David Frank Wolter

Military

Shot down 4 March 1944 in B-17 #42-31565. MACR 2795. "Was returning home from aborted daylight raid on Berlin. Bailed out of plane over Northern France/Belgium. One crew member died, John Wesp, but rest of crew survived. I evaded capture from March 4 until April, then was taken to Gestapo prisons in Paris (Fresnes) and Wiesbaden, Germany, before being interned in Stalag Luft III and then Stalag VIIA until end of war in May, 1945. Learned in 2004 that our B-17 crashed in a field in Saint Symphorien, Belgium".

David Frank Wolter had met his future wife, Julann Elizabeth Cook on Pearl Harbor Day, 7 December 1941. >David and Julann ("Jolly") were married in October 1943, two months before David left to join the 8th Air Force as a B-17 co-pilot in the European theater. Jolly steadfastly held onto hope as her young husband was declared missing in action and then rejoiced when he was later recognized as a P.O.W. in Germany. Upon David's return to Seattle after the war, Jolly worked to support him in his medical studies at the University of Washington and then graciously embraced a twenty-eight year career as the military wife of an Air Force physician as well as the ever-involved and caring mother to son Mark and daughter Sally. In 1970, David retired from his military career and went into private practice in obstetrics and gynecology on Mercer Island, Washington. There Jolly established a warm and inviting home where she and David regularly welcomed a steady stream of house guests from all over the world. David and Jolly retired to the Covenant Shores Retirement Community in 2005. Sadly, Jolly died in the loving presence of her husband and family on the evening of January 29th, 2010.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16044786 and O-682089
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38046850
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33305496
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32294218 and O-692337
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39031820
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lassie Come Home
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Everett, Washington 24 August 1923

Enlisted

Seattle, Washington, United States 21 May 1942 as a Private in the Air Corps

Other

Evaded - Prisoner of War (POW)

Żagań, Poland 4 March 1944 - 29 April 1945 After landing in parachute, Lt Wolter was cared for and sheltered by French doctor Lefebvre on 6 March 1944. On his way to the South of France, he was captured the next month. Prisoner of War. Interned at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan, Poland on July 1, 1944. On the forced march from Sagan to Stalag VIIA in Moosburg, Germany.

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 2795
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2795 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database