Thomas E Wehr
Military445th BG - 700th BS
Standing Left to Right: Ben Weiss (WG), Elvis J. Brassfield (NG), Staton Wallace (BTG), William Huff (FE), Max Loflin (TG), Tommy Wehr (R/O)
Kneeling Left to Right: Robert Pipher (N), William Craggs (CP), Frederick Mueller (P), Erwin Koppel (B)
Photo taken at Carlsbad Caverns, NM in July 1943
Crew was formed at Hobbs Army Air Field near Hobbs, NM.
NARA Records.
After 4 years of High School, Thomas Wehr enlisted in April 1943. He trained as a radio operator/aerial gunner in the Army Air Forces and was sent overseas in England. Assigned to the 445th Bomb Group/700th Bomb Squadron, he flew his first mission, to Koblenz, Germany on 22 September 1944 with Pilot Frederick E. Mueller's crew. Their B-24 lost an engine over the target on that operation and dropped out of formation. 2 fighters escorted the Liberator back over occupied territory. Another fighter -running low on fuel on return to base - went to closest base in England and fired Very pistol to indicate wounded on board. The B-24 did not have wounded on board, but were very low on fuel. A B-17 base refused permission to land, but the pilot landed anyway while at the same time a B-17 took off over them. The Liberator had only one engine running at the end of runway. Thomas Wehr's last mission, his 35th, was to Magdeburg, Germany in the first half of February 1945.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17119105
- Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
- Role/Job: Nose Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13097961
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37726448
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Missions
- Date: 22 April 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Tivetshall
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Lehighton, Pennsylvania | 30 April 1924 | the son of Edgar C. and Lucretta A. (Rex) Wehr |
Enlisted |
Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States | 6 April 1943 | |
Died |
Lehighton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States | 28 May 2016 | |
Lehighton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States | |||
Buried |
St. John's Cemetery, Lehighton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States |
Revisions
NARA WWII Enlistment records
Roger Freeman's Mighty Eighth War Diary
www.445bg.com
Birsic, SO#265 12 Oct 44 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia