Ruel Gerber Weikert

Military
A bomber crew of the 385th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 6 Nov 1943.' [stamp] and '291701.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: Printed caption on reverse: 'US AIRFORCE IN GREAT DAYLIGHT OFFENSIVE ON EUROPE. The great daylight offensive on Europe continues, targets in Germany, France and Belgium being attacked by great formations of bombers and fighters from the US Army Air Force and the RAF. Photo shows: Before t media-380140.jpg FRE 1386 A bomber crew of the 385th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 6 Nov 1943.' [stamp] and '291701.' [Censor no.]

Printed caption on reverse: 'US AIRFORCE IN GREAT DAYLIGHT OFFENSIVE ON EUROPE. The great daylight offensive on Europe continues, targets in Germany, France and Belgium being attacked by great formations of bombers and fighters from the US Army Air Force and the RAF. Photo shows: Before they take off on the great Ruhr raid- six airmen who together represent 100 operations against the Nazis.

Left to right: front row
Lieut Fred D Albert, of Bronx NY navigator;
Lieut Theodore J Kleuser, of Little Rock Arkansas, co-pilot;
Lieut Ruel Weikert, of Dayton Ohio, pilot and commander of the aircraft.

Second row:
Tech. Sgt Darwin Mushrush, of Castaque, Pa; top turret gunner and engineer;
Lieut Tom Betow, of Marion, Wisconsin, bombardier.

Back row: Tech Sgt Walter Olowniuk of Detroit, Mich; radio gunner.

NC 6th November 1943. PN.' Roger Freeman Collection

Correcting spelling of Olowniuk

Object Number - FRE 1386 - A bomber crew of the 385th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 6...

Assigned to 551BS, 385BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew 42 x missions, never wounded. Flew on "Mary Pat", named after his wife, Mary, and the navigator's wife, Pat. ETD. Ruel was one of the veterans who set up the initial Group reunion in 1957.



Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (5OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 385th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Middletown, Ohio 9 June 1916 Son of Clara Belle [Slimmer] Weikert.

Enlisted

Fort Thomas, Newport, KY 27 January 1942 Fort Thomas, Newport, Kentucky

Died

Indianapolis, IN 17 December 1999

Buried

Earlham CemeteryRichmond,Wayne County, IN 20 December 1999 Earlham Cemetery Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana

Based

Great Ashfield Assigned to 551BS, 385BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources

AAMB Media Archives

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources

ontributed courtesy of the 385th BG Association.  https://www.385thbga.com/wp-content/uploads/May-1978_OCR_Optimize.pdf

Date
ContributorHelen
Changes
Sources

385th BG newsletter October 1976

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ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Son

Ruel Gerber Weikert: Gallery (2 items)