During the latter part of World War II the 487th Squadron of the 340th Bomb Group became known as the “Dog Face” squadron. It is understood that Bill Mauldin, the well-known wartime soldier cartoonist, gave his approval for the use of his GI characters on the 487th's airplanes. (Bill Mauldin went on to win two Pulitzer Prizes for his cartoons, one in 1945 and one in 1959. For the one in 1945, Dog Faced Willie played the leading part).
Gen. Robert D. Knapp, center; Col. Willis F. Chapman, right
At this time 7-F had a lot of missions on it. Crew Chief T / Sgt. Michael P. Tarkany had done an outstanding job of keeping it from becoming a war weary, and to keep it being used as a lead ship. It was the natural choice for 7-F to be named after Mauldin's leading character. This 7-F became Dogface Willie.
At the same time 7-F was named Willie, and nearing 100 missions, a major milestone was becoming a possibility for three combat crew members who came up through the other three squadrons of the 340th Group — a record for the highest number of bombing missions flown by a crew member in World War II. This involved T/Sgt. Robert L. Helferich, a top gunner for the 486th who was on his second tour and closing in on his 100th mission. There was Major George L. Wells, group operations and training officer, formerly a flight commander from the 488th. Then there was Major Fred E. Dyer, assistant group operations officer, formerly a flight commander in the 489th squadron. Both Wells and Dyer were in friendly competition to try to outdo each other while still on an extended first tour of combat without returning to the States for rest. They both were closing in on 100 missions.
When you consider the above facts, you can see that the saga of 7-F Willie would result in its being the airplane to bring the four squadrons and group headquarters of the 340th all together for one big public relations event: three crew members each flying their 100th combat mission. Wells and Dyer couldn't resist the opportunity. They had never flown a combat mission together in the same ship, but had been on the same mission in different ships a number of times, including a special six-ship flight they flew on for some low-level missions.
Colonel Willis Chapman, the group commander, very reluctantly agreed to let Wells and Dyer fly together on their 100th, but only if the target was not considered heavily defended. That opened the door for Helferich from the 486th to fly as top turret gunner for his 100th. With Willie also in the act, the mission would have to be flown one day when the 487th would be scheduled to lead the Group.
Wells and Dyer both wanted to fly as pilot on the mission, so they tossed for it. Wells won the toss; Dyer would fly in the right seat and act as formation commander, while the group bombing officer Capt. Vincent (Chief) Myers, formerly lead bombardier in the 488th, would be the bombardier for the mission. “Chief” Myers was one of World War Il's greatest bombardiers and is a legend in his own right. Major Richard H. Nash pushed to fly as the tail gunner on this mission. This now meant three majors and one captain all from Group staff on the same mission in the same airplane — more concern for Col. Chapman, but when Chapman decided to do something he backed it all the way. The 487th's top navigator, 1st Lt. Vernon (John) Lyle, was selected to fly as lead navigator. The crew was rounded out with another 487th man, highly experienced radio gunner T/Sgt. John S. Wisanowski. The combined experience for the crewmembers in that one aircraft was over 530 missions (not including the 100 missions of the aircraft) covering the time period from when the 340th went into combat in North Africa to the day the mission was flown on Feb. 28, 1945.
Col. Chapman would have had a difficult time with higher headquarters if the airplane had had a mishap, either from combat or otherwise, what with three crew members all going for the top number of missions in World War II, and four of the crew members being from Group Headquarters with only 10 combat crew members assigned to headquarters.
Although the mission was deep in the Brenner Pass (3 hours and 25 minutes of flying time) it had flak of no consequence and no enemy fighters. The mission was successful. Willie came through and purred like a cat, just like a great B-25 was supposed to.
The day before the mission was actually flown, Wells and Dyer were told by a newspaper reporter that a pilot in the 15th Air force had flown 101 combat missions in two tours, one in the South Pacific. So they agreed, with Col. Chapman's approval, that they would both fly two more for a joint record of 102. Dyer flew his 101st mission as formation leader on a target in distant Austria. The plane received severe flak damage and was forced to land on the east coast of Italy. Several days later, Wells flew his 101st as formation leader, again on a target deep in the Brenner Pass. The flak was intense and the plane was hit over the target. They lost the right engine, forcing them to fly down the Pass to get out of the high mountains, picking up more flak and with more than two hours on single-engine flying before recovering at home base.
Just think what Chapman would have gone though waiting for the return of that 100th mission of Willie if either of those two events had occurred on that mission!
(George savors, “My best moment? The sighting of the beautiful island of Corsica ahead of us after a long and arduous mission and especially upon cutting the engines after completing successfully my 100th mission with a lot of news media and high-ranking officers all assembled there for the event.”)
Wells and Dyer went on to fly a relatively uneventful 102nd mission. Col. Chapman then arranged for the three — Henferich, Wells, and Dyer — to return to the States in mid-April for a rest leave and then return to the 340th Group. But the war in Europe ended while they were at home.
Dogface Willie (7-F) continued to fly and survive. It finished the war as a great lead aircraft in the 487th Bomb Squadron.1
MISSION #100: FEB. 28, 1945
With 488th plane as lead pilot of a 42-ship formation. Target was Salorno embankment on the Brenner rail line. Major Dyer was my copilot flying his 100th mission. He was acting as formation commander.
(They flipped a coin to see who would be the pilot, since they both wanted to be pilot . . . George won.)
“I had a gunner, Sgt. Helferich, who was also flying his 100th mission. Capt. Myers (Chief) was my bombardier. Maj.. Nash was my tail gunner. Had lots of pictures taken when we landed.”
Major George L. Wells, center, and major fred W. dyer, right, just after completing their 100th mission, February, 1945. offering congratu lations is Colonel Willis F. Chapman.
Flying their 100th mission: George L. Wells, Fred E. Dyer, and robert L. Helferich Also flying its 100th mission, Dogface Willie (7-F), the dependable b-25 aircraft.
| Col. Willis F. Chapman | Group Commander (in middle) |
| Maj. George L Wells | Pilot (left top of crew) |
| Lt. Vernon J. Lyle | Navigator (second from left) |
| Capt. Vincent “Chief” Myer | Bombardier (third from left, can't see him in photo) |
| T/Sgt Robert Helferich | Top Turret Gunner (fourth from left) |
| Maj. Dick Nash | Tail Gunner (left in front) |
| Maj. Fred E. Dyer | Formation Commander (on right in front) |
| T/Sgt John T. Wisanowski | Radio Operator- Gunner (right side of the ladder) |
| T/Sgt Michael Tarkant | Crew Chief |
MISSION #101, MARCH 13, 1945
Formation commander with 488th on Aldeno railroad. Fill in the Brenner Line. Had lots of flak and had an oil line hit in the right engine and had to go on single engine over the target. We had to drop out of formation but we managed to get back OK.
This was the 1st medium bomber that has ever returned from the Brenner Line on single engine. We were on single engine for 2 hours. We were able to hold it at around 6500feet. We were shot at again crossing the Po Valley by 40 and 20 mm. We then had a hard time getting over the mountains between Po Valley and the coast.
MISSION #102: MARCH 19, 1945
Command pilot with 489th on March 19, 1945. This was the Group's 800th mission. The target was a railroad bridge at Muhldorf Austria.
This should be the last mission I'llfly before going homefor a thirty-day leave.
The B-25 and her companions needed each other. It is not a stretch to understand how tight became the bonds between an animate and an inanimate object.
The B-25 was the most state-of-the-art mid-range bomber of its time. This powerful aircraft carried its crew from homeland soil toward the intensity of a war raging on foreign turf, an area of the world on which most of these men had never even dreamed of placing a foot. As they climbed on board, each one gambled his life in this aircraft, day after day, mission after mission. They depended on it entirely for their passage from home base to their perilous goal, often through terrible onslaughts of firepower and flak, and then to return, in whatever condition, whole or broken, back “home.” To the best of its ability, this aircraft protected these men with a steely dependability, without hesitation or complaint, in doing whatever they asked of it. Sometimes it returned its precious cargo with its skin shredded, with a useless engine and a feathered propeller, with a tail half gone or its gas totally gone. The men climbed or were carried out.
Then the other half of the B-25's life took over. Her crew maintained her, healed her wounds, and nursed her every need. They sent her out whole, anxiously awaited her return, and ministered to her injuries. She belonged to them.
The following two stories give a glimpse of these attachments, these emotions — this, in truth, love.
