William E WILLIAMS

 

williams william e 1
NUMBER OF SERVICE14058038
AGE24 yo
DATE OF BIRTH1920
ETATHamilton FLORIDA
FAMILYSingle
RANKStaff Sergeant
FONCTIONGunner
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT

 

Clerks, general office

 

FL
DATE of ENLISTEMENT

14 octobre 1941 Jacksonville FLORIDA

 SQUADRON 423rd Bomb Squadron
 GROUP306th Bomb Group
ARMY8th US Air Force
DATE OF DEATH16 february 1943
STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATHSt. Nazaire
DATA PLAN

B-17 Fortress - type F-5-VE - s/n 42-5717 RD*F

b17

Macr: 15472

 Mission: Underwater Base Attack St-Nazaire (44)

Shot by fighter and flak around 12:00

Takeoff 09h00 Thurleigh, Bedfordshire UK

 

CEMETERYBRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James

Map of St James American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
I711
DECORATION

Air Medal

Purple Heart

American Campaign Medal

WWII Victory Medal

EAMEC

American Defense Service Medal

Gunner Badge

am

Photo FDLM

american campaign medal

victory medal

EAMECampaignMedalOneBronzeStar

AmerDefMedal

Air Force Gunner Wings

 

usaf  8air force  306bg 306bgh 423bs 
306th Bomber Group, Heavy
STORY
williams william e

WARNER WILLIAM H crew

Crew of 42-5717

William E. Williams was born in Hamilton County, Florida in 1920. He enlisted at Jacksonville, Florida on Oct 14, 1941.

Enlistment record at NARA-AAD state he had 1 year of college (unnamed) and was a general office clerk.

He was trained as an aerial gunner, then sent to Wendover Field, Utah where the newly-formed 306th Bomb Group was training on B-17s.

He deployed to England in August 1942 with the unit, and was assigned to the 423rd Bomb Squadron. Combat missions were began in November.

On February 16, 1943, Williams was scheduled to fly as part of a B-17 crew on a raid to St. Naizare, France, against the German submarine docks there.

The inbound flight was relatively calm, but after bombs were dropped, flak became accurate and heavy. German fighters in great numbers engaged the bomber formation.

Several fighters attacked the B-17 on which Williams was tail gunner. In a head-on attack by several fighters, the pilot was killed with a shot in the head as the cockpit area was riddled. The co-pilot attempted to take control, but could not get the dead pilot out of his seat.

More 20mm shells poured in, wounding the radio operator and killing Williams and two other gunners.

Only three of the crew escaped, one of which was the bombardier who was blown out of the exploding nose section at 600 feet altitude. However, two of the three successfully evaded with the help of French citizens while one was captured and taken to Stalag Luft VII.

Reports state that Williams was hurriedly buried by French civilians so as to keep the body from German troops. Later, he was buried at the Brittany American Cemetery in St. James, France where he lies in Plot I, Row 7, Grave 11.


Crew of  B-17 Fortress - type F-5-VE - s/n 42-5717 RD*F


Capitaine

William H

WARNER

Pilot

Dead

Cim Brit Am St-James  

2nd Lieutenant

Arnold R

CARLSON

CoPilot

Dead

Cim Brit Am St-James  

1st Lieutenant

Lewis H

UTLEY

Navigator

Dead

Cim Brit Am St-James  

1st Lieutenant

Robert E

KYLIUS

Bomber

Escape
 

T/Sergeant

Clairborne W

WILSON

Mechanic  / Gunner

Escape
 

S/Sergeant

Colon E

NEELEY

Gunner G

Dead

Cim Zachary Taylor 1369 Kentucky

S/Sergeant

Robert D

KISLING

Gunner V

Dead

Cim Brit Am St-James  

S/Sergeant

Walter C

MORGAN

Gunner D

Dead

Cim Zachary Taylor 1369 Kentucky

S/Sergeant

William E

WILLIAMS

Gunner A

Dead

Cim Brit Am St-James

T/Sergeant

Eddie Frank

ESPITALLIER

Radio

Prisoner
 
b 17
warner william h b17

 

 

To the crew of B-17F 42-5717 8th Air Force, 306th BG, 423rd BS shot on February 16, 1943 in Guillac MORBIHAN

Aerosteles.net

equipage 42 5717 stele equipage 42 5717 stele1
equipage 42 5717 stele2 equipage 42 5717 stele3
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOUSAAF Class Book Project ABMC American Cemeteries Francecrashes39-45.net - Aerosteles.net - Airforce.togetherweserved.com - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Aad.archives.gov - Valentin GASCHER
PROGRAMMERFrédéric & Renaud
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