John T. Wilson was six feet tall, of slender to medium build, blonde, blue-eyed, with fair complexion. He enjoyed working outdoors, and thus found his eventual career working in the southern states agreeable. After his childhood and teenage years during the Great Depression, living on farms and helping his father and grandfather at work in the sawmill and at oil drilling, he married his high school sweetheart from a nearby farm. He served in WWII, mainly as a POW, and afterward lived a very mobile life building power lines for TVA - the Tennessee Valley Authority. His later TVA years and retirement were spent in Scottsboro, Alabama.
(See Complete Biography)

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	10 Nov 1917	Worth Twp., Butler Co. PA		^[4]
Marriage	2 Feb 1940	Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	To Ella May Beals	^[3][4]
Military	19 Jan -17 May 1945 Europe	WWII Army Airforce, Cpl. B17 tail gunner, 483 Bombardment Group, 815 Squadron, based in Foggia, Italy	caputred near Lenti, Hungary; POW, Austria & Germany	^[3][4]
Death	18 May 1985	VA Hospital, Birmingham AL		^[6]
Burial	22 May 1985	Nickleville Presby. Cemetery, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA		^[6]

 Generation 1               Generation 2             Generation 3
 
                                                 +-- Bert Winiford Wilson
                                                 |   (1891-1971)             
                        +-- John Thomas Wilson --+
                        |   (1917-1985)          |
 Elizabeth Ann Wilson --+                        +-- Clara Mabel Wimer
 (1943- )               |                            (1891-1944)
                        +-- Ella May Beals
                            (1917- )
 Sources: ^[4][6]

Children

(2 daughters with Ella May Beals)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Elizabeth Ann Wilson	F					^[6]
living Wilson	F					^[6]

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Birth & Early Years			^[3][4]
Worth Twp., Butler Co. PA	b.1917-~1930	with parents	^[4]
Nickleville, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	~1930 - 1938	high school in Emlenton, work with REA during Great Depression	^[3][4]
OH, NC	1938-1940	line work for REA or private power companies	^[3]
Early Marriage			^[3]
Laurens, SC	14 Feb 1940 - late spring	line construction, REA/ Miller Baxter	^[3]
Polk, Sandy Creek Twp., Venango Co. PA	1940	REA or private power companies	^[3]
Cornelius, SC; Lexington & Madison, NC	Oct 1940-1941	REA or private power companies	^[3]
Ellwood City, Lawrence Co. PA	late summer 1941	helped a cousin build a house	^[3]
Monks Corner, SC	1941-42	REA or private power companies; leased Green Gables Cafe & gas station for 10 wks, $1000 profit	^[3] Green Gables Cafe, Monks Corner, SC, April 1942
Smyrna, NashvilleTN Gallatin TN ("Green River Line"), Scottsville TN; Glasgow, Newport KY; Kingsport TN (Nov 42- Mar 43)	1942	Bought 1st trailer worked for REA or private power companies, Holston Defense in Kingsport; laid off in March	^[3]
Pittsburgh, PA	Spring 1943	private employer, not recorded	^[3]
Military Training	14 Aug 1943, drafted		^[3]
Greensboro NC	Aug 1943-?		^[3[]
Greenville SC	by Christmas 1943- 1944	Furman Univ.; accelerated officers training; entire class "washed out"	^[3]
Midland TX	1944, after Mar	training as tail-gunner	^[3]
Alexandria LA	1944, including Dec	training	^[3]
Lincoln, NB	1944, including Dec	for shipment overseas	^[3]
Military Service, WWII	14 Aug 1943, drafted		^[3][4]
Camp Patrick Henry, VA	19 Jan 1945	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Patrick_Henry	^[4]
Gibraltar	5 Feb 1945		^[4]
Algiers, N. Africa	8 Feb 1945		^[4]
Naples, Italy	12 Feb 1945		^[4]
Foggia, Italy	17 Feb 1945	base of operation, 483 Bombardment Group, 815 Squadron Pilot, Harvey A. Mitchell	^[4]
Lenti, Hungary	14 Mar 1945	taken POW	^[4]
Bratislava	19 Mar 1945	POW	^[4]
Vienna, Austria	20 Mar 1945	POW	^[4]
Nurenberg, Ger.	22 Mar 1945	POW	^[4]
marching, location unrecorded	23 Mar 1945	POW	^[4]
Nurenberg, Ger.	25 Mar 1945	POW	^[4]
Moosburg, Ger.	20 Apr 1945 ; Liberation 29 Apr 1945	POW (camp history website) (Wikipedia's Stalag VII-A site), (description of the events surround the liberation itself) ( 1 May 1945 NY Times Moosburg Prison Camp Liberation)	^[4]
Landshut, Ger.	4 May 1945		^[4]
Reims, France	6 May 1945		^[3][4]
St. Vallery, France	17 May 1945		^[3][4]
Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	1945-1948	Depression Era persisted; worked in brother-in-law's garage in Emlenton; lived with Beals in-laws, then rented Joe Rose house, Mariasville	^[3][6]

The following chart serves as a record of the work career of John T. Wilson with TVA; an indication of school locations for his daughters; and a guide to dates/locations for some of the photographs. Locations in parentheses indicate additional work locations while in one residence location. In 1967 he was working with the Rubin R Rubinson/Robinson crew, TVA Western Division, per wedding card to daughter Elizabeth.

TVA Career Location	Dates	Landlords	Sources
Russelville, AL	4-28 Feb, 1948	Edward Pace	^[3]
Wilson Dam, AL	28 Feb-8 Apr 1948	Dempsey Terry	^[3]
West Point, MS	8 Apr-12 Apr 1948	Goat's Texaco Sta.	^[3]
Mayfield KY	12 Apr - 9 May 1948	Richard Bagwell	^[3]
Paris TN	17 May-13 June 1948	Dave Oliver	^[3]
Mayfield KY	12 June-2 July 1948	Mrs. Cleve Sanderson	^[3]
Mountain City TN	3 July-20 Aug 1948	Alf McQueen	^[3]
Mt. Pleasant TN	21 Aug - 20 Sept 1948	Mrs. Ethel Simmons	^[3]
Murfreesboro TN	20 Sept - 23 Oct 1948	Otto Green	^[3]
Woodbury TN	23 Oct -11 Dec 1948	Joe Stephens	^[3]
McMinville TN	11 Dec - 17 Jan 1948/49	Roy Newby	^[3]
Nashville TN	17-21 Jan 1949	Pure Oil Sta.	^[3]
Chattanooga TN	21-24 Jan 1949	Farniers Trailer Pk , Cherokee Blvd.	^[3]
Knoxville TN	24 Jan - 2 Mar 1949	King's Grocery, Southerland Ave	^[3]
Lenoir City TN	2 Mar - 16 Ma6 1949	C. E. Brachett	^[3]
Elizabethton TN	16 May - 4 June 1949	Mrs. Bowen	^[3]
Nashville TN	4 June - 25 July 1949	E. G. Davenport	^[3]
Jackson TN	30 July - 19 Nov 1949	Mrs. W. B. Ranson	^[3]
Cadiz KY	19 Nov - 29 Jan 1949/50	White Eagle Cafe	^[3]
Memphis TN	29 Jan - 9 Feb 1950	Harbin's Cabins, Hwy 51	^[3]
Tupelo MS	9 Feb - 11 Mar 1950	Rockway Inn, Hwy 45	^[3]
West Point MS	11 Mar - 1 Apr 1950	Goat's Texaco St.	^[3]
Tupelo MS	1 Apr - 27 May 1950	Rockway Inn, Cecil Cafe	^[3]
Corinth MS	27 May - 3 July 1950	Randolph Yancy, 1411 Wick St.	^[3]
Jackson TN	3 July - 15 July 1950	Mrs. W. B. Ranson	^[3]
New Johnsonville/Camden TN	15 July - 18 July 1950	J'ville Trailer Pk	^[3]
Jackson TN	19 July - 24 July 1950	Mrs. W. B. Ranson	^[3]
Macon MS	24 July - 16 Dec 1950	Mrs. M. B. McLemore	^[3]
West Point MS	16 Dec - 15 Jan 1950/51	Goat's Texaco Sta.	^[3]
Somerville TN	15 Jan - 19 May 1951	H. G. Myers tourist home	^[3]
Memphis TN	19 May - 15 June 1951	J. C. Harbin's, Rt. 51	^[3]
Jackson TN	15 June - 24 July 1951	Mrs. W. B. Ranson	^[3]
Lexington	24 July - 16 Aug 1951		^[3]
Jackson TN	16 Aug-7 Sept 1951	Mrs. W. B. Ranson	^[3]
Benton KY	23 Sept - 23 Feb 1951/52	Herman Kanatzer	^[3]
Fulton KY (McKenzie, Martin,)	23 Feb - 31 May 1952	Star Cafe, Hwy on state line	^[3]
Benton KY	31 May - 16 Oct 1952	Ben Hunt, Rt.3 (till 16 Sept) Will Eggner, Mrs. Farmer	^[3]
Jackson TN (Lexington, Union City)	16 Oct- 6 June 1952/53	Mrs. W. B. Ranson	^[3]
Tupelo MS	6 June - 8 July 1953	Rockway Inn	^[3]
West Point MS	8 July - 1 Sept 1953	T.J. Earnest, Prairie Jct.	^[3]
Louisville MS	1 Sept - 14 Nov 1953	Millers Trailer Pk, Mrs. Elva Roberts	^[3]
Pontatoc MS	14 Nov - 2 Jan 1953/54	Houston & Jack ? (illegible), across from Jerry's Drive In	^[3]
Corinth MS (& Tiptonville)	2 Jan - 30 May 1954	Horton Groc.	^[3]
Waverly TN	30 May - 21 Aug 1954	Wm. "Plunk" Gould	^[3]
Dickson TN	21 Aug - 27 Oct 1954	Ludy & Lorraine ___	^[3]
Bolivar TN	27 Oct - 2 Jan 1954/55	foster Motel, Elgie & Inez	^[3]
Russellville AL	2 Jan - 23 Feb 1955	Bendix Standard Sta.	^[3]
Holly Springs MS	23 Feb - 18 Mar 1955	LaFever Holly Courts	^[3]
Covington TN	18 Mar - 7/8 Apr 1955	Mrs Adams (with Ruth & Dan Price)	^<[3]/sup>
Sheffield AL	9 Apr - 21 June 1955	Tri-Cities Trailer Ct.	^[3]
Huntsville AL	21 June - 2 July 1955	Whispering Pines	^[3]
Benton KY	2 July - 20 July 1955	Mrs. Eggner	^[3]
Huntsville AL	24 July - 7 Aug 1955	Mrs. Williams, 401 McKinley	^[3]
Russellville AL	7 Aug - 3 Dec 1955	M. H. McMurray Cafe	^[3]
Athens AL	3 Dec - 10 Mar 1955/56	Old Spinning Wheel Motel, .Mitchell Wallace	^[3]
Sheffield AL	10 Mar - 21 July 1956	Walter Kelly, 1701 High St.	^[3]
Scottsboro, AL	22 July 1956 - retirement after Sept.1967-1970	Hwy 72 ponds & bait shop	^[3][6]
Scottsboro, AL	after retirement; died 1985	built house on Hwy 72	^[6]

Photo Gallery

1936 high school graduate

31 July 1936, age 19

31 July 1936

20 July 1937, age almost 20

John & Ella Wilson at Beals farm, 1940

John & Ella Wilson ~1940

1940 at New River, SC

1941

with daughter Betsy, possibly Kingsport TN

Fathers Day, June 1943

John with Betsy, 1943 at Bert & Clara Wilson farm, Nickleville, Venango Co. PA

14 Aug 1943, day of swearing-in; with dau. Betsy and nephews John & Jim Vergis

Oct 1943 Greensboro NC

3 June 1944, Greenville SC

John Wilson at right, back row, with crew of B-17 "Flying Fortress" bomber
(Click photo for names)

in training, 1944

1944, 1st trailer, at Beals farm

~1945; lesson in "rub your tummy, pat your head"

at Bert Wilson farm, ~1946-47

1948, new trailer for trip south; l. to r. Ray Wilson, Ella and John Wilson

John T. Wilson in work khakis & TVA badge, ~late 1950's

Christmas ~1949-50

with beard grown for 1954 centennial, Corinth MS

weekly cookout, ~1959, at the minnow ponds, Scottsboro, AL

with Joubert, mid-1970's, log house in Scottsboro

Russ, John, Allene & Ruth, ~1984, during John's final illness

Sources

1	1920 United States Federal Census, Worth Township, Butler County, PA, Enumeration District 66, Page 7, lines 84-88 lists Bert W. Wilson, 28, married to Clara M. Wilson, 28. Their daughter, Ruth M. Wilson, 7, and two sons, Edwin D. Wilson, 4, and John T. Wilson, 2 years and one month, are listed as well. Bert is listed as having been born in PA. His profession is listed as "Laborer" on a rented farm. His census record is immediately followed by that of his father, James L. Wilson, suggesting that they lived on adjacent property. This census page is dated 23 and 24 January 1920.
2	1930 United States Federal Census, Richland Township, Venango County, PA, Enumeration District 61-40, Page 6, lines 65-73 lists Birt W. Wilson, 39, married to Clara M. Wilson, 38. They live with six children and a live-in farm laborer: daughter Ruth M. Wilson, 17; son Edwin D., 15; son John T. Wilson, 12; son Russel W. Wilson, 9; son Ray B. Wilson, 6; daughter Allene N. Wilson, 3 years and 10 months; and laborer Lester Lawrence, 43. When Birt W. Wilson and Clara M. Wilson got married, he was 20 and she was 19. All of the children except Allene attended school within the census year. Everyone but Allene can read, write, and speak English. Everyone and their parents were born in PA. Birt W. Wilson's occupation is listed as "Farmer." This census page is dated April 15th, 1930.
3	Memoirs of Ella May Beals (Wilson) ,wife of John T. Wilson, including the WWII training locations, and listing of TVA locations & landlords.	N/A
4	Research manuscript of John T. Wilson, family history compiled by 1985, from family interviews, family records, Slippery Rock borough centennial history & Butler County histories. This manuscript transferred to daughter Elizabeth Wilson Williams in 1984.
5	WWII war record written on souvenir wooden shoe by John T. Wilson, now in the collection of grandson Richard Brady Williams. The inscription (in graphite) includes dates & places stationed & imprisoned during his war service
6	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, daughter of John T. Wilson, including transcription of WWII service locations and dates from the wooden shoe, and family photographs. Personal recollection includes living on the Beals farm in Venango Co. PA, the TVA locations, and high school in Scottsboro AL. Her notes include John T. Wilson's war stories and his descriptions of his early life in Butler Co. PA.	N/A
7	National Archives World War II Prisoners of War Data File 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946 has an entry dated 14 Mar 1945 for Sergeant John T Wilson, serial number 33682366, of the Army Air Corps. He is listed as a member of Heavy Bomber unit 0483 in the European theater: Hungary. He is listed as "returned to military control, liberated, or repatriated" as of the "latest report date" of 17 Oct 1945. The detaining power was Germany. [1]	N/A
8	National Archives Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946 has a record for John T. Wilson, serial number 33682366. His residence is Venango County, PA. He enlisted in Erie, PA on 30 Jul 1943. His rank at enlistment was Private. He was born in 1917 in PA. He is listed as having had 4 years of high school education. His occupation code (553) indicates "skilled linemen and servicement, telegraph, telephone, and power." He is maried. The record is stored in box #0694, film reel #1.211. [2]	N/A
9	Missing Air Crew Report dated 16 Mar 1945 from the Army Air Corp indicates that John T. Wilson was on board B-17G serial number 42-32017 on 14 Mar 1945 at 15:00 when it went missing for unknown reasons. The last known position was N45° 10' E16° 50' [southeast of Zagreb, present-day Croatia]. The aircraft was part of the 15th Airforce, 483rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 815th squadron (Heavy), based at Steparone, Italy. It had been on a combat bombing mission with the target of Almasfuzito oil refinary, Hungary. There were 10 persons on board at the time including pilot Harvey A. Mitchell, copilot James Sutton, navigator Roy Broome Jr., toggler John Nelson, top turret gunner Harold G. M. Strunk, left waist gunner Amburse J. Triplett Jr., radio gunner Mathew [sic] F. Thompson, ball turret gunner August D. Winnega, right waist gunner William F. Wilson, and tail gunner John T. Wilson. John Wilson's serial number is listed as 33682366. His rank is Sergeant. His current status is Missing In Action (MIA). His next of kin is listed as Mrs. Ella Wilson, Wife, of Rt. 1, Box 137, Emlenton, PA.
10	Hereos of the 483rd, pgs. 173-174, book with crew profiles of most (all?) air crews within the 483rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) during World War II. There is a two page section on the Harvey A. Mitchell crew that lists John T. Wilson as the tail gunner of B-17 #42-32017, "Sweet 17." They took a flak hit in the #3 engine on their first flight while over the target area of Almasfuzito, Hungary, and were forced to bail out. The crew were all taken prisoner on the same day but were reunited the following day at a POW collection point. John's hometown is listed as Emlenton, PA.	transcript