William's remains were recovered in 1946 from a burial at the Rangoon POW camp.
His remains, along with others, were being transported from Rangoon to Calcutta, India by C-47 #43-48308. However this C-47 crashed on this trip on May 17, 1946. His remains were not recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
William served as a Captain & Pilot on P-51B #43-6872, 1st Air Commando Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Polk County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Draftsmen and also as Single, without dependents.
William took off in his P-51 from Hailakandi, India on January 5, 1944 on a weather and Recon. mission over Burma during the war. He was hit by Japanese ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed in Burma during the war.
He captured by the Japanese and sent to the Rangoon POW camp in Myanmar (Burma).
William "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army at Rangoon during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War medal.
Service # O-667062
Historical Note: The Japanese Army "did not" report that they had a prison camp at Rangoon to the U.S. Military until after the war.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His remains, along with others, were being transported from Rangoon to Calcutta, India by C-47 #43-48308. However this C-47 crashed on this trip on May 17, 1946. His remains were not recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
William served as a Captain & Pilot on P-51B #43-6872, 1st Air Commando Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Polk County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Draftsmen and also as Single, without dependents.
William took off in his P-51 from Hailakandi, India on January 5, 1944 on a weather and Recon. mission over Burma during the war. He was hit by Japanese ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed in Burma during the war.
He captured by the Japanese and sent to the Rangoon POW camp in Myanmar (Burma).
William "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army at Rangoon during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War medal.
Service # O-667062
Historical Note: The Japanese Army "did not" report that they had a prison camp at Rangoon to the U.S. Military until after the war.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William's remains were recovered in 1946 from a burial at the Rangoon POW camp.
His remains, along with others, were being transported from Rangoon to Calcutta, India by C-47 #43-48308. However this C-47 crashed on this trip on May 17, 1946. His remains were not recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
William served as a Captain & Pilot on P-51B #43-6872, 1st Air Commando Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Polk County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Draftsmen and also as Single, without dependents.
William took off in his P-51 from Hailakandi, India on January 5, 1944 on a weather and Recon. mission over Burma during the war. He was hit by Japanese ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed in Burma during the war.
He captured by the Japanese and sent to the Rangoon POW camp in Myanmar (Burma).
William "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army at Rangoon during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War medal.
Service # O-667062
Historical Note: The Japanese Army "did not" report that they had a prison camp at Rangoon to the U.S. Military until after the war.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His remains, along with others, were being transported from Rangoon to Calcutta, India by C-47 #43-48308. However this C-47 crashed on this trip on May 17, 1946. His remains were not recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
William served as a Captain & Pilot on P-51B #43-6872, 1st Air Commando Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Polk County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Draftsmen and also as Single, without dependents.
William took off in his P-51 from Hailakandi, India on January 5, 1944 on a weather and Recon. mission over Burma during the war. He was hit by Japanese ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed in Burma during the war.
He captured by the Japanese and sent to the Rangoon POW camp in Myanmar (Burma).
William "Died While A POW" of the Japanese Army at Rangoon during the war.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster", Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War medal.
Service # O-667062
Historical Note: The Japanese Army "did not" report that they had a prison camp at Rangoon to the U.S. Military until after the war.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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