William served as a Staff Sergeant & Radio Operator on B-24H #42-50331, 856th Bomber Squadron, 492nd Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on January 14, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Stock clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24H #42-50331 took off from Harrington Northhampshire on March 30, 1945 in support of Operation Rype forces in Norway. They were one of 19 B-24's on this mission.
The B-24's ran into bad weather and B-24H #42-50331 was one of the planes to turn back and head for their base. On the way back they ran into fuel problems and 2 of the 4 engines stopped and they couldn't be restarted.
The pilot, 2nd Lt. Polansky, gave the order to bailout however only the Co-Pilot, 1st Lt. Pulrang was able to do so. The B-24 ended up crashing in a field located in St Ola, southeast of Kirkwall during the war.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in Cambridge, England and was later repatriated here on July 27, 1948.
Service # 39120406
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-50331:
Allessio, Charles J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Graf, Eugene J, Jr ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, IN
Kussman, Edward W ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, NE
Lewis, William E, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CA
Polansky, Henry L ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Smickle, Frederick W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Stevens, William K ~ Sgt, Engineer, NH
Pulrang, Peter C ~ 1st Lt. & Co-Pilot survived the crash. He died in 2008
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
OSS* Agents who perished on this flight:
Berge, Trygve ~ T/Sgt, CA
Kjelness, Edward E ~ S/Sgt, WA
Meland, Leif E K ~ T/5, NY
Ottersland, Gerald ~ T/5, NY
Röyrvik, Johannes S ~ T/5, WI
Sondeno, Eddie O ~ T/5, MT
*OSS = Office of Strategic Services
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
SSGT, 856 AAF BOMB SQ WORLD WAR II
His remains were returned from Cambridge, England, where they were interred at Golden Gate National Cemetery on 27 July 1948.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on January 14, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Stock clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24H #42-50331 took off from Harrington Northhampshire on March 30, 1945 in support of Operation Rype forces in Norway. They were one of 19 B-24's on this mission.
The B-24's ran into bad weather and B-24H #42-50331 was one of the planes to turn back and head for their base. On the way back they ran into fuel problems and 2 of the 4 engines stopped and they couldn't be restarted.
The pilot, 2nd Lt. Polansky, gave the order to bailout however only the Co-Pilot, 1st Lt. Pulrang was able to do so. The B-24 ended up crashing in a field located in St Ola, southeast of Kirkwall during the war.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in Cambridge, England and was later repatriated here on July 27, 1948.
Service # 39120406
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-50331:
Allessio, Charles J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Graf, Eugene J, Jr ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, IN
Kussman, Edward W ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, NE
Lewis, William E, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CA
Polansky, Henry L ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Smickle, Frederick W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Stevens, William K ~ Sgt, Engineer, NH
Pulrang, Peter C ~ 1st Lt. & Co-Pilot survived the crash. He died in 2008
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
OSS* Agents who perished on this flight:
Berge, Trygve ~ T/Sgt, CA
Kjelness, Edward E ~ S/Sgt, WA
Meland, Leif E K ~ T/5, NY
Ottersland, Gerald ~ T/5, NY
Röyrvik, Johannes S ~ T/5, WI
Sondeno, Eddie O ~ T/5, MT
*OSS = Office of Strategic Services
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
SSGT, 856 AAF BOMB SQ WORLD WAR II
His remains were returned from Cambridge, England, where they were interred at Golden Gate National Cemetery on 27 July 1948.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William served as a Staff Sergeant & Radio Operator on B-24H #42-50331, 856th Bomber Squadron, 492nd Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on January 14, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Stock clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24H #42-50331 took off from Harrington Northhampshire on March 30, 1945 in support of Operation Rype forces in Norway. They were one of 19 B-24's on this mission.
The B-24's ran into bad weather and B-24H #42-50331 was one of the planes to turn back and head for their base. On the way back they ran into fuel problems and 2 of the 4 engines stopped and they couldn't be restarted.
The pilot, 2nd Lt. Polansky, gave the order to bailout however only the Co-Pilot, 1st Lt. Pulrang was able to do so. The B-24 ended up crashing in a field located in St Ola, southeast of Kirkwall during the war.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in Cambridge, England and was later repatriated here on July 27, 1948.
Service # 39120406
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-50331:
Allessio, Charles J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Graf, Eugene J, Jr ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, IN
Kussman, Edward W ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, NE
Lewis, William E, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CA
Polansky, Henry L ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Smickle, Frederick W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Stevens, William K ~ Sgt, Engineer, NH
Pulrang, Peter C ~ 1st Lt. & Co-Pilot survived the crash. He died in 2008
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
OSS* Agents who perished on this flight:
Berge, Trygve ~ T/Sgt, CA
Kjelness, Edward E ~ S/Sgt, WA
Meland, Leif E K ~ T/5, NY
Ottersland, Gerald ~ T/5, NY
Röyrvik, Johannes S ~ T/5, WI
Sondeno, Eddie O ~ T/5, MT
*OSS = Office of Strategic Services
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
SSGT, 856 AAF BOMB SQ WORLD WAR II
His remains were returned from Cambridge, England, where they were interred at Golden Gate National Cemetery on 27 July 1948.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Contra Costa County, California prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on January 14, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Stock clerk and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24H #42-50331 took off from Harrington Northhampshire on March 30, 1945 in support of Operation Rype forces in Norway. They were one of 19 B-24's on this mission.
The B-24's ran into bad weather and B-24H #42-50331 was one of the planes to turn back and head for their base. On the way back they ran into fuel problems and 2 of the 4 engines stopped and they couldn't be restarted.
The pilot, 2nd Lt. Polansky, gave the order to bailout however only the Co-Pilot, 1st Lt. Pulrang was able to do so. The B-24 ended up crashing in a field located in St Ola, southeast of Kirkwall during the war.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in Cambridge, England and was later repatriated here on July 27, 1948.
Service # 39120406
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-50331:
Allessio, Charles J ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MA
Graf, Eugene J, Jr ~ Sgt, Tail Gunner, IN
Kussman, Edward W ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, NE
Lewis, William E, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CA
Polansky, Henry L ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Smickle, Frederick W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Stevens, William K ~ Sgt, Engineer, NH
Pulrang, Peter C ~ 1st Lt. & Co-Pilot survived the crash. He died in 2008
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
OSS* Agents who perished on this flight:
Berge, Trygve ~ T/Sgt, CA
Kjelness, Edward E ~ S/Sgt, WA
Meland, Leif E K ~ T/5, NY
Ottersland, Gerald ~ T/5, NY
Röyrvik, Johannes S ~ T/5, WI
Sondeno, Eddie O ~ T/5, MT
*OSS = Office of Strategic Services
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown:
SSGT, 856 AAF BOMB SQ WORLD WAR II
His remains were returned from Cambridge, England, where they were interred at Golden Gate National Cemetery on 27 July 1948.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inscription
CALIFORNIA
STAFF SARGEANT
856th AAF BOMB SQUADRON
492nd BOMB GROUP
US ARMY AIR CORPS
WORLD WAR II
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