William H WARNER

11 july 1941

Aviation Cadet Flight School

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

Macr: 15472

 Mission: Underwater Base Attack St-Nazaire (44)

Shot by fighter and flak around 12:00

Takeoff 09h00 Thurleigh, Bedfordshire UK

Map of St James American Cemetery

 Wethersfield Village Cemetery 

Crew of 42-5717

William H. WARNER  was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1914. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps for the Aviation Cadet Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on July 11, 1941.

His enlistment records state he had 4 years of college (unnamed), was single with no dependents, and was an insurance salesman.

Upon completion of his pilot training, he was commissioned and assigned to the newly-activated 306^th Bomb Group.

The unit was in Wendover Field, Utah, doing transition training with the B-17. In August 1942 the unit deployed to England where it was based at Thurleigh, near Bedford.

Warner was assigned to the 423^rd Bomb Squadron, given command of a B-17, and assigned a crew. Missions were flown from November 1942 against French targets.

On February 22, 1943, this crew was scheduled to participate in a raid on the submarine pens at St. Nazaire, France. En route to the target, the bomber formation encountered flak and enemy fighters.

Approximately 10 minutes after bomb release, flak became intense and accurate, and a large number of German fighters engaged the bombers.

Several aircraft made a head-on pass at Warner's aircraft - the dreaded "12 O'clock high."

The cockpit of the B-17 was riddled, and Warner was killed by a bullet in the head. The co-pilot attempted to take over, but was hampered by the fact he couldn't gain access to the pilot's seat. The radio operator was wounded in the leg, and then the ball turret gunner, a waist gunner, and the tail gunner were killed by 20 mm shells.

The other waist gunner died in an attempt to bail out.

Three men managed to get free of the aircraft, one of which was the bombardier who was literally blown out the nose compartment at less than 600 feet as it was struck by a volley of cannon fire. These three men reached the ground, where two managed to evade with the help of French civilians, but the other was captured.

Captain William H. WARNER was buried in the Brittany American Cemetery at St. James, France where he lies in Plot I, Row 11, Grave 11.

A German report assigns credit for this shoot-down to either Feldwebel Franz Dorre or Unteroffizer Erich Schwartz, both of JG 26. (Neither claim confirmed)

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