P-38J 42-67867

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Not Known

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Born in Montcalm County, Michigan, 16 July 1917.
ASN - 0-756068
24 April 1944 - Joined the 338th Fighter Squadron

MACR No. 05738
2/Lt. Stanley P. Richardson, Jr., reported: "Lt. Wheeler was flying on my wing, this date, over Germany, southwest of Hamburg.  At about 0900 hours I noticed him do a slow roll over my tail of my A/C, with one propeller windmilling.  I cannot explain this action of his.  He continued to spin nose down into the overcast, the top of which was about 8,000 feet.  We ere flying at about 25,000 feet.  I called him several times on the R/T but received no reply.  I did not see him regain control, nor did I see him bail out.  To the best of my knowledge and belief, he did not recover."

German J 1382, dated 15 June 1944, stated that Lt. Wheeler was captured near Stade at about 0915 and transferred to Oberursel, 16 June 1944.  The report also stated that according to Wheeler's information he was "Crashed by another Lightning, in the air." 2/Lt. Wheeler was eventually sent to Stalag Luft III.
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble

Ed Wheeler passed away on 14 November 2006