Thomas Brooks Wheeler

Military
The insignia of the 546th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group. media-395078.jpg FRE 5135 The insignia of the 546th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5135 - The insignia of the 546th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group.

Thomas Brooks Wheeler (listed as "Tom B. Wheeler" at NARA's Enlistment records) was Engineer/Top Turret gunner in the 384th Bomb Group/546th Bomb Squadron.



July 30, 1943, on return from Kassel raid , ac B17 42-5848 'Patches' landed at Boxted with 6 crew members injured and extensive BD.



Shot down on the Schweinfurt mission 14 October 1943 in B-17 42-29800 'Me and My Gal', Tom was made Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14090837 and O-673460
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
Seven men, wearing dress Air Force uniform, posed in front of a building.  Four men standing to the rear and three men kneeling in front.  All the men have Purple Heart medals pinned to their jacket left lapel
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20323830 and O-515826
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13057282 and O-738710
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12180110
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32140430
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Me An' My Gal
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron 422nd Bomb Squadron 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little America
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron 547th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Tupelo, Texas, United States 19 September 1916 the son of Levin Brooks Wheeler and Mattie Virginia (McMullan) Wheeler

Enlisted

Camp Wolters, Mineral Wells, Texas, United States 11 February 1942

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Żagań, Poland 14 October 1943 Wounded, immediately captured. Interned at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan, Poland. Repatriated in a prisoner exchange program. NARA WWII POW records : "Returned to Allied military control 28 April 1944."

Died

Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, United States 26 July 2002

Buried

Resthaven Memorial Park, Corsicana, Texas, United States

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entries to include details from:
- http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=4228;
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia ;
- Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 214;
- MACR 840;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
Contributorbombercommand
Changes
Sources

http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=4228
Combat Crew Loading List, 1943-10-14, 384th Bombardment Group, 546th Squadron

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 840
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes

Thomas Brooks Wheeler: Gallery (1 items)