zoom_in
Production-block:
B-17F-65-BO: 42-29632 to 42-29731
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 2nd Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 49th Bomb Squadron
Missions: 83
History of
B-17 42-29645 / Wiley Witch
Delivered Denver 23/1/43; Salina 29/1/43; Morrison 8/3/43; Assigned 49BS/2BG Navarin, Alg 17/4/43; Chateau-du-Rhumel, Alg 27/4/43; Ain M’Lila, Alg 17/6/43; Massicault, Tun 31/7/43; Bizerte, Tun 2/12/43; Amendola, It 9/12/43; Missing in Action Sofia 24/1/44 with Chas McCrary, Co-pilot: Gene Lucas, Navigator: John Bascu, Bombardier: Chas Olsen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Donnelly, Radio Operator: Bob Washman, Ball turret gunner: Howard Christensen, Waist gunner: Carlo Veneziano, Waist gunner: Chas Allee,Tail gunner: De Los Johnson (10 Returned to Duty); ditched off Civitanova, 15 miles east of Bari; crew rescued. WILEY WITCH.
Last updated: 13. June 2020
B-17 42-29645 / Wiley Witch Details
B-17 42-29645 / Wiley Witch Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | --- | Charles McCrary | RTD | - |
| CP | --- | Eugene B. Lucas | RTD | - |
| NAV | --- | John Bacsu | RTD | - |
| BOMB | --- | Charles P. Olsen | RTD | - |
| ENG/TT | --- | John J. Donnelly | RTD | - |
| RO | --- | Robert L. Washmon | RTD | - |
| BT | --- | Howard T. Christensen | RTD | - |
| WG | --- | Charles E. Allee | RTD | - |
| WG | --- | Carlo Veneziano | RTD | - |
| TG | --- | DeLos E. Johnson | RTD | - |
31. October 2019 access_time 17:58
My wife’s father was a navigator / bombardier on the Wiley Witch crew. His crew was finally relieved after mission 56 or there abouts.
His name was William W Holland who suffered a fatal heart attack in 1980.
“Dub” as he was called -short for William Walter – never really talked about his experience accept to say the post – bombing photos were haunting.
24. April 2020 access_time 21:15
I believe, he flew 51 missions. First on 28 April 1943. Last on 16 September 1943.
01. August 2020 access_time 15:19
My father was Lt. Charles P. Olsen, the Bombardier on the Wiley Witch. The brief history that was written above, states that after ditching, all 10 crew members were “rescued.” They were not rescued! After they ditched off the Italian Coast, they lashed two life rafts together, one of which was leaking badly, and paddled to shore over the next day and a half. Several times they were waved to, but passed over, by rescue craft and fishing boats, probably because they were thought to be safe in those rafts. There were several other B17 crews in the area, who were also forced to ditch, who were not in rafts, but in life jackets. Once the rescue crafts had picked up all of the other downed crews, my father and his men, in the confusion, became forgotten and left on their own to fend for themselves. With one of their crew members seriously injured when they ditched, they had a very tough time of it in those rafts. When they finally reached the Italian Shore, they walked into an Allied Camp, where they were taken to, and admitted into a nearby Army Field Hospital and treated for exposure. Eventually, they all recovered, but without an Aircraft of their own, they were broken up, and reassigned into different Aircrews and Aircraft. My father, along with his new crew, flew several more bombing missions, until they were shot down 30 days later, on Feb 24th, as part of the “Big Week” bombing campaign. The crew, after completing their mission over Styer, Austria, all bailed out safely, coming down on a Austrian mountain side, where they were later captured by Nazi troops. The crew was then split up, and sent to different POW camps. My Father, and the other officers, spent the duration of the war (14 months) as POW’s in Stalag Luft 1, in Barth, Germany! That camp, along with many others, were eventually liberated by Russian Troops, on their march west to Berlin. However, not trusting their Russian liberators, the US POW’s then refused to leave with the Russians and remained in camp for the next 2 weeks, until General Jimmy Doolittle organized an airlift, consisting of Cargo Planes and Bombers, to take them all to Camp “Lucky Strike,” and eventually home.
01. August 2020 access_time 20:23
Hello Philip, thank you for sharing the truth behind the “rescued” status. I appreciate it very much!
13. May 2021 access_time 18:32
You are very welcome sir. I sincerely hope my previous reply wasn’t taken the wrong way. I greatly appreciate the time and effort that you and others have put into recording the names and stories of the men who gave so much during that awful war, especially now that so few of them are still alive. My father has been gone for 64 years, having passed away in 1957. I have no actual memory of him, as I was just 2 years old at the time of his passing. Memories shared by my family members, such as my grand mother, mother, aunts and uncles, are all that my sister and I have had to go by over these many years. Articles and historical records, such as what you have recorded here, have meant a great deal to myself and I’m sure to many, many others. Once again, thank you for all you have done to help keep their memory alive!
16. March 2023 access_time 0:15
Thanks Phil for this account of the details in the mission. I printed this out and I’m giving it to my Dad to read. He really appreciates this.
John Olsen
14. October 2023 access_time 21:31
Geez, John how are you. Just now saw your reply. Hope all is well, especially your dad! Please get in touch if you get this message, I’ve tried to contact you many times, but have not had success finding a way. My Email is pd56guy@aol.com. Please get in touch. Look forward to getting caught up!
21. October 2020 access_time 18:42
Good morning, we are a Divers wrecks discovery team in lower adriatic, could be possible having the Macr of this plane?
17. May 2021 access_time 20:53
My grandfather was the pilot of this plane when it ditched – Charles McCrary. He would speak of the poor planning done by the mission planners/group commander and that multiple planes had to ditch because they knew they didn’t have enough fuel to complete the mission. He survived another ditching for the same reason. Thank you for gathering this information.