Confusion in communications during the 1 June 1945 mission to Osaka
created a situation that took until December 1945 to clarify.
Intial reports had the B-29 flown by Lt Franklin Crowe
ditching at sea 60 - 90 miles off the coast of Japan.
The first two Battle Casualty Reports state the location as
either Pacific Ocean or coordinates 137 E 33 N.
In December 1945 a team from the 309th Infantry I&R platoon was
able to
locate the crash site close to Mt Sanjo southeast of Osaka.
Four of the crew survived the crash and seven died.
Additional info is in the
Crowe Crew and Mission
sections.
Lt Wittee was identified at the Shinodayama Military Maneuver Area
in April 1946.
This was considered to be a Field Identification and
there is no information in his IDPF as to
the date of formal identification.
The third Battle Casualty Report is dated 8 February 1949.
Lt Wittee's Date of Death is stated as
21 July 1945
Execution By Japanese While POW
in Osaka Kempei Tai
The initial Report of Death issued 10 July 1946
was corrected on 10 March 1949 to reflect this.
In Page 2 are the five pages of a document
written by
Elizabeth Ridgway and approved in February 1949.
The title is
Change in Report of Death
There are considerable details within these five pages.
An explanation of the process in establishing the Date of Death for
Lt Wittee
and three other members of the crew is concisely presented.
