Raymond S. Wetmore
Encyclopedia
Ray S. Wetmore was a leading U.S. Army ace of World War II. He was killed after a cross country flight from California.
, Wetmore enlisted in the Army in November 1941 at age 18 and entered pilot training eight months later. Upon commissioning in March 1943 he joined the new 359th Fighter Group which was sent to England in October that year. Flying with the 370th Fighter Squadron
, in February and March 1944 Wetmore scored his first 4.25 victories flying the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
. Upon conversion to P-51 Mustang
s the group ranged farther afield and Wetmore became a 20-year-old ace with a double victory on May 19, downing two Me-109s. At month's end his tally was 8.25. At year's end he was a captain with nearly 15 kills, flying a Mustang named Daddy's Girl.
During World War II, Wetmore had a rather entertaining story during the Battle of the Bulge
. Wetmore and his wingman, Lieutenant John F. McAlevey, were sent to the Battle of the Bulge
. American gunners on the ground were told to shoot at anything they heard. The problem was, it was extremely cloudy, so American gunners shot at their own planes as well as German planes. As Wetmore was flying, a piece of flack hit his wing and burst open his wheel. His wing lit on fire, but Wetmore didn't notice. His wingman, McAlevey, shouted "You're hit, Wetmore!". Wetmore went into a nosedive and extinguished the fire. McAlevey, who had also been hit, landed his plane in France, where he would return to England the next day.
Upon return from leave in the U.S., then-Captain Wetmore scored steadily from November 1944 to January 1945. In that period he downed 12 more enemy fighters including 4.5 FW-190s on January 14. His final victory was a rocket-powered Me-163 on March 15. His final score was 21.25 destroyed and one damaged in aerial combat, highest score in the 359th Fighter Group
and eighth best of all Americans in the European Theater. On VE-Day he was a 21-year-old major.
with a F-86 Sabre
on a trip to Otis. When he was on his final approach, his plane suddenly shot up skyward, and then turned towards the ground where it crashed. Raymond was killed instantly. He was reported to have said that he had trouble steering and ejecting from the plane. He was also reported to have said to the tower that, "I'm going to go up and bring it down in Wakeby Lake, so I don't hit any houses." When he died, he left a widow and four children.
World War II
Born in Kerman, CaliforniaKerman, California
Kerman is a city at the intersection of State Route 180 and State Route 145 in Fresno County, California, USA. The population was 13,544 at the 2010 census. Kerman is located west of Fresno, at an elevation of 220 feet ....
, Wetmore enlisted in the Army in November 1941 at age 18 and entered pilot training eight months later. Upon commissioning in March 1943 he joined the new 359th Fighter Group which was sent to England in October that year. Flying with the 370th Fighter Squadron
370th Fighter Squadron
The 370th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 359th Fighter Group, VIII Fighter Command, stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945-History:...
, in February and March 1944 Wetmore scored his first 4.25 victories flying the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
. Upon conversion to P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s the group ranged farther afield and Wetmore became a 20-year-old ace with a double victory on May 19, downing two Me-109s. At month's end his tally was 8.25. At year's end he was a captain with nearly 15 kills, flying a Mustang named Daddy's Girl.
During World War II, Wetmore had a rather entertaining story during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. Wetmore and his wingman, Lieutenant John F. McAlevey, were sent to the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. American gunners on the ground were told to shoot at anything they heard. The problem was, it was extremely cloudy, so American gunners shot at their own planes as well as German planes. As Wetmore was flying, a piece of flack hit his wing and burst open his wheel. His wing lit on fire, but Wetmore didn't notice. His wingman, McAlevey, shouted "You're hit, Wetmore!". Wetmore went into a nosedive and extinguished the fire. McAlevey, who had also been hit, landed his plane in France, where he would return to England the next day.
Upon return from leave in the U.S., then-Captain Wetmore scored steadily from November 1944 to January 1945. In that period he downed 12 more enemy fighters including 4.5 FW-190s on January 14. His final victory was a rocket-powered Me-163 on March 15. His final score was 21.25 destroyed and one damaged in aerial combat, highest score in the 359th Fighter Group
359th Fighter Group
The 359th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945....
and eighth best of all Americans in the European Theater. On VE-Day he was a 21-year-old major.
Death
As a major, Wetmore commanded the 59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts. On February 14, 1951, Raymond took off from Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with a F-86 Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
on a trip to Otis. When he was on his final approach, his plane suddenly shot up skyward, and then turned towards the ground where it crashed. Raymond was killed instantly. He was reported to have said that he had trouble steering and ejecting from the plane. He was also reported to have said to the tower that, "I'm going to go up and bring it down in Wakeby Lake, so I don't hit any houses." When he died, he left a widow and four children.
External links
- http://www.johnfmcalevey.com/ww2/remagen.htm
- http://members.tripod.com/~manchurianhitchcock/otis.html
- http://www.midwestaero.com/articles/daddysgirl.pdf
- http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=23141