 
The 1st Bomb Wing/381st BG did not hear the recall while over the continent. 180 out of 700 bombers continued the mission without fighter cover. The 533rd BS lost 6 of 9 aircraft. The 381st BG earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation. 
 

Awards: AM, POW, EAME, WWII Victory.
 

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-121707
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15334527
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15323641
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-809661
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32627281
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fertile Myrtle
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 338th Bomb Squadron 533rd Bomb Squadron 96th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Toledo, Ohio 16 January 1943 EnlistedToledo, Ohio

Based

Ridgewell, Halstead, UK 16 November 1943 - 11 January 1944 BasedRidgewell, Halstead, UK

Prisoner of war

Prisoner of War (POW)

Stalag XVIIb, Krems an der Donau, Austria 11 January 1944 - 1 May 1945 Prisoner of War (POW)Stalag XVIIb, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Died

Fort Wayne, Indiana 14 March 1967 DiedFort Wayne, Indiana

Born

Berne, Indiana BornBerne, Indiana

Buried

MRE Cemetery Berne, Indiana BuriedMRE CemeteryBerne, Indiana

Revisions

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1880 / MACR 1880, www.381st.org/UnitHistory/Data/Roster.aspx / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database