Tennessee State Library and Archives William Walker Wells Papers, 1943-1995

State of Tennessee Department of State Tennessee State Library and Archives William Walker Wells Papers, 1943-1995 COLLECTION SUMMARY Creator: Wells, William Walker, 1923-2010 Inclusive Dates: 1943-1995, bulk 1943-1945 Scope & Content: Consists primarily of correspondence, but also includes one photograph, two books, and a handful of newspaper clippings. Most letters address Wells’s parents, but some are to his sister, Louise. Letters from January 1943 until September 1944 are originals with the exception of microfilmed v-mail. Beginning with December 1944, letters are photocopies of the originals, which remain with the owner. Many letters detail his assignments and missions but others reveal what United States military personnel did during their time off in England—seeing movies, traveling the countryside, and meeting fellow soldiers and airmen. Perhaps of interest to those studying Tennessee WWII pilots, Wells mentions Cornelia Fort’s death in his March 24, 1943, letter to his parents. His July 29, 1943, letter to his sister Louise is a stunned response to hearing that her husband, Benjamin Ernst’s B-25 was shot down over Italy and he was reported missing in action. From July 15 until August 1, 1943, Wells talks out his preference for and decision to fly a P-38 rather than a medium bomber like the B-25. Wells informs his parents of his disappointment of Frances Ewing’s engagement to John Overton in a September 11, 1943, letter. On September 15, Wells learned that the Italians captured Ernst and he was a prisoner-of-war. A November 29 letter mentions that Vultee in Nashville might be manufacturing P-38s, Wells’ preferred aircraft, in the future. Wells tells his parents in a January 11, 1944, letter that he spotted Frank Sinatra in a clothing store but that he looked “pale and emaciated, like a cadaver.” A letter from early April 1944 details life in England during the war, including the Blitz, letter censorship, and milk rationing. A May 11 letter describes the scarcity of radios in England and the various programs he and other pilots enjoyed when they procured one. In a letter to his parents on May 18, Wells describes his trip to London and the various historical and cultural sites he and his friends visited. His remaining 1944 letters describe various missions and recreational activities he pursued while on leave. An April 1945 letter laments the death of President Roosevelt. A handful of news clippings, one photograph of Wells among his fellow aviation cadets, and two books complete the collection. The first is Wells’s biography of his war service, Letters from an Airman WWII; the second is a collection of stories from Wells and his fellow Nashville fighter pilots of their service, Missions Remembered: Recollections of the WWII Air War by the Men of the Middle Tennessee WWII Fighter Pilots Association. Physical Description/Extent: .5 cubic feet Accession/Record Group Number: 2020-027 Language: English Permanent Location: XIII-B-1 Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee, 37243-0312 Administrative/Biographical History William Walker Wells was born on May 9, 1923, to Horace V. Wells and Maude B. Wells. He graduated from Duncan Prep School in 1940 and enrolled at Vanderbilt University. In June 1942, while still a student at Vanderbilt, Wells enlisted, hoping to join the Army Air Forces. Because of a long list of applicants, Wells waited until January 1943 for his acceptance. He reported to the Army Air Forces Classification Center in Nashville on January 18, 1943. On February 3, Wells and his fellow cadets were assigned and ordered to Santa Ana, California, for pre-flight school. On April 15, after passing all his tests and completing pre-flight training, Wells departed Santa Ana for primary flight training in Santa Maria, California. On April 19, Wells received his first flight instruction, on a PT-17 Stearman. On May 9, he completed his first solo flight and, by June 21, graduated from primary flight training. Wells and his fellow graduates departed for basic training the following evening in Chico, California. On July 29, he learned that his brother-in-law Benjamin Ernst was shot down over Italy, while piloting a B-25. Ernst became a prisoner-of-war. On August 29, 1943, Wells, finished with basic training, departed Chico for Twin Engine Fighter School at Williams Field in Chandler, Arizona. On October 4, Wells arrived at Ajo Army Air Field for gunnery school, where he and his fellow pilots trained until October 10 and Wells happily informed his parents that he was the second best gunner ever recorded at Ajo. On October 24, Wells soloed in the P-38 for the first time and was exhilarated by its power. Wells and his fellow cadets graduated as 2nd lieutenants on November 3, 1943, were sworn in, and awarded their silver pilot wings and gold 2nd lieutenant bars. After graduation, Wells hitched a ride on a Navy plane to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he caught a bus to Nashville. Wells reported to the Army Air Forces Tactical Training Base at Salinas, California, on November 14, 1943. On December 15, Wells arrived in Ellensburg, Oregon, attached to the 4th Interceptor Command. On December 26, he departed Ellensburg for Ontario, California, for his final stint of training. On February 25, 1944, Wells and 12 others were given their orders to depart San Francisco the following day for their port of embarkation in New York City. They arrived on March 2, but did not depart for England until March 24, when they boarded the Queen Mary for their voyage. The ship docked in Greenock, Scotland, on March 29, and they boarded trains for Goxhill, where they arrived the evening of April 1. Wells’s official assignment was the 55th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group. By April most of his group was stationed at RAF Kings Cliffe, but Wells said he was in only one of three squadrons stationed elsewhere due to lack of space at Kings Cliffe. On April 30, 1944, Wells flew his first combat mission, escorting 240 B-17s and 55 B-24s to attack two airfields in central France and an installation near Pas de Calais. Wells’s P-38 was outfitted as a bomber, but his bombs didn’t release properly and destroyed buildings in a nearby town instead of the intended bridge. To make matters worse, Wells’s radio went out early in the mission so he followed visual cues. The first few days of June 1944 were spent escorting bombers to disrupt transportation in western Germany and softening German positions in Normandy ahead of D-Day. On the night of June 5, the 55th Squadron patrolled the skies over the fleet sailing for the beaches of Normandy. They relieved the 77th and 79th Squadrons at 1900 hours and withdrew at 2130, not encountering a single enemy aircraft. Wells was scheduled for the first patrol mission on the morning of June 6 from 0346 to about 0516. During their escort flight, the battleship USS Arkansas nervously fired on them, thinking they were enemy planes. The following day, the 55th Squadron continued patrols over the English Channel, keeping an eye out for enemy ships and aircraft. Over the next few weeks, they flew further inland, disrupting German transport columns on their way to Normandy and on bombing raids targeting German cities such as Berlin. On July 15, 1944, the 8th Fighter Command replaced their P-38s with P-51s, a faster, more maneuverable aircraft, according to Wells. By the end of July, Wells was promoted to 1st lieutenant. On August 12, Wells and three others reported to Navy Commander Smith at Winfarthing-Fersfield airfield, 15 miles south of Norwich. Smith informed them that their upcoming mission was the highest classified mission of the war except for the invasion of Normandy. They were to participate in Project Anvil, precision bombing raids against bunkers and V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket facilities. Their particular mission was to accompany a PB4Y Liberator, laden with over 21,000 pounds of explosives over the North Sea. After piloting it on course, the Liberator’s pilots would then bail out and have radio operators control the now-drone to its destination. It is unclear the exact date of Wells’s actual mission, but the drone exploded prematurely and blew his P-51 1000 feet into the air. Wells recounted that this also happened the week before, killing pilots Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., and Wilford Willy. Wells stated that the target was Heligoland and its V-2 base, but Heligoland’s targets appear to have been U-boat pens rather than V-2 launching sites. On August 27, 1944, Wells participated in a massive bombing and fighter raid on Denmark. His group attacked the Nazi air base at Esbjerg. As they approached, they were beset on all sides with anti-aircraft fire. Wells’s plane was hit multiple times and four of his fellow pilots were shot down, including his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Wilson. This was part of the largest air raid on Denmark during the war; unfortunately, it also resulted in many civilian casualties. Early on September 11, 1944, Wells was assigned to a “shuttle mission” to Russia aimed at destroying Nazi oil refineries in Czechoslovakia. The 20th group took off from England and escorted 75 B-17s. They were met with heavy Luftwaffe resistance but successfully completed their bombing run and continued on to Piryatin airfield in Russia to refuel and re-arm. On the morning of September 13, the fighter group escorted bombers to hit targets in Hungary before landing at bases along the east coast of Italy and later returning to Kings Cliffe on September 16.

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