Why A B-17 Pilot Secretly Changed His Bombing Run

Lt. Colonel William Bonelli was sent to the Fiji Islands as an airplane mechanic primarily on the B-17 Flying Fortress. Later on, he would become a pilot and fly his beloved bomber. He then went on to fly 30 combat missions over Italy and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.

Passion for Airplanes

As tensions in Europe rose and war loomed on the horizon, William Bonelli enlisted himself in the Army Air Corps mainly because of his interest in airplanes. He would eventually become an aviation mechanic, completing his basic training in Hawaii.

During his time there, he witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Joining the Military

Bonelli eventually joined the military to become a pilot. On his application, he placed the B-17 as his number one preference.  “I knew the airplane backward and forward mechanically and all I have to do is learn how to fly it,” he said.

He attended flight school in New Mexico and was stationed in Foggia, Italy in 1944. He was the group and squadron leader with the 77th Bomb Squadron, 463rd Bomb Group.

A Life-Changing Event

Later that year, Bonelli damaged his plane to enemy fire when he flew over Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. He was shaken up by the event that he devised his own strategy that could save many lives in his squadron doing sortie missions in Regensburg, Germany.

He said that the position of Charlie Squadron lead, the third squadron in a row, was a pretty dumb maneuver. In his mind, it was flying suicide. So, he asked his bombardier, Brett Anderson if he would have a problem if he (Bonelli) extended his base leg before turning onto an A-track, to which Anderson replied, “I agree. I gotcha.”

“If it hadn’t been for that maneuver on my part, I wouldn’t be sitting here today,” Bonelli said.

A Hero

Overall, Lt. Colonel William Bonelli flew 30 sorties during WWII and was the squadron commander and lead pilot in 21 of these forays. After the war ended, he continued to serve in the Army Air Forces. He took on as many aviation classes as he could during his time and even learned how to fly a helicopter.

He retired after 20 years of service in 1960 at the age of 39 as a lieutenant colonel, and during his service, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. This interview was recorded in May 2019, and Bonelli passed away peacefully at this home at the age of 100 on May 12, 2021.