-
Lester Allen Wise, 1st. lieutenant, U.S. Army Eighth Air Force, Pilot of B-17 bomber, 385th Bomb Group, stationed at Great Ashfield, England, World War Ii
-
Kentucky Winner (42-102481) was flown only once on 18 Jan 1945 by Lester Wise, pilot, on a mission from Great Ashfield to Kaiserslautern. He flew several different b-17s before and after that mission.
-
Lester Wise's Lucky Bastards Certificate, issued April 18, 1945, after flying 31 missions
-
"Wise Guys" B-17 Flying Fortress Crew- Back row standing Left to Right: Charlie Sears-Toggler, Hugh Arthur-Engineer, Robert E. Hinzman-Tail gunner, Victor Jacquot, Ball-turret gunner, Front row squatting Left to Right: James Thompson Jr.-Radioman, Donald A. Phillips-Navigator, Lester Allen Wise-Pilot, Jack Q. Means-Co-pilot, Mayhew Hillman-Waist gunner
-
Wise Guys B17 Bomber Crew: Front row left to right: Jack Means (co-pilot), Lester Wise (pilot), Don Phillips (navigator)
-
Lester Allen Wise with B17 bomber World War II
-
1st Lieutenant U. S. Army Air Corps Lester Allen Wise, 8th Air Force, 385th Bomb Group, 548th Bomb Squadron. I believe this picture was taken just after flight school graduation in 1944.
Lester Allen Wise was born June 27, 1922 and grew up on a farm in Midland, Michigan as an only child, son of Carry Addison Wise and Dora Ethel Sellers.
I, (his eldest child), don't know when he decided to be in the Air Force. He always said the Navy had the best food. He completed the academic program for pilots at Davidson College, North Carolina, then went on to flight school at Moody Field in Valdosta, Georgia in the class 44-D, where he met another Michigan kid, Kenneth Gerald Wolf, who became one of his best friends (and my godfather). My father almost got washed out of flight school because he bit his fingernails, but ultimately graduated as a pilot. His wings were pinned on by his best friend's (Kenneth Wolf's) sister, Marie, at the ceremony.
He flew to England via Labrador. He was stationed at Great Ashfield in the 385th Bomb Group, 548th Bomb Squadron, and got his Lucky Bastard certificate for flying 31 missions over Europe. He was at a rest home in Oxford when the war ended.
After World War II, he stayed in the Air Force Reserve, ultimately attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Intelligence. He went to Michigan State on the GI bill, became a chemical engineer, settled back in Midland, Michigan, working at Dow Chemical.
He had a wife, Frances Irene Schoch, and seven children Virginia, David, Thomas, Ruth, Paul, James and Mary. He died August 4, 1998. He did not like to talk about his war experiences, and I think he was both grateful and mystified that he survived, when so many others did not.
Service
Units served with
-
Group
The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
-
Aircraft
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 7/3/44; Kearney 4/5/44; Grenier 19/4/44; Assigned 550BS/385BG [SG-P] Gt Ashfield 20/4/44; Missing in Action Berlin 18/3/45 with Bill Cocker, Bill Chaney, Harold Morthorst, Bob Crider, Ellis Murray, Vince Figini, Joe Ryan, Harry...
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/3/44; with Hal Walker force landed Gore Fd, Mt 23/3/44; Oklahoma City 7/6/44; Cheyenne 27/7/44; Kearney 10/8/44; Manchester, NH 19/8/44; Assigned 551BS/385BG [HR-H] Gt Ashfield; 119m Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/45; 4168 Base...
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 13/12/43; Salina 28/12/43; Kearney 4/1/44; Presque Is 24/1/44; Assigned 548BS/385BG [GX-A] Gt Ashfield 2/2/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 29/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 26/6/45; Reconstruction Finance...
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/12/43; Gr Island 18/1/44; Assigned 548BS/385BG [GX-R] Gt Ashfield 19/2/44; Salvaged 12/3/45; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 14/9/44; Grenier 27/9/44; Assigned 548BS/385BG [GX-P] Gt Ashfield 1/10/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 26/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28...
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 16/9/44; Grenier 27/9/44; Assigned 550BS/385BG [SG-C] Gt Ashfield 1/10/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 25/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 27/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 16...
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 20/11/44; Grenier 2/12/44; Assigned 549BS/385BG [XA-V] Gt Ashfield 3/12/44; when parked at Horsching, Austria was hit by 44-8320 on 20/5/45; Salvaged n/battle damaged 6/9/45.
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 30/8/44; Grenier 15/9/44; Assigned 385BG [ -L] Gt Ashfield 20/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 24/6/45; Sth Plains 27/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28/11/45.
-
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 8/9/44; Dow Fd 25/9/44; Assigned 548BS/385BG [GX-G] Gt Ashfield 10/11/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/45; Sth Plains 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 27/11/45.
Associated Place
-
Military site : airfield
The airfield was built in 1942 by John Laing & Son Ltd. 108,000 tons of concrete was used in its construction, creating a Class 'A' airfield suitable for heavy bombers. The 385th Bomb Group took up residence in the summer of 1943, and remained at the...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Midland, MI, USA |
27 June 1922 |
Died |
Torch Lake, Michigan, USA |
4 August 1998 |
Lived in |
Midland, MI, USA |
|