Gene A Witterstetter
Military ROLL OF HONOUR27-Jul-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24563 [PU-H], "Garbage", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived Molesworth, UK aboard "Garbage".
11-Nov-42 as Co-Pilot in B-17F 41-2456 'Garbage', while on a training flight, the aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with an RAF aircraft and had to make a "belly" landing Luton, UK. There were no injuries but the aircraft was dmaged beyond repair and later slavaged for parts. Poor weather conditions contributed to accident on landing 'Garbage'
Shot down 3 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24620 'Snap! Crackle! Pop!' while serving as Co-Pilot. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 15464
Participated in 4 Operations. See Biography events.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Garbage
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Yardbird II
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Snap! Crackle! Pop!
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
![Two airmen of the 303rd Bomb Group admire the nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Iza Vailable". Printed caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, 'Sacred' and U.S. Official Photograph O.W.I. [Stamps].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407619.jpg.webp?itok=aEyghgX9)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Iza Vailable
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 17 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 27 July 1942 | Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24563 "Garbage", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK ac Co-Pilot aborad B-17F 41-24563 "Garbage", 303BG/360BS. |
|
Other Aircraft Accident |
Luton, Luton, UK | 11 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24563 "Garbage" when it sustained a mid-air collision with an RAF aircraft while on a training mission. Aircraft made a "belly" landing at Luton, UK and ws damaged beyond repair. He was not injured. |
|
Other Mission #1, 2LT Gene A. Witterstetter, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/360BS |
17 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II" on a mission to bomb the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #2, 2LT Gene A. Witterstetter, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/360BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II" on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, 2LT Gene A. Witterstetter, w/B-17F 42-2973, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-2973 "Iza Vailable" on a mission to bomb the U-boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, 2LT Gene A. Witterstetter, w/B-17F 41-24620, 303BG/360BS - KIA |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24620 "Snap! Crackle! Pop!" on a mission to bomb the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was shot down and he was killed in action (KIA). |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Bois d'Escoublac, 44500 La Baule-Escoublac, France | 3 January 1943 | Killed when aircraft sustained damage from AA fire and enemy fighters and crashed into the Forest of Escoublac, France. |
|
Buried |
Buried in the Brittany American Cemetery, Plot L, Row 13, Grave 9 |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Aircraft Accident event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Aircraft Accident event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I. Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I. Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I. Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html
Lee Cunningham 24-Jan-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biogrpahy; made connections to Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I. Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html
Lee Cunningham 15-Jan-2015. Added information on B-17F 41-2456 to description per information contained in record if Arthur I. Adams.
Lee Cunningham 15-Jan-2015. Added SN and KIA event per MACR 15464; made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added Burial event per American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) record.; minor edits to description.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15464 / MACR 15464, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database