William served as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on a B-29 #42-6231, 795th Bomber Squadron, 468th Bomber Group, in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Anne Arundel County, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 11, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-6231 was on the "first" combat mission that flew over Japan that included "18" other B-29's. ( see the Mission report on this accident ~ below ). The crash has been noted as being for an "unknown reason" while on the B-29's return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan. The entire crew of "11" were lost in this crash.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Purple Heart. His plane crashed for unknown reasons on its return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan.
Service # 13042828
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-6231:
Aeh, Paul R. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Akins, Kenneth L. ~ Maj, Pilot, CA
Barrett, Timothy J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Gilman, Sidney ~ Sgt, Right Gunner, NY
Lund, Floyd E. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NE
Mann, Arnold H. ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, MA
Munoz, Salvador, Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Pack, Homer B., Jr. ~ Sgt, Senior Gunner, CA
Robertson, Norvel G. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Sorensen, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Witcher, Mell ~ Sgt, Left Gunner, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mission report on this accident:
Accident happened at 1450Z eleven miles northeast of Kiangyu, China on 15 June 1944. Pilot and ten crew members were killed when aircraft crashed into side of sheer cliff and exploded.
Mission was combat strike against Yawata from Pengshan. There were nineteen aircraft in the attack with subject aircraft being the seventeenth to take off.
Takeoff appeared normal in all respects, as stated by qualified B-29 pilots who were observing takeoffs from the control tower. Between the hours of 1345Z and 1415Z, a series of position plots were received on an unidentified aircraft from the Chinese Warning Net. These plots placed the aircraft well north of course, if returning to Pengshan.
Last report was 115 miles northeast of Pengshan. All reports were in line with scene of accident. No attempt was made to contact this aircraft by radio because its identity was unknown.
On 20 June 1944 a search party reached the scene of an aircraft accident, reported by the Chinese and found the radio operator's log which contained the last three digits of subject aircraft serial number. The Board has not sufficient evidence to determine the cause or to fix the responsibility of the accident. Weather was not a factor.
This mission was the first B-29 combat mission to Japan. The above aircraft probably reached the target and was returned to base when it crashed, in view of the fact that no bombs were found in the wreckage.∼Staff Sergeant Sorensen perished when U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-1-MO Superfortress #42-6231 crashed into a mountain in China while returning from a mission with the 794th Bomb Squadron, 468th Bombardment Group.
Ten fellow crew members have a cenotaph in Fort Smith National Cemetery.
He resided in Anne Arundel County, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 11, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-6231 was on the "first" combat mission that flew over Japan that included "18" other B-29's. ( see the Mission report on this accident ~ below ). The crash has been noted as being for an "unknown reason" while on the B-29's return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan. The entire crew of "11" were lost in this crash.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Purple Heart. His plane crashed for unknown reasons on its return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan.
Service # 13042828
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-6231:
Aeh, Paul R. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Akins, Kenneth L. ~ Maj, Pilot, CA
Barrett, Timothy J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Gilman, Sidney ~ Sgt, Right Gunner, NY
Lund, Floyd E. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NE
Mann, Arnold H. ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, MA
Munoz, Salvador, Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Pack, Homer B., Jr. ~ Sgt, Senior Gunner, CA
Robertson, Norvel G. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Sorensen, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Witcher, Mell ~ Sgt, Left Gunner, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mission report on this accident:
Accident happened at 1450Z eleven miles northeast of Kiangyu, China on 15 June 1944. Pilot and ten crew members were killed when aircraft crashed into side of sheer cliff and exploded.
Mission was combat strike against Yawata from Pengshan. There were nineteen aircraft in the attack with subject aircraft being the seventeenth to take off.
Takeoff appeared normal in all respects, as stated by qualified B-29 pilots who were observing takeoffs from the control tower. Between the hours of 1345Z and 1415Z, a series of position plots were received on an unidentified aircraft from the Chinese Warning Net. These plots placed the aircraft well north of course, if returning to Pengshan.
Last report was 115 miles northeast of Pengshan. All reports were in line with scene of accident. No attempt was made to contact this aircraft by radio because its identity was unknown.
On 20 June 1944 a search party reached the scene of an aircraft accident, reported by the Chinese and found the radio operator's log which contained the last three digits of subject aircraft serial number. The Board has not sufficient evidence to determine the cause or to fix the responsibility of the accident. Weather was not a factor.
This mission was the first B-29 combat mission to Japan. The above aircraft probably reached the target and was returned to base when it crashed, in view of the fact that no bombs were found in the wreckage.∼Staff Sergeant Sorensen perished when U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-1-MO Superfortress #42-6231 crashed into a mountain in China while returning from a mission with the 794th Bomb Squadron, 468th Bombardment Group.
Ten fellow crew members have a cenotaph in Fort Smith National Cemetery.
William served as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on a B-29 #42-6231, 795th Bomber Squadron, 468th Bomber Group, in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Anne Arundel County, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 11, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-6231 was on the "first" combat mission that flew over Japan that included "18" other B-29's. ( see the Mission report on this accident ~ below ). The crash has been noted as being for an "unknown reason" while on the B-29's return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan. The entire crew of "11" were lost in this crash.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Purple Heart. His plane crashed for unknown reasons on its return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan.
Service # 13042828
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-6231:
Aeh, Paul R. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Akins, Kenneth L. ~ Maj, Pilot, CA
Barrett, Timothy J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Gilman, Sidney ~ Sgt, Right Gunner, NY
Lund, Floyd E. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NE
Mann, Arnold H. ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, MA
Munoz, Salvador, Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Pack, Homer B., Jr. ~ Sgt, Senior Gunner, CA
Robertson, Norvel G. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Sorensen, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Witcher, Mell ~ Sgt, Left Gunner, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mission report on this accident:
Accident happened at 1450Z eleven miles northeast of Kiangyu, China on 15 June 1944. Pilot and ten crew members were killed when aircraft crashed into side of sheer cliff and exploded.
Mission was combat strike against Yawata from Pengshan. There were nineteen aircraft in the attack with subject aircraft being the seventeenth to take off.
Takeoff appeared normal in all respects, as stated by qualified B-29 pilots who were observing takeoffs from the control tower. Between the hours of 1345Z and 1415Z, a series of position plots were received on an unidentified aircraft from the Chinese Warning Net. These plots placed the aircraft well north of course, if returning to Pengshan.
Last report was 115 miles northeast of Pengshan. All reports were in line with scene of accident. No attempt was made to contact this aircraft by radio because its identity was unknown.
On 20 June 1944 a search party reached the scene of an aircraft accident, reported by the Chinese and found the radio operator's log which contained the last three digits of subject aircraft serial number. The Board has not sufficient evidence to determine the cause or to fix the responsibility of the accident. Weather was not a factor.
This mission was the first B-29 combat mission to Japan. The above aircraft probably reached the target and was returned to base when it crashed, in view of the fact that no bombs were found in the wreckage.∼Staff Sergeant Sorensen perished when U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-1-MO Superfortress #42-6231 crashed into a mountain in China while returning from a mission with the 794th Bomb Squadron, 468th Bombardment Group.
Ten fellow crew members have a cenotaph in Fort Smith National Cemetery.
He resided in Anne Arundel County, Maryland prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 11, 1941, prior to the war, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-6231 was on the "first" combat mission that flew over Japan that included "18" other B-29's. ( see the Mission report on this accident ~ below ). The crash has been noted as being for an "unknown reason" while on the B-29's return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan. The entire crew of "11" were lost in this crash.
William was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Purple Heart. His plane crashed for unknown reasons on its return trip from a night mission to Yawata, Japan.
Service # 13042828
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-6231:
Aeh, Paul R. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Akins, Kenneth L. ~ Maj, Pilot, CA
Barrett, Timothy J. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Gilman, Sidney ~ Sgt, Right Gunner, NY
Lund, Floyd E. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NE
Mann, Arnold H. ~ Sgt, Radar Operator, MA
Munoz, Salvador, Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Pack, Homer B., Jr. ~ Sgt, Senior Gunner, CA
Robertson, Norvel G. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Sorensen, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Witcher, Mell ~ Sgt, Left Gunner, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mission report on this accident:
Accident happened at 1450Z eleven miles northeast of Kiangyu, China on 15 June 1944. Pilot and ten crew members were killed when aircraft crashed into side of sheer cliff and exploded.
Mission was combat strike against Yawata from Pengshan. There were nineteen aircraft in the attack with subject aircraft being the seventeenth to take off.
Takeoff appeared normal in all respects, as stated by qualified B-29 pilots who were observing takeoffs from the control tower. Between the hours of 1345Z and 1415Z, a series of position plots were received on an unidentified aircraft from the Chinese Warning Net. These plots placed the aircraft well north of course, if returning to Pengshan.
Last report was 115 miles northeast of Pengshan. All reports were in line with scene of accident. No attempt was made to contact this aircraft by radio because its identity was unknown.
On 20 June 1944 a search party reached the scene of an aircraft accident, reported by the Chinese and found the radio operator's log which contained the last three digits of subject aircraft serial number. The Board has not sufficient evidence to determine the cause or to fix the responsibility of the accident. Weather was not a factor.
This mission was the first B-29 combat mission to Japan. The above aircraft probably reached the target and was returned to base when it crashed, in view of the fact that no bombs were found in the wreckage.∼Staff Sergeant Sorensen perished when U.S. Army Air Corps B-29-1-MO Superfortress #42-6231 crashed into a mountain in China while returning from a mission with the 794th Bomb Squadron, 468th Bombardment Group.
Ten fellow crew members have a cenotaph in Fort Smith National Cemetery.
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