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Witt, Francis John, Jr

Individual Personnel Data
Name Witt, Francis John, Jr   ‡
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-665749   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #70 dated 11 March 1943, effective 11 March 1943.
Duty Pilot
MOS1091 - Pilot, B-17
Last Duty Date 4 March 1944
Results Evaded Capture
DecorationsAwarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on 4 March 1944 per General Orders #32, Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe dated 26 May 1944.
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 15 November 1920
  • Granted a 14 day sick leave on or about 3 August 1943 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #61 dated 2 August 1943.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 2739⇓ (12.108 MB)
Escape & Evasion Report # 647⇓ (Filesize N/A)
Accident Report # 43-06-12-502⇓ (29.679 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Original 384th Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Witt, Francis John, JrPilotEV
Flt. Ofcr. Carter, T L (IO)⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Harris, Arthur Claude⇗NavigatorPOW
2nd Lt. Derer, Joseph, Jr⇗BombardierPOW
S/SGT. Sears, William Francis⇗Radio Operator / GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Thomasson, Edward Arthmur⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Leslie, Claude Robert⇗Ball Turret GunnerEV
S/SGT. Douglas, Rufus James⇗Tail GunnerTR
S/SGT. Seager, Francis Marvin⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Vodilko, Michael Joseph⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 11 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
-- 12 June 1943 None
Non-combat sortie 		Pilot 42‑30131⇗ Involved in a collision with aircraft 42‑30036 on short final while landing at Grafton Underwood after a training mission. Pilot of 42‑30036 (2Lt Ellwood Kowalski) executed a pull-up maneuver upon observing red light from control tower and struck aircraft 42‑30131 which was just above. All five crew aboard Kowalski's aircraft were killed: crew aboard Lt Witt's aircraft survived uninjured. Aircraft 42‑30036 was not following established traffic pattern prior to collision.
Sortie Report⇗
1⇗ 22 June 1943 Target: General Motors Truck Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Antwerp, Belgium 		Pilot 42‑3317⇗ Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off
Remainder of crew not identified in mission documents.
Sortie Report⇗
32⇗ 14 October 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Co-pilot 41‑24525⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Landed away at Little Staughton.
Sortie Report⇗
--⇗ 30 October 1943 Target: Marshaling Yard
Type: Transportation
Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑30026⇗ Sortie Report⇗
35⇗ 5 November 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑29987⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
38⇗ 29 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑5747⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
42⇗ 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑3441⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group, high Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
54⇗ 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Co-pilot 42‑3441⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group, Low Squadron Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
55⇗ 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31433⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
62⇗ 11 February 1944 Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry)
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31606⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
63⇗ 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany 		Pilot 41‑24560⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41B Group. Turned back at 0905 hrs due to complete loss of power in #1 engine; aircraft took off a second time but could not catch up with group.
Sortie Report⇗
64⇗ 21 February 1944 Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Werl, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑31433⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead, 41st B Combat Wing.
Sortie Report⇗
65⇗ 22 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑37801⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41B Group, High Squadron Lead; landed away at RAF Eastchurch, Essex, due to severe snow storm.
Sortie Report⇗
67⇗ 25 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31871⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
41A Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Aborted 10 miles NW of Splasher 1 due to an oxygen leak.
Sortie Report⇗
69⇗ 2 March 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31871⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
70⇗ 3 March 1944 Target: Roller-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31606⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead.
Sortie Report⇗
71⇗ 4 March 1944 Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany 		Co-pilot 42‑31606⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
Low Squadron lead. Left formation at 1156 hrs right after bombs away going down under control, apparently in good condition and covered by friendly fighters; damaged by flak, crashed about 15 km northwest of Amiens, France. MACR 2739.
Sortie Report⇗

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