William H Wheeler

Military
media-26264.jpeg UPL 26264 Lt William H Wheeler and crew of the 401st Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, beside The Boeing B-17 42-29816 "The Eager Beaver". England.

NARA Ref 342-FH-3A10658-C62772AC.

Object Number - UPL 26264 - Lt William H Wheeler and crew of the 401st Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, beside The Boeing B-17 42-29816 "The Eager Beaver"....

Captain Wheeler was on his 24th mission when he was shot down. He was held at Stalag Luft III until moved to Moosburg from where he was liberated on 29th April 1945 by the American 7th Army.



On his return to London that May he married Mary Chapman with whom he had two sons.

He stayed on in the Air Force serving with the 17th Bomber Wing in Korea, then with the Third Air Force back in the UK. In July 1961 he was Colonel and Deputy Wing Commander of the 100th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB in New Hampshire before his retirement in 1965. For the next fifteen years he was with General Electric Naval Ordnance Division in Pittsfield MA.



The family then moved back to New Hampshsire and Wheeler wrote two books about his experiences 'Bomber Pilot' and 'Shootdown'; the latter covering his time as a POW.

Connections

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Units served with

A flight of B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group fly in formation above the clouds.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39392007
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

Ground crew of the 91st Bomb Group refuel a B-17 Flying Fortress (DF-G, serial number 42-5069) nicknamed "Our Gang", at Bassingbourn. Image stamped on reverse: '246365' [Censor no]. Passed for Publication 1 Feb 1943 [stamp]. Printed Caption on reverse: 'Some of the airmen from America who are taking part in the daily raids on enemy occupied territory and Germany, in their giant high altitude aircraft the "Flying Fortress" capable of carrying a 11,000 [censor has amended figure to 10,000] pound bomb load.
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Our Gang
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 17 August 1943 - 29 April 1945 Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 42-5069 'Our Gang. '

Born

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
www.446bg.com ;
Biography completed by historian Helen Millgate. Information sourced from newsletters of the 91st Bomb Group related to the service of William Wheeler.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 281 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

William H Wheeler: Gallery (1 items)