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T/SGT  James H. WHITTON

UNIT: 350th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: TTE 

So they called him 'the old man'. He would have been 105 on 6/22.  T/Sgt James Hubert Whitton Jr. TTE on William Fletcher Crew.  Photo courtesy of Elaine Whitton Davis  

Photo taken with “Bobbie”. Notice the ribbon bar with Air Medal for Flying 5 missions. Photo courtesy of Elaine Whitton Davis

SERIAL #: STATUS: IIC
MACR:

Comments1: DATE UNK

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW (see graphic)

1st Lt Wiliam H. Fletcher P   POW    21/2/44   Burnswick
2nd Lt Richard M.Roper       CP   POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
2nd Lt George A.Browning NAV            POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
2nd Lt Howard D.Venzie BOM          POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
 T/Sgt James H. “Whit” Whitton  TTE  Injured in crash after about 7 missions 
 T/Sgt George A.Reid  ROG        POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
 S/Sgt Pietro J.Giaquinto    BTG   POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
 S/Sgt John J.Seman         RWG   POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
 S/Sgt Alexander Sosik         LWG   POW      21/2/44   Brunswick
 S/Sgt David V.Robb,Jr.     TG   POW       21/2/44   Brunswick

 MACR #276l Micro fiche #924    A/C #42 37796

350th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined 100th Group in early Oct.1943

On 21/2/44,T/Sgt Leo T.Callahan,from the "Original" crew of B.DeMarco,was aboard in place of 
Sgt.James Whitton and became a POW. See p.184 MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY for picture and story of 
21/2/44  Also letter from Fletcher's nephew,Joseph M.Lee (1983) --PRESENT ADDRES IS 3 SYCAMORE STATION,
DECATUR, GA 30030 PHONE (404) 373-1336..paul west (nov 1993)

On 4/12/43 Fletcher was flying with the crew of Martian Tashjian newly arrived) to check them 
out on local landmarks and procedure. Sgt.Whitton & Reid were also on the flight. There was a 
landing crash on the field and Fletcher,Whitton & Reid received injuries. However,it is 
believed that Whitton did not fly further combat duty.

The flight was in Fletcher's A/C 42 39791,Fletcher's Castoria,which was totally destroyed.

See: "THEY NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD" p.103/104


   MISSIONS FLOWN BY WILLIAM H. FLETCHER

WILHEMSHAVEN  03 NOV 43
GELSENKIRCHEN  05 NOV 43
DUREN    07 NOV 43
BREMEN   13 NOV 43
RJUKEN, NORWAY  16 NOV 43
PARIS, FRANCE  26 NOV 43
BREMEN   29 NOV 43
KIEL    13 DEC 43
BREMEN   20 DEC 43
MUNSTER   22 DEC 43
PARIS, FRANCE  31 DEC 43
KIEL    04 JAN 44
"CROSSBOW"   21 JAN 44  (NoBall - Bois D' Esquerdes)
FRANKFURT   24 JAN 44  (Recall)
FRANKFURT   29 JAN 44
BRUNSWICK   30 JAN 44
WILHENSHAVEN  02 FEB 44
"CROSSBOW"   13 FEB 44 (NoBall - Livossart : Bois Rempre)
ARNIMSWALDE  20 FEB 44
BRUNSWICK   21 FEB 44 (MIA )




OPERATIONAL NARRATIVE, FEB 21, 1944
TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY

 1. General Narrative - 100th "A" Group: 19 aircraft took off this base; the first at 0915 hours, the last at 0929      hours. the Group assembled over the base by 0950 hours in good formation.

   Fighter support - P-38s, P-47s, P-51s - was good. Flak light and inaccurate.

 2. Aircraft Not Attacking: 19 aircraft were airborne from this base; 16 aircraft were dispatched and attacked the target. Aircraft    #42-31256 turned back 18 miles south of Comer from 23,000 feet. #42-38011 turned back at 1223 from 23,000 feet. Aircraft    #42-37796 is missing in action. No further particulars are available at this time.

 1. General Narrative - 100th "B" Group: 21 aircraft took off from this base, the first at 0930 hours. By 0958 hours we had     assembled on good formation over the base. We flew low position in the 13th "B" Combat Wing. Our formation was good    throughout the mission.  Flak was meager and inaccurate. Fighter support was very good. Other than the fact that we    did not bomb the primary target, there was nothing unusual during our flight.

 2. Aircraft Not Attacking:  21 aircraft departed this base in formation. 19 aircraft were dispatched. #42-30088 turned back at    1330 hours from 21,000 feet, #42-3107 at 1300 hours from 21,500 feet. All aircraft of this Group formation returned to base.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE
 
 An initial rendezvous was made due to faulty equipment, namely failure of the fluxgate compass, in the lead ship of "A" Group. The 100th "A" Group left England 10 minutes late and picked up the 100th "B" Group approximately a the coast. The 13th "B" Combat Wing then joined a wing immediately ahead of it and proceeded along the briefed route, 12 minutes behind schedule. At 1344 hours the lead wing turned to the South leaving our course. As we could not proceed along to our target and we did no know their target we decided to bomb and airfield and withdraw with this wing. the airfield at 31.51N, 08 25E was bombed on APCE from an indicate altitude of 22,800 feet.

 An unidentified airdrome was bombed with good results. Photos show bombs hit in buildings along railroad that passes airdrome. Bomb burst indicate severe damage to both railroad and runways of the airdrome. Crew believe the airport to be located near Vechta.

 No fighters attacked either "A" or "B" Groups though some enemy aircraft were seen engaged by our escort. Flak encountered was light to medium and inaccurate at Osnalbruck, Enschedi and Rheine.

 At 1347 hours out aircraft #796 straggled from formation but followed us over target and continued behind our formation until 1430 hours when we were at 5230N and 0515E. It had one engine feathered and another smoking. There were lots of friendly fighters about when this aircraft disappeared in the undercast. Members of this crew were:  Lt's W H Fletcher, R M Roper, G A Browning, HD Venzie, T/Sgt's G A Reid, L T Callahan, S/Sgt's P J Giaquinto, J J Seman, A Sosik, D V Robb..

MEMO 2:

Elaine Whitton Davis: 
Michael Faley he was returned to states due to injuries.  He never lost his love for the B-17 and must have reminded me many times that he flew a G.   I got him the Flying Fortress book and he spent hours reading it.  I do appreciate your work.  It is such a blessing to those of us who did not spend enough time asking about experiences.  I sent my nephew copies of my photos and the site page you maintain. He has interhest and is now a little older than daddy was when he went to TA.

KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:

TARGET: DATE:  
AIRCRAFT: CAUSE:  

BURIAL INFORMATION

PLOT: ROW:  
GRAVE: CEMETERY:  

PHOTOS:

Crew of "FLETCHER'S CASTORIA": Standing from left; David V. Robb, Jr - TG, Richard M. Roper - CP, James Herbert Whitton - TTE, William H. Fletcher the Pilot, and George A. Browning - NAV.. Kneeling from left; George A. Reid - ROG, John J. Seman - WG, Howard D. Venzie - BOM, Alexander (NMI) Sosik - WG and Pietro J. "Pete" Giaquinto - BTG.   (100th Photo Archives)

4 Dec 43 crash of the 350th 42-39791, "FLETCHER'S CASTORIA"  LN-W. Crashed during crew transition.   (100th Photo Archives)

4 Dec 43 crash of the 350th 42-39791, "FLETCHER'S CASTORIA"  LN-W. Crashed during crew transition.   (100th Photo Archives)

Crash site of the original "FLETCHER'S CASTORIA" (239791) at Thorpe Abbotts.  (100th Photo Archives)

William H. Fletcher, left, and James Hubert Whitton - November 7, 1982 at Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Herbert Whitton Collection

Photo courtesy of Elaine Whitton Davis 

Photo courtesy of Elaine Whitton Davis 

Photo courtesy of Elaine Whitton Davis 

Photo courtesy of Elaine Whitton Davis

 

SERVED IN:

Crew 1

ID: 5512