301st BG, 419th BS

Matricola 13154526

Il 14 febbraio 1944 era un mitragliere laterale del B-17 A/C #42-31893 “Busy Bee”.

George W. Wegman nacque a Springfield, nel Massachusetts, il 29 ottobre 1921, figlio di Edward Wegman e Anna Hyde Wegman. Sposò Eleanor Vezina nel maggio 1942 alla Grace Chapel, Springfield. Ha lavorato brevemente per W.F.Young prima di partire per l’addestramento nell’aeronautica militare. Ha prestato servizio durante la seconda guerra mondiale come sergente ed è stato abbattuto mentre volava con un bombardiere B-17 sopra l’Italia il giorno di San Valentino; spingendo George ad osservare che:

George ha trascorso i successivi 18 mesi come prigioniero di guerra. È stato condotto con la forza in diversi campi di prigionia e, in almeno un caso, è stato posto in isolamento. Ha sempre creduto che questa esperienza lo avesse aiutato a diventare un uomo; all’epoca aveva solo 21 anni.
George è morto l’8 maggio 2019

S/SGT George W. Wegman was a waist gunner of the B-17 A/C #42-31893 “Busy Bee” which crashed on February 14, 1944 near Mantua. George W. Wegman was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on October 29, 1921, the son of Edward Wegman and Anna Hyde Wegman. He married Eleanor Vezina in May 1942 at Grace Chapel, Springfield. He worked briefly for W.F.Young before leaving for training in the Army Air Force.
He served during WWII as a staff sergeant and was shot down in a B-17 bomber over Italy on Valentine’s Day; prompting George to observe that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as you never know what will happen”. George spent the next 18 months as a POW. He was force–marched to several prisoner of war camps and, in at least one instance, was placed in solitary confinement. He credited the experience with helping him to become a man. He was only 21 at the time.
George passed away on May 8, 2019.

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EQUIPAGGIO

• A/C #42-31893. Bond’s crew

MACR

• MACR 2303, A/C #42-31893, 14 febbraio 1944

POW

• Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16
• NARA – Records of World War II Prisoners of War

COLLEGAMENTI

• https://www.301bg.com/Wegman_George_W9737_301BG.cfm
• https://obits.masslive.com/us/obituaries/masslive/name/george-wegman-obituary?id=9212266

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