"Miss Minnesota" – Standing (L-R): Sgt. James B. Dick – Engineer; Pvt. Calvert S. Whitehurst - Ball Turret Gunner; Sgt. Paul W. Cullinan - Top Turret Gunner; Sgt. Willis W. Cole - Nose Gunner; Sgt. Vincent J. Pale - Radio Operator; Sgt. Fred L. Fisher, Jr - Tail Gunner. Kneeling (L-R): Lt. William H. Myra – Navigator; Lt. August V. Bergman – Pilot; Lt. John B. Durborow - Co-Pilot; Lt. Kyle R. Goff – Bombardier. Source: Don Olds and the b24bestweb research team, used by permission. Note: Myra was made lead navigator the day of the mission and was replaced by Lt. Richard Crown. All were killed except for Sgt Pale, radioman, who bailed out and spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Stalag 17.
The crew was initially buried at the cemetery at Wistedt. The crew could be identified by the Germans at the time. Wistedt is near Salzwedel in province of Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.
Durham's World War II Honor Roll - A History of Service compiled by Adriana Farley March 2005 for Durham Friends of the Library: "Willis Cole --- US Army, 1941-1944. Willis Cole was born in November 1923 and married Christie Wyat on December 17, 1943. 'He had been sent to gunnery school and was a B-24 top turret gunner. He was killed in action over Germany on April 8, 1944. He was a member of crew 34 out of station 144 at the Old Buckenham England airbase. His crew and plane were part of the 8th Army Air Force 733rd Bomb Squadron. The markings on the plane's stabilizer were a blue "J" inside a white circle,' according to his sister, Ella Cole Fuller."
Chico Enterprise, Tuesday, April 25, 1944, pg 7: "Missing In Action. Durham --- Willis Cole, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lesley Cole, has been reported missing in action over Germany. Willis was born in November, 1923 and left the Durham high school in his junior year to enlist in the U.S. Air Corps in 1941, having been trained as a gunner."
Willis W. Cole, service number 39407665, entered the Service From: California. Rank: Staff Sergeant, Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 733rd Bomber Squadron, 453rd Bomber Group, Heavy. Died: Saturday, April 8, 1944, Buried at: Ardennes American Cemetery, Location: Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium, Plot: D Row: 12 Grave: 27. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart.
Members of the Bergman crew:
1LT August V. Bergman, Jr Pilot.
2Lt John B. Durborow Co-Pilot.
Lt. William H. Myra, Navigator (aboard another plane).
2LT Richard L. Crown Navigator.
Lieut Kyle R. Goff Bombardier.
TSgt James B. Dick, Jr Flight Engineer.
Sgt Paul W. Cullinan Top Turret Gunner.
SSgt. Vincent J. Pale, Radio Operator, POW.
SSgt Calvert S. Whitehurst, Jr Ball Turret Gunner.
SSgt Willis Willard Cole Nose Gunner.
Sgt Fred L. Fisher, Jr., Tail Gunner.
The crew was initially buried at the cemetery at Wistedt. The crew could be identified by the Germans at the time. Wistedt is near Salzwedel in province of Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.
Durham's World War II Honor Roll - A History of Service compiled by Adriana Farley March 2005 for Durham Friends of the Library: "Willis Cole --- US Army, 1941-1944. Willis Cole was born in November 1923 and married Christie Wyat on December 17, 1943. 'He had been sent to gunnery school and was a B-24 top turret gunner. He was killed in action over Germany on April 8, 1944. He was a member of crew 34 out of station 144 at the Old Buckenham England airbase. His crew and plane were part of the 8th Army Air Force 733rd Bomb Squadron. The markings on the plane's stabilizer were a blue "J" inside a white circle,' according to his sister, Ella Cole Fuller."
Chico Enterprise, Tuesday, April 25, 1944, pg 7: "Missing In Action. Durham --- Willis Cole, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lesley Cole, has been reported missing in action over Germany. Willis was born in November, 1923 and left the Durham high school in his junior year to enlist in the U.S. Air Corps in 1941, having been trained as a gunner."
Willis W. Cole, service number 39407665, entered the Service From: California. Rank: Staff Sergeant, Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 733rd Bomber Squadron, 453rd Bomber Group, Heavy. Died: Saturday, April 8, 1944, Buried at: Ardennes American Cemetery, Location: Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium, Plot: D Row: 12 Grave: 27. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart.
Members of the Bergman crew:
1LT August V. Bergman, Jr Pilot.
2Lt John B. Durborow Co-Pilot.
Lt. William H. Myra, Navigator (aboard another plane).
2LT Richard L. Crown Navigator.
Lieut Kyle R. Goff Bombardier.
TSgt James B. Dick, Jr Flight Engineer.
Sgt Paul W. Cullinan Top Turret Gunner.
SSgt. Vincent J. Pale, Radio Operator, POW.
SSgt Calvert S. Whitehurst, Jr Ball Turret Gunner.
SSgt Willis Willard Cole Nose Gunner.
Sgt Fred L. Fisher, Jr., Tail Gunner.
"Miss Minnesota" – Standing (L-R): Sgt. James B. Dick – Engineer; Pvt. Calvert S. Whitehurst - Ball Turret Gunner; Sgt. Paul W. Cullinan - Top Turret Gunner; Sgt. Willis W. Cole - Nose Gunner; Sgt. Vincent J. Pale - Radio Operator; Sgt. Fred L. Fisher, Jr - Tail Gunner. Kneeling (L-R): Lt. William H. Myra – Navigator; Lt. August V. Bergman – Pilot; Lt. John B. Durborow - Co-Pilot; Lt. Kyle R. Goff – Bombardier. Source: Don Olds and the b24bestweb research team, used by permission. Note: Myra was made lead navigator the day of the mission and was replaced by Lt. Richard Crown. All were killed except for Sgt Pale, radioman, who bailed out and spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Stalag 17.
The crew was initially buried at the cemetery at Wistedt. The crew could be identified by the Germans at the time. Wistedt is near Salzwedel in province of Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.
Durham's World War II Honor Roll - A History of Service compiled by Adriana Farley March 2005 for Durham Friends of the Library: "Willis Cole --- US Army, 1941-1944. Willis Cole was born in November 1923 and married Christie Wyat on December 17, 1943. 'He had been sent to gunnery school and was a B-24 top turret gunner. He was killed in action over Germany on April 8, 1944. He was a member of crew 34 out of station 144 at the Old Buckenham England airbase. His crew and plane were part of the 8th Army Air Force 733rd Bomb Squadron. The markings on the plane's stabilizer were a blue "J" inside a white circle,' according to his sister, Ella Cole Fuller."
Chico Enterprise, Tuesday, April 25, 1944, pg 7: "Missing In Action. Durham --- Willis Cole, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lesley Cole, has been reported missing in action over Germany. Willis was born in November, 1923 and left the Durham high school in his junior year to enlist in the U.S. Air Corps in 1941, having been trained as a gunner."
Willis W. Cole, service number 39407665, entered the Service From: California. Rank: Staff Sergeant, Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 733rd Bomber Squadron, 453rd Bomber Group, Heavy. Died: Saturday, April 8, 1944, Buried at: Ardennes American Cemetery, Location: Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium, Plot: D Row: 12 Grave: 27. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart.
Members of the Bergman crew:
1LT August V. Bergman, Jr Pilot.
2Lt John B. Durborow Co-Pilot.
Lt. William H. Myra, Navigator (aboard another plane).
2LT Richard L. Crown Navigator.
Lieut Kyle R. Goff Bombardier.
TSgt James B. Dick, Jr Flight Engineer.
Sgt Paul W. Cullinan Top Turret Gunner.
SSgt. Vincent J. Pale, Radio Operator, POW.
SSgt Calvert S. Whitehurst, Jr Ball Turret Gunner.
SSgt Willis Willard Cole Nose Gunner.
Sgt Fred L. Fisher, Jr., Tail Gunner.
The crew was initially buried at the cemetery at Wistedt. The crew could be identified by the Germans at the time. Wistedt is near Salzwedel in province of Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.
Durham's World War II Honor Roll - A History of Service compiled by Adriana Farley March 2005 for Durham Friends of the Library: "Willis Cole --- US Army, 1941-1944. Willis Cole was born in November 1923 and married Christie Wyat on December 17, 1943. 'He had been sent to gunnery school and was a B-24 top turret gunner. He was killed in action over Germany on April 8, 1944. He was a member of crew 34 out of station 144 at the Old Buckenham England airbase. His crew and plane were part of the 8th Army Air Force 733rd Bomb Squadron. The markings on the plane's stabilizer were a blue "J" inside a white circle,' according to his sister, Ella Cole Fuller."
Chico Enterprise, Tuesday, April 25, 1944, pg 7: "Missing In Action. Durham --- Willis Cole, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lesley Cole, has been reported missing in action over Germany. Willis was born in November, 1923 and left the Durham high school in his junior year to enlist in the U.S. Air Corps in 1941, having been trained as a gunner."
Willis W. Cole, service number 39407665, entered the Service From: California. Rank: Staff Sergeant, Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 733rd Bomber Squadron, 453rd Bomber Group, Heavy. Died: Saturday, April 8, 1944, Buried at: Ardennes American Cemetery, Location: Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium, Plot: D Row: 12 Grave: 27. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart.
Members of the Bergman crew:
1LT August V. Bergman, Jr Pilot.
2Lt John B. Durborow Co-Pilot.
Lt. William H. Myra, Navigator (aboard another plane).
2LT Richard L. Crown Navigator.
Lieut Kyle R. Goff Bombardier.
TSgt James B. Dick, Jr Flight Engineer.
Sgt Paul W. Cullinan Top Turret Gunner.
SSgt. Vincent J. Pale, Radio Operator, POW.
SSgt Calvert S. Whitehurst, Jr Ball Turret Gunner.
SSgt Willis Willard Cole Nose Gunner.
Sgt Fred L. Fisher, Jr., Tail Gunner.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from California.
Family Members
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