source: The Bloomington Pantagraph
Filger Library
Minonk, Illinois

497th Bomb Group (VH), 869th Bomb Squadron

AIRCRAFT COMMANDER

AIRCRAFT SERIAL NUMBER

NICKNAME

CROWE

42-65348

My thanks go out to the following for their assistance :

Roy Wall
Scott Muselin
Jim Bowman
Ed Lawson

Dick Beck
Rolland Swank

Filger Library
Minonk, Illinois

In Scott Muselin's

497th Bomb Group Virtual Cemetery

at Find-A-Grave, you will find
newspaper clippings containing information
that expands upon what is here.

There are intentional overlaps between the following sections:

Recovery, Identification , and Case History 328

Crowe Crew and 73rd Bomb Wing Mission No.75

Lt Wittee was born in Minonk, Illinois in 1917.
He grew up in this town, attended Minonk Community High School,
and graduated in 1935.

Two years later he married Helen Reustman and
their first daughter was born in 1939.

His first enlistment took place 14 August 1942
with the Enlisted Reserve Corps.

Most likely he was placed on Inactive Status
while waiting for a slot to open up.

This took place on 10 February 1943 when he enlisted in
the US Army at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center ( SAACC ).

From San Antonio he headed to the Navigation School at
Hondo AAF, Texas, as a Navigation Cadet

source: Filger Library
Minonk, Illinois

Following this introduction is another article from
the 28 June 1945 Minonk News Dispatch
that offers a slightly different description of his assignments.

While he most likely had gunnery training,
Hondo Army Air Field was one of the
Navigation Schools.

2nd Lt Harrison K Wittee graduated from
Navigation School in October 1943.
He was one of a few transferred to
Roswell AAF, New Mexico and the Bombardier School.

Based on incomplete information from another newspaper article,
he likely was transferred to Clovis AAF in February 1944.

This is where the 497th Bomb Group was in the early stages of its formation.

In the April 1944 Movement Orders from Clovis AAF to Pratt AAF, Kansas,
are Lt Wittee's name along with the other four officers who
would be part of the original Bartlett Crew.

There are no records stating when the Barlett Crew was initially formed.

A likely time frame would have been by May and June 1944.

On 11 October 1944 the Bartlett Crew departed Pratt for Saipan
as part of the Flight Echelon, arriving 20 October 1944.

Their original B-29 was A-7, American Maid.

In March 1945 Capt Bartlett was transferred to 73rd Bomb Wing Headquarters and
Lt Franklin Crowe took over as Aircraft Commander.

The crew composition changed in January 1945
due to injuries sustained by two of the gunners.

Their B-29, A Square 16 ( A-16 ), was lost during the 1 June 1945 mission to Osaka.
Details are within the

Crowe Crew and 73rd Bomb Wing Mission

sections.

Lt Wittee was one of four survivors and was taken to Osaka Kempei Tai Headquarters.

On 20 or 21 July 1945 he and 14 other POWs

were taken by truck to the Shinodayama Military Maneuver Area and executed.

Details can be found in the

Recovery and Identification

sections

Lt Wittee's remains were recovered in April 1946 and he was identified within a few days..

His return home began in early 1949 and per his father's wishes, he was buried in the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Below are:

His Registration Card dated 16 October 1940 and
his Enlistment Record
from the National Archives

UPDATE 2 FEBRUARY 2022

MINONK NEWS DISPATCH
28 JUNE 1945

source: Filger Library
Minonk, Illinois

REGISTRATION CARD
FRONT
OCTOBER 16, 1940

source: Ancestry.com

BACK TO TOP

REGISTRATION CARD
BACK
OCTOBER 16, 1940

source: Ancestry.com

BACK TO TOP

ENLISTMENT RECORD
PART 1

source: National Archives

BACK TO TOP

ENLISTMENT RECORD
PART 2

source: National Archives

BACK TO TOP