False story of B-17 loss at Midway

[Steve Birdsall]

A few years ago another one of those bogus stories turned up on the internet, this one about a crew allegedly shot down by Japanese fighters in a B-17E during the Midway battle. The story claims the pilot was Captain Joseph Tuell and he was one of only three survivors from the ten-man crew.

It’s simply not true. Two B-17s were lost at Midway and both planes and crews are fully accounted for. Tuell was not involved and I'd like to get to the bottom of this if I can.

The records show that a Lt Joseph C. Tuell, serial number O-371878, left the 50th Reconnaissance Squadron, 11th Bomb Group December 30, 1940, after serving about two years in Hawaii.

He joined the 55th Pursuit Squadron, 20th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field January 20, 1941. On October 1, 1941 he cracked up a 20th Pursuit Group P-40E, 40-495, at Esler Field, Louisiana – engine failed on takeoff.

I can’t find anything more about him until he turns up as Major Tuell and C.O. of the 33rd Fighter Sector, 85th Fighter Wing on Biak in June 1944, and he was on Morotai in October. He briefly commanded the 86th Fighter Wing in November. He returned home (to Bisbee, Arizona) from the Pacific in August 1945.

I’d really like to find out some details of Tuell’s career between late 1941 and mid-1944, but so far I’ve hit a brick wall.

Even if I have the wrong Joseph Tuell, the B-17 story is false.

[Dan Johnson]

But Steve, if it was on the internet it must be true!

Is this the story? Supposedly the guy quoted was on the crew that was shot down June 5, 1942 at Midway

http://www.hookelenews.com/1941-hickam- ... day-today/

[Dan Johnson]

Some digging on Ancestry.com. Wonder if this is the same guy

Name: Joseph Charles Tuel
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 25 Jul 1915
Birth Place: Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
Father: Charles H Tuel
Mother: Ethel M Campton

Name: Joseph C Tuell
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1943
Street address: 50 Byxbee
Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation: United States Army
Spouse: Drese E Tuell
Publication Title: San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1943

Name: Joseph C Tuell
Gender: Male
Residence Year: 1950
Street address: 2743 Elmwood rd
Residence Place: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Spouse: Derese E G Tuell
Publication Title: Jacksonville, Florida, City Directory, 1950

Name: Derese K Tuell
Gender: Female
Residence Year: 1951
Street address: 2713 Rd
Residence Place: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Spouse: Joseph C Tuell
Publication Title: Jacksonville, Florida, City Directory, 1951

TUELL, JOSEPH CHARLES O-371878

Name: Joseph Tuell
Age at Death: 87
Birth Date: Abt 1915
Birth Place: Bisbee AR
Death Date: abt 2002
Death Place: Brandon FL
Publication or Record Date: 4 Dec 2002

Name: Joseph C. Tuell
SSN: 414-46-4091
Last Residence:
33509 Brandon, Hillsborough, Florida, USA
BORN: 25 Jul 1915
Died: 30 Nov 2002

Name: C Joseph Tuell
Age: 25
Estimated birth year: abt 1915
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian (White)
Birthplace: Arizona
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii
Map of Home in 1940: View Map
Street: Kapahula Road
House Number: D 124
Farm: No
Sheet Number: 9A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 296
Occupation: Lieutenant
House Owned or Rented: Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 50
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: College, 2nd year
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 44
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker
Weeks Worked in 1939: 52
Income: 1875
Income Other Sources: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
C Joseph Tuell 25
Derese Tuell 19


From the New Mexico Military Institute Yearbook, 1937

[Dan Johnson]

Just trying to check the story of the vet in that article. He mentions a buddy who was killed and that looks mostly accurate, although he says he was cut in half, and his date of death is December 8th.


James E. Strickland, Jr.
ID: 07003254
Entered the Service From: Tennessee
Rank: Private

Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 23rd Materiel Squadron, 17th Air Base Group

Died: Monday, December 08, 1941
Buried at: Honolulu Memorial
Location: Honolulu, HI, USA
Plot: B Row: Grave: 76

Awards: Purple Heart

[Dan Johnson]

Our man is in this image from 1936 at the New Mexico Military Institute. I shot them an e-mail in hopes they might have some archives and maybe a photo of him. Who knows, we might get lucky

[Steve Birdsall]

Thanks Dan - I think he's the one . . . there seems to be a bit of confusion whether his name was Joseph Charles Tuell or Joseph Compton Tuell but a lot of it fits. He was identified in the Arizona Republic as being 30 years old when he returned from the Pacific, so born 1915.

I'm wondering whether Tuell might have been seriously hurt in the P-40 crash and out of action for a while.

I don't know if it's Swanson's memory failing or not, but I think this kind of thing is disrespectful of the people who really gave their all. There's even a September 2015 story in a Kentucky newspaper that stated that “Swanson helped sink at least two Japanese war ships and win one of the most decisive victories in the Pacific Theater”.

Talk about fake news. That was fake news in 1942!

[Dan Johnson]

Steve I found this a few minutes ago. It's Swanson talking about the Midway flights. Hard to know what to think. He mentions the cruisers. He also says the guy in the tail survived as it broke off so more than three survivors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USB9qPRif3s

[Dan Johnson]

Joseph Compton Tuell was in the Navy so he definitely isn't the guy. That Joseph C. Tuell was living in Hawaii in 1940 supports part of the Swanson story. Interestingly enough he calls him Joseph L. Tuell. But I can't find anything on a Joseph L Tuell and it seems the rest of the evidence points to Joseph C Tuell fitting the profile most closely.

[Steve Birdsall]

Steve I found this a few minutes ago. It's Swanson talking about the Midway flights. Hard to know what to think. He mentions the cruisers. He also says the guy in the tail survived as it broke off so more than three survivors.

He keeps telling that story but nothing like he describes happened to a B-17 at Midway. As you know, only two B-17Es were lost during the Battle of Midway - 5th Bomb Group's 41-2529 with Kramer and 41-9212 with Porter - and both those crews and planes are fully accounted for.

I've got pretty good records of all the B-17s lost in the Pacific Theaters, and none of the names or circumstances match his tale.

[Steve Birdsall]

Here's an enlargement from a picture of Major Joseph Tuell on Morotai in Ocrober 1944 . . .

[Steve Birdsall]

Durward Swanson also refers to a "Lt R. Macey" as the bombardier on the doomed B-17 he claims he was in.

The best fit I can find is this fellow, Railey W. Macey, Jr, O-379973 . . . picture from a University of Florida yearbook. So far I haven't been able to find any Air Corps records for him.

[Dan Johnson]

So the question is, were there any B17E losses flying out of Hawaii, that might fit the description that may have occurred around the time of Midway, but were not directly related to Midway? My copy of Fortress against the Sun is out of reach at the moment. As Mr. Swanson was invalided out of the service due to the wounds received on that flight, I imagine it would be possible to confirm the date.

Don't you love a good mystery?

Hope you don't mind if I play along and do some more digging

[Dan Johnson]

Durward Swanson also refers to a "Lt R. Macey" as the bombardier on the doomed B-17 he claims he was in.

The best fit I can find is this fellow, Railey W. Macey, Jr, O-379973 . . . picture from a University of Florida yearbook. So far I haven't been able to find any Air Corps records for him.

Found information on this Macey that he resigned his commission in 1949 and that he was an Infantry Officer.

[Steve Birdsall]

Well that explains it. Thanks Dan.

As you know, Swanson claims he was in Captain Don Ridings' 72nd Squadron formation on 5 June, and on the seven B-17 crews in that formation, five of the bombardiers were sergeants, one was a corporal and only one was a lieutenant. So if there was a bombardier named Macey he may have been an enlisted man.

He's obviously either misremembering things or making stuff up. His story most - but only very vaguely - resembles the ditching of Glen Kramer's crew - they claimed two hits on a cruiser. But no fighters, they got lost and ran out of fuel.

[Dan Johnson]

Well I suppose it could be his claim to fame. There is a fairly well known story of a P-38 pilot who wrote a book and did the airshow, militaria show circuit signing autographs and selling books. His own squadron mates tore down his story showing how he'd taken the events and actions that involved other pilots and made them his own. Why he felt the need, as he'd been a combat pilot, to make it up and embellish it to fit his narrative, is beyond me.

Whatever you do, don't buy a copy of "Doorknob 52"