Edward J Schaler
Military
Correction to named crew member - not Sgt Waleler but Edward J. Schaler. Information provided by Sherry Russell (user http://www.americanairmuseum.com/user/61549) , daughter of Edward Schaler.
Object Number - UPL 27416 - Crew of the Reluctant Dragon in Bury St. Edmund Left to right rear: Lt. Windy Morris (co-pilot), Lt. John V Lilly ( Navigator), Lt. John White...
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #42-30454 'Reluctant Dragon', Prisoner of War (POW).
My Dad, Edward J Schaler, was a brave yet troubled man. My earliest recollections of him was always being gone to some military assignment and coming home to spend enough time to father another child. He fathered 8 boys and 4 girls. Dad always had presents for us all in his duffle bag when he returned from his duties. I know my dad must have went through some awful times as a pow in Germany. This would trouble him and affect him the rest of his life. I'm very sad for that. He died of cirrhosis of the liver at a very young age of 49 years old. He was born May 10, 1922 and died in September 1971 in Buchanon, North Dakota. He would be 100 years old next May 2022. I miss him. I miss the man he could have been without all the war trauma. I look forward to seeing him again when he is resurrected by Jesus in paradise where there will be no war, death, mourning, nor outcry or pain. Revelation 21:4. Then I will see and get to know the man my dad truly is and will be able to LOVE him forever.
My name is Sherry. I am 5th from the oldest. My twin brother Terry is sixth. Mary Lou, Margaret Ann and my late brothers John and Robert are 1-4 consecutively. Rosemary, Thomas, William, Edward, Gerald, and Larry make up 7-12. We grew up in Tillicum. WA in a cramped three bedroom one bath house on Washington Ave. We are my dad's legacy. His life is precious to me and to our Loving Heavenly Father. May we ALL be there to welcome him back in paradise.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 333rd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 27 September 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Rougham
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
10 May 1922 | ||
|
Other Prisoner of war |
27 September 1943 | ||
|
Died |
21 September 1971 |
Revisions
Added some punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 733
Download Image
Left to right rear: Lt. Windy Morris (co-pilot), Lt. John V Lilly ( Navigator), Lt. John White (Bombardier), Lt. John 'Chris' Thelma ( Pilot). Front: Sgt. Stark (radio), Sgt. Blacker (engineer), Sgt. Waleler ( right waist gun), Sgt Harling ( Ball Turret), Sgt Exelberth ( Radio operator, Tail gunner)
My dad Edward J Schaler is the (right waist gun) pictured here, not Sgt Waleler. My dad went on to have 8 boys and 4 girls.
CONNECTIONS
Units94th Bomb Group
94th Bomb Group
GROUP
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
333rd Bomb Squadron
333rd Bomb Squadron
SQUADRON
Part of 94th Bomb Group.
People
Lester Exelberth
MILITARY | TECHNICAL SERGEANT | RADIO OPERATOR
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #42-30454 'Reluctant Dragon', Prisoner of War (POW). POW
James Harling
MILITARY | STAFF SERGEANT | BALL TURRET GUNNER
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #4230454 'Reluctant Dragon. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW
John Lilly
MILITARY | SECOND LIEUTENANT | NAVIGATOR
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #4230454 'Reluctant Dragon. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
Wendell Morris
MILITARY | FLIGHT OFFICER | CO-PILOT
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #4230454 'Reluctant Dragon. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW
Robert Stark
MILITARY | TECHNICAL SERGEANT | RADIO OPERATOR
24 December 1943, when returning from operations in B-17 #42-30612, in landing A/C ran of the end of the runway and nosed up. 10 RTD. Harold McKee crew.
John Thalmann
MILITARY | FIRST LIEUTENANT | PILOT
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #4230454 'Reluctant Dragon. ' Killed in Action (KIA). John Thalman often flew the Thunderbird Aircraft, He flew it the day before his last mission in 42-30454
John White
MILITARY | SECOND LIEUTENANT | BOMBARDIER
Shot down 27 September 1943 in B-17 #4230454 'Reluctant Dragon. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW
Aircraft
42-30454
B-17 FLYING FORTRESS
Delivered Cheyenne 3/6/43; Smoky Hill 14/6/43; Rapid City 19/6/43; Geiger 22/6/43; Smoky Hill 23/6/43; Dow Fd 5/7/43; Assigned 333BS/94BG [TS-B] Rougham 7/7/43; Missing in Action Emden 9/27/43 with Pilot: John Thalman (Killed in Action); Co-pilot:...
Missions
VIII Bomber Command 84
17 AUGUST 1943
The mission flown on 17-Aug-43, the 1st anniversary of the 1st mission flown by the 8th Air Force, is probably the most written about mission of the war. This is the famous Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission on which 60 B-17s are lost. It has been dubbed ...
LOCATIONS
Bury St Edmunds
MILITARY SITE : AIRFIELD
The airfield was purpose-built for American bomb groups and as such had a 2,000 yard main runway that lain in concrete with a tarred and wood-chipped surface. The scale of bases such as this meant that very often the technical, administrative and...
Edit entry
Collection name
Crew of the Reluctant Dragon in Bury St. Edmund
Object number
UPL 27416
