2Lt. John A. Wilbois, Jr. was a Pilot with the 12th Air Force; 57th Bombardment Wing; 321st Bombardment Group; 448th Bombardment Squadron; stationed in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, (MTO). Newly assigned to the 448th, 2LT. Wilbois was killed on his very First Mission.

Late in the afternoon of August 10th, , Lt. Wilbois' Brother, Sgt. Alfred Wilbois arrived at the 448th Base Headquarters, hoping for a visit, after 18 months of separation. But John was out on a Sea Sweep Mission over the Mediterranean. All through the night, Alfred waited for a joyous reunion with his brother, until the sun rose in the East, then Alfred had to return to his own Division quarters where he received the heart breaking message that his brother John and five other members of his crew perished on that afternoon mission.

His Hometown was Runnells, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa

Tuesday, 10 August 1943

HQ 321st BG War Diary: On Aug. 10th, 1943, 4 B-25Gs took off at 1455 on a seasweep towards the Gulf of Genoa. They fired 9 75 MM shells from 1,000 feet into the town of San Teodore di Ovidle, west of Cape Comino. A building in the center of town was hit and another north of town exploded when hit. Our spare aircraft crashed into the sea, shortly after take-off. There was no enemy air activity and no flak. A S/F was seen heading southeast about 5 miles east of Giglio at 1708. Enroute to the target, weather was hazy, with visibility decreasing from 10 to 3 miles at the Italian coast. Flight leaders were Lieut. Dorman, Lieut. Johnson, Lieut. Anderson and Lieut. Beavers. Observers were Col. Taylor and Col. Kyle. Photos were taken

B-25G; Serial No. 42-64649; MACR-6144
spare – crashed at sea shortly after take off

THE CREW:
P Adamson, Elmo Lloyd, Jr., 2Lt, 446th BS – KIA
CP Wilbois, John Appanoose, 2Lt, 448th BS – KIA
N Gere, William E. W., 2Lt, 447th BS – KIA
B None
E Kelly, Fred C., S/Sgt, 446th BS, 446th BS – KIA
R Meinke, Ellsworth E., S/Sgt, 446th BS – MIA, injured,
rescued and returned to US
G Blachuta, Vincent J., Sgt, 447th BS – KIA
CL None listed - likely the engineer

NOTE: B-25G; Serial No. 42-64649; was a ship assigned to the 448th BS; and carried a mixed crew from three of the four Squadrons of the 321st Bomb Group. Acting as a SPARE, meant this ship was flying in case one of the other planes developed any kind of trouble, and had to abort the mission, it would have slipped into formation, so that the mission could continue with the same number of planes required by mission orders.

REMARKS: Seel, Peter B., Jr., Capt, pilot, 447th BS

I certify that B-25 G # 42-64649 went down into the sea about fifty (50) to sixty (60) miles North by N.W. of Cape Fortass on 10th August 1943.

PETER B. SEEL, JR.

Eyewitness Account:
MacDougall, Alan J., S/Sgt, engineer-gunner, 446th BS

About fifteen (15) minutes out over the Mediterranean, the ship which served as a spare with Lt. Adamson as Pilot, went into a steep bank apparently starting back, he was banked well over 60° and very low. His left wing tip dipped into water and he went in very quickly. As the ship’s nose hit, something flew from the ship. I thought it was the tail. Shortly after the ship disappeared, water boiled over the spot he went down. Nothing was seen to float to the surface.

ALAN J. MACDOUGALL; S/Sgt, 32243720, T/G;

on a ship in formation

201 - Wilbois, John A. (O) 5th Ind.
448th Bomb Sq (M), 321st Bomb Gp (M),
APO # 650, U S Army,
31 May 1944

TO: CO, 321st Bomb Gp (M), APO # 650, U.S. Army.

1. Attached are statements from the Commanding Officer and an Observer of plane crash concerning 2nd Lt. John A. Wilbois, 0-793624, former member of this organization.

2. Information has been obtained that all crew members of Lt. Wilbois’s crew were “Killed in Action” on 10 August 1943. Later it was found that S/Sgt. Ellsworth E. Meinke, 32379246, Radio Gunner of this crew had survived but was seriously wounded. The 446th Bombardment Squadron (M), AAF, 321st Bombardment Group (M), AAF, received a request , dated 9 May 1944 for flying time, etc. on S/Sgt. Meinke, a patient, from the Commanding Officer, Detachments of Patients, Army Air Force Convalescent Center in Regional Station Hospital, Mitchell Field, New York. S/Sgt. Meinke’s next of kin is: Mrs. Edna Meinke (Mother), 72 Domedion Street, Buffalo, New York.

3. Information contained herein and attached hereto is the complete information consolidated from the organizations in the 321st Bombardment Group (M) and its Headquarters.

For the Squadron Commander:

ARTHUR W. KNIEVEL, Major, Air Corps, Executive.

John A Wilbois, Jr