1227 DIARY OF KIAB-17 BALL TURRET GUNNER REX

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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2026 May 27 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 100.00 USD
Estimated at 200.00 - 300.00 USD
WERTMAN'S WIFE. Rex Werman served in the 91st Bomb Group, 322nd Squadron as a Ball Turret Gunner aboard the B-17 Bomber "Skunkface" aka "Terrible Ten". He reached the rank of sergeant. On Feb. 20th 1944 his plane was shot down by German fighters during a bombing run targeting an aircraft factory in Oschersleben, Germany. The crew was able to bale prior to the crash, however Sgt. Wertman was shot in the throat by a German sniper while he descended. He survived the landing and after being captured by Germans he died while being transported to a hospital. A fellow crewman was with him in the transport at the time of his death. The diary starts 3 months after the B-17 was shot down with Mrs. Wertman writing 98 pages of daily entries. Amongst those entries there are references to her knowing he was no longer alive, however she could not accept his death and wrote as if he was still alive. The final entry was on Feb. 9th 1946 there is no indication as to why the entries stopped. Included with the diary is a 3 ring binder with a large amount of research including copies of the missing aircrew reports, casualty reports and details of the other crew members aboard the Skunkface. CONDITION: overall good. The diary is written within a US Army tablet that some minor tattering and tears with some pages that have come loose. (02-26335/ZAL). NON-GUN. $200-300.