Direct hit by flak! | B-17G s/n 42-31333 'Wee Willie'

Story of B-17G "Wee Willie". Serial number 42-31333. Assigned to the 322nd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group.

"Wee Willie" received a direct hit by flak on 08 April 1945.

The pilot 1Lt. Robert E. Fuller was the sole survivor.

P - 1LT Robert E. Fuller - POW
CP - 2LT Woodrow A. Lien - KIA
NAV - T/SGT Francis J. McCarthy - KIA
ENG/TT - S/SGT Wylie McNatt, Jr. - KIA
RO - S/SGT Ralph J. Leffelman - KIA
BT - S/SGT William H. Cassiday - KIA
WG - S/SGT James D. Houtchens - KIA
TG - SGT Le Moyne Miller - KIA
TOG - S/SGT Richard D. Proudfit - KIA

***
I am interested to the history of the B-17 Flying Fortress since 2000 and doing research since 2017. It's still my hobby beside my full time job. I want to be accurate as possible with the information in my videos. However, if you find any mistakes or have additional information, please correct me and let me know :)

=== Musik/Music

#b17, #b17bomber, #WarStories

[BFlyingFortress]

Hello B-17 Fans, I am sorry, I know my English is not the best. But I have added subtitles. I am a native German Speaker. You can comment in German, if you want.

Any suggestions and constructive critique are welcome!

Thank you!

[johnmcnatt]

Wylie McNatt Jr was my great uncle. his oldest brother (Erwin) was my grandfather and the middle brother (James) serven in the navy and survived Pearl Harbor while under attack. I remember their mother. We called her Granny and she never accepted the fact that "Little Wylie" died in combat. The crew members that died that day are all buried in Margraten, Netherlands.

[davidbrown]

I was a regular army instructor at a reserve unit in Sheffield. A part of my jogging route was through Endcliffe Park, past a memorial to a B17 crew who remained at their station to avoid crashing into a school. The whole crew died. One of the local children still tends that memorial to this day.

RIP to my American brothers for your sacrifice.

[ronaldbrouhard]

My father was a Ball-Turret Gunner & survived his full tour. Went to England as a happy newly wed, came back a hopeless alcoholic & total wreck, now known as PTSD.

[darthgrundle]

Hats off to all the Airmen, German and American. Brave souls all...I'm half German and Hungarian, born in the USA. The bravery these young men showed on both sides will never be matched....God Bless their Souls.

[PecanRanch]

The greatest generation. Thank you for your service.

[rvnmedic]

I'm a retired USAF veteran and I remember seeing a photo of this bomber years ago. Those airmen had guts to fly those missions, especially daylight bombing runs to Germany. Thanks for highlighting this tragic piece of WW2 history. And, btw, your "English" is fine and a lot better than some others. Cheers, Bob

[vinnynj]

I absolutely love the B-17 and I have wondered for years about the story of that particular photo. Thank you for posting this.

[GregBauer-rt]

The name of this B17 should have been Halfway to hell because of the last three numbers in it's serial number (333).

[steamon]

If you look at the video picture at 3.59 you can see the rear tail plane burnt away in holes this happens when flames have blown back from burning fuel from the wing tanks so the plane must have flown some time before the wing broke off probably this would be by melting the aluminium structure and steel damage

[ubetucan]

I think you have done a very good job. Informative, well researched and respectful. War on any scale, sucks.

[michaelhoffmann]

Well done video - and as a bilingual German/English speaker, I can say there is nothing wrong with your English. As humourist Dave Barry wrote years ago "most Germans only speak English well enough to get a high school degree in the US".
But seriously, I found some further info on Lt. Fuller:
"Fuller was miraculously blown out of the aircraft, somehow opened his parachute, and survived. He was captured by the Germans and was a POW until the end of the war. Sadly, he was the only crew member to survive the crash and war. A famous photograph, in the Stars and Stripes newspaper, was taken by another bomber as the "Wee Willie" aircraft lost its wing and was falling from the sky. After the war, Fuller never spoke about the photo or the crash to the media or public. During the post-war years, he stayed in the Air Force until 1950 and was promoted to Captain. After leaving the Air Force, he later worked for Rockwell International for 18 years. He moved to Hemet, CA and died there in 1986."

[kcox]

I, for many years, have been under the impression that this particular B-17 parting company from his wing was the result of the bombs from the aircraft above taring out the main wing strut before the bombs had time to set their fuses. I do believe this was not the only time this happened. There seems to be zero flak bursts in the early frames of the crippled bomber as it heads down and this supports the bomb through the wing comments heard on the original film from WWII era news reels.

[rtqii]

Flak sounds much more menacing with a German accent. Good story, well told. Thank you.

[CrispyRice]

You speak english well. I enjoyed your video. Keep up the good work.

[joed]

I feel so sorry that Lt. Fuller must've dealt with survivors guilt his whole life.

[SpreadEagled]

At last, the fate of the crew of “Wee Willie” has been finally revealed.

[arthurbaldwin]

I look three generations of my family thanks to the sacrifice of this generation of your young men who came over here and helped us in England defend our country. Patriotism seems to be a dirty word these days but you have the most sincere thanks of one old limey and my deepest gratitude for these wonderful young men. WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM.

[stevekaczynski]

I am amazed there was even one survivor of that. Sometimes people were blown clear by explosions and if they had a parachute on they just opened it.

[ColinWatters]

Traditionally American fallen are returned to the USA, but viewers might not ge aware that there is a large American Cemetery at Madingly in Cambridgeshire.