The Fate Of Wee Willie

April 8, 1945, dawned like any other mission day in the closing stages of World War II. The crew of Wee Willie, a B-17G was part of a mission of the Allied forces to launch a barrage of air raids over Germany. Their mission was an attempt to destroy the country’s manufacturing facilities and lessen the morale of its citizens. There were two main dangers that faced the B-17s that flew missions over Germany. The first was the Luftwaffe and the second the flak guns. The entire incident was captured on film by an automatic strike camera aboard another B-17 involved in the raid. Of Wee Willie’s nine-man crew, only 1st Lieutenant Robert E Fuller survived, with reports stating that the first explosion blew him out of the cockpit. After which he managed to open his parachute and land safely on the ground, he was immediately taken prisoner by the Germans. After the war, Fuller never discussed the photo or the crash with the media or the public. He remained in the Air Force until 1950, earning a promotion to Captain. After his service, he worked at Rockwell International for 18 years. Later, he settled in Hemet, California, where he passed away in 1986. Captain Fuller was married twice, to Jann Keyes Biggs and Vivian Pearson, and had one son, Ronald, who predeceased him.

Wee Willie, a B-17G-15-B0 with serial number 42-31333, was the 302nd B-17G Flying Fortress built at Boeing’s Plant 2 in Seattle, Washington. Delivered to the US Army Air Forces in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in October 1943, it was soon sent to RAF Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. There, it joined the 322nd Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force. By the time it was shot down, Wee Willie was the oldest B-17G still flying with the 91st and the second-to-last lost to enemy action before Germany’s surrender.

On April 8, 1945, the B-17G, Wee Willie took off from Air Force Station 121 at RAF Bassingbourn for either its 128th or 129th mission. In command was US Army Air Forces 1st Lieutenant Robert E Fuller. In addition to Fuller, the only surviving crew member, were Sergeant Le Moyne Miller, 2nd Lieutenant Woodrow A Lien, Staff Sergeant James D Houtchens, Tech Sergeant Francis J McCarthy, Staff Sergeant Ralf J Leffelman, Staff Sergeant Wylie McNatt Jr, and Staff Sergeant William H Cassiday making up the rest of the combat crew. German anti-aircraft fire caused minor damage to 13 Allied bombers and major damage to four more. Out of the 73 that participated, only two were completely lost, one being the B-17G Wee Willie. It was hit by 88mm flak between its Number 2 engine and bomb bay, sending it straight into a vertical dive. A witness described the aftermath of the strike, stating, “The fuselage was on fire, and after it fell about 5,000 feet, the left wing broke off. It kept descending, and when it was roughly 3,000 feet from the ground, it exploded, then exploded again upon impact.” Many planes were shot down during World War II, and many were brought down by flak, but not all were caught on camera in such a dramatic and horrific way. The fate of Wee Willie will remain in my mind. I can only imagine the terror they felt as they fell from the sky.