Description:

(DOOLITTLE MISSION) NAVIGATOR CARL R. WILDNER'S TOKYO MISSION DIARY
Lt. Col. CARL R. WILDNER (1915-1994) served as the navigator with Crew #2 aboard Plane #40-2292 piloted by Capt. Travis Hoover. They followed Doolittle's bomber until it reached the Japanese shore, at which time Hoover veered off to bomb his own targets, two factory buildings and storehouses. He then trailed Doolittle most of the way to China where he managed to make a wheels-up crash-landing in a soft rice paddy. The crew, uninjured, torched their B-25 and walked for three days before friendly local guerilla fighters found them. Wildner later served in India until July 1943. A most historic document, Wildner's handwritten diary from the famous raid on Tokyo, describing his plane's bombing of their intended target, his evasion from capture, and events transpiring immediately thereafter. There is no doubt Wildner penned this diary over at least four different occasions, with the first section concerning the raid itself written in shaky pencil. The fabulous content reads in very small part: '...Apr 18 So begins chapter 6 over Tokyo at 10:22 Chungling time (probably 12:22 here)... We followed Col. Doolittle's plane. We expected pursuit, but only saw trainers. They were not expecting us. We saw farmers working, & a group of soldiers at a camp. We dropped our bombs at 10:23 for what was probably an electric plant. [Ozuk] reported later that we left a large oil tank blazing. We zipped over the houses & headed down Tokyo bay. We saw a seaplane trainer, a flying boat & many ships. We touched the props on the water when Hoover got careless. Met Col. [Doolittle] at bottom of bay at about 10:50. Passed bottom of Japan about 14:20. The weather was perfect over Japan...we expected pursuit. The lack of opposition was a surprise. Arrived over lighthouse at entrance of Hangchow Bay about 17:30 & left motor spit. Went SW, found a rice paddy & landed about 17:45 just before dark. Weather bad. Took clothes out of plane. Took an hour to really set it on fire. Could not find camera or trench coat because the [?] out when part of the bottom ripped off. I put a seat cushion up against Fitzhugh's armor plate & rested my head against it. [Some] jar but not a scratch. Decided to abandon our clothes because we might be in occupied territory, & started out on compass. Splashed thru rice paddies by the light of the burning plane & Roman-candle-like incendiary bullets. Slept in rain on hill. Found small concrete machine gun emplacement & hid in it all day. Watched crowd of people around airplane, but could not distinguish if there were any soldiers. Caught rain water on a [sleeve] & wrung it out. Started at dark over next hill. Tried to cross marsh flats in rain but gave up & went single file along stone path through a village. Each fell in several holes, & Miller in every one. After several smelly villages climbed a steep hill. 20 Slept exhausted 1-5 AM in rain. Continued because we were shivering... We lived on chocolate & hardtack & water from mountain stream. Built lean to & slept - no rain. 21 Tues Shivering at dawn. Still weak from lack of sleep so [progress] slow. Feet sore from walking with wet shoes. More hills. Finally saw a home that looked middle class & went in. Proved to be swell people. Gave us hot water & rice. Drew flags on map & said no Japs near. They had heard of our plane. Started along valley. Interrupted by guerillas, another group fired on all of us. At village we tried to explain our situation. They had robbed us of many of our few belongings, & gave some back. Walked 10 miles to Sung-a & saw leader who spoke a little English. Slept on smelly [board] bed. 22 Considerate soldier wanted to loan us his toothbrush. Walk to edge of bay. Covered boat. Bandits tried to hold us up, but soldiers out-numbered them & took their guns. Dinner at town we landed - many dirty chinks watched us eat...Walked to camp near [Ninghi]. Schoolteacher could talk a bit of English. Got telephone call saying another group would meet us in Taichow - very confusing. Got our first brown sugar & poached eggs. Our boys had been taking them raw before. Slept on an officer's bed that was fairly clean. 25 Started out in rickshaws after exit that was a bit of a parade. The Chinese soldier has a cheap cotton uniform of yellow-green, grey, blue or black, wrapped legs & a Chinese sun button on his cap. He carries an old rifle & cloth cartridge belt - some of them have a [Luger] pistol in a wooden shoulder stock case. They wear straw sandals or cloth slippers. The [guerilla] has less - usually only an armband, & any old kind of rifle or pistol...May 6 Arr 5 PM at [Hangyang]. Wattson, Griffin, [Parber] here waiting. Nice place, swell beds. Good meal. China boys all over the place. May 7 (Thurs) Hangang Arise 6 AM, Breakfast (8) at first alarm. Took launch downstream & hid on hillside. A bomber in V of V's. About 6 bursts of AA missed...10 Observation planes came over, & several raids on other place kept us away till 1 PM. Coffee & cake with Mr. Overmeyer the missionary. Then a feed & drunk on wine at a hotel. 12 of us has a swell feed (total people 22) on Mr. Yang with the toasts in tea. We had been shopping in the afternoon again... We cursed the Chinese. In mid morning came another call, & we all got to the field just as it arrived. US Army DC3. Would not take Liu [ar] Yu. Feeling ill before start. 2 ½ hrs to Chungking - landed on a road on a terrace about 200' wide. Went to Hq. of Amer. forces. Got very weak from dysentery. Several others assisted me in keeping the can busy. 15 Still weak, & busy on personal reports. Explosions last night proved to be blasting for caves in hills. 16 (Sat) Got paid 241.25 per & 217.57 pay...17 Presented with Order of the Cloud by Mme Chiang. Had excellent dinner. Met the General also...18 Am 27 today. Were paid on our word - thanks to Maj. Coudray. He went to Amherst College...19 DC3 to Kunming. Saw some of the AVG. Got stuck in mud, but [got out] and by coolie power. Over mountains at 16,000 in overcast - no O2. Came down to 1000 ft under rain clouds - hot. Still have [?] & feel lousy. Missed Calcutta by 35 mi, so found landing strip & landed. Natives pointed the way... 20 Borrow clothes from [Grouela]. Go to hospital. Still weak from... cold to hot & lack of 02. 28 Left B [?] Mil. Hazy. Still a bit affected... 29 Had my first Tom Collins love - not too bad. Hoover brought a Burmese gal up to the room... 10 Left by DC-3 for Allahabad all the remaining going. 5 hr trip. Very cool at 10,000 ft, then 125 [degrees] on ground - thought I would pass out... Can't show these bastards any consideration, they are just like the camel & tent fable- the more they get the more they want... 17 Beginning to crack down on these beggars - have published list of fruit prices, & licensing of vendors... 23 Saw my first cobra a snake charmer had him, but no flute. He also had scorpions (which I had never seen before). Learned that Leonard is going home guess they haven't forgotten us... 25 Man with the cobra, lizards & scorpions came around again. Rain all day. 27 To Delhi. Have the drizzles again - as soon as I quit taking vitamin B tablets. 28 (Sun) To Karachi - damned dust bowl. Page 26 Just when the weather was getting OK in Allahabad. 29 Crews working on B17s to get them running & go to Cairo. Another attack of cramps. 30 Assigned to 6th Ferry Sqdn. Capt. Rafferty asked if I wanted to go on a 17 to a place near Eritrea. The only objection that I raised was that I might be taken back to the US - so he said forget it. Getting used to this sitting business. July 1 Starting on pay vouchers. We are living at Malir - some distance from the field & town - trucks take us. July 8 Maj Rafferty told me I was to be operations for the 6th & to move into a tent at the field... 9 Moved in. sat around TIFC all PM. Marshe & Baine arr. from Calcutta on way home. 10 Field drying out. Visited Garrett at hosp - he has appendix out. 11 Rain in night woke us 6" in tent. Cleaned mud out, & British released some water... 15 insides improved considerably. Fired pistol...Aug 7 Got first letter - from Ed - dated July 10. Got some magazines from Christie a pilot in Bill Bowers class. My insides have been OK for about a week now about time. Ed said that mother had not received any letters from me - strange. Capt Fletcher returned yesterday, & reports that our boys are having a hot time in China. I have been tempted to get a transfer because now I am only asst supply off. to Carr... but if I did I might get a worse place, there are few bombers, & I am afraid of the half assed way that missions are run now... 13 had my DFC presented by Gen. Brady. Joined the 7th Bomb - thus completing a cycle...' Wildner has signed the cover in block letters, as well as the first flyleaf, and adds his home address at the time. Years later, he signed the same page again. Cover detached, else very good, with full transcript and a period 8 x 10 in. official Army photo of the flyer. WITH: Wildner's matching mechanical pencil and pocket knife, possibly carried and used on the flight. Outstanding.

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November 13, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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