Willard served as a Staff Sergeant and Radar Operator / Gunner on B-29 "Pacific Union" #42-24595, 869th Bomber Squadron, 497th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Adair County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Willard was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37245181
Son of Nancy Roberts who resided in Kirksville, MIssouri.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
Staff Sergeant Roberts was lost aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-40-BW
Superfortress #42-24595, nicknamed "Pacific Union." Perished when the bomber
crashed into the Pacific after ditching on mission to Nagoya, Japan. Seven other
crew were
killed and four survived and were rescued. With the 497th Bomb Group, 869th Bomb
Squadron.
He resided in Adair County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Willard was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37245181
Son of Nancy Roberts who resided in Kirksville, MIssouri.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
Staff Sergeant Roberts was lost aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-40-BW
Superfortress #42-24595, nicknamed "Pacific Union." Perished when the bomber
crashed into the Pacific after ditching on mission to Nagoya, Japan. Seven other
crew were
killed and four survived and were rescued. With the 497th Bomb Group, 869th Bomb
Squadron.
Willard served as a Staff Sergeant and Radar Operator / Gunner on B-29 "Pacific Union" #42-24595, 869th Bomber Squadron, 497th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Adair County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Willard was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37245181
Son of Nancy Roberts who resided in Kirksville, MIssouri.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
Staff Sergeant Roberts was lost aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-40-BW
Superfortress #42-24595, nicknamed "Pacific Union." Perished when the bomber
crashed into the Pacific after ditching on mission to Nagoya, Japan. Seven other
crew were
killed and four survived and were rescued. With the 497th Bomb Group, 869th Bomb
Squadron.
He resided in Adair County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Willard was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 37245181
Son of Nancy Roberts who resided in Kirksville, MIssouri.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
Staff Sergeant Roberts was lost aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-40-BW
Superfortress #42-24595, nicknamed "Pacific Union." Perished when the bomber
crashed into the Pacific after ditching on mission to Nagoya, Japan. Seven other
crew were
killed and four survived and were rescued. With the 497th Bomb Group, 869th Bomb
Squadron.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Missouri.
Other Records
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