Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 26, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest Lawson who resided in Parrish, Florida.
William served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #44-40566, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Manatee County, Florida prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40566, with a crew of 10, took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO 324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on the way to a strike mission over Truk Island.
Just prior to arriving they had a phosphorous bomb, which was dropped by a Japanese Zero, explode right in front of them which was believed to have caused serious damage and was also the cause of them crashing into the sea.
William was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during World War II.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 14136150
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40566:
Bennett, John C ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Foust, Albert C, Jr ~ Corp, Gunner, OK
Francese, Gaetano D ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, RI
Lawson, William J ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Loes, Eldred J ~ Corp, Gunner, IA
Mullins, A P ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Northrup, Jerome K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Stevens, Hustus F ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Strait, Robert E ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Widdowson, Stewart L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest Lawson who resided in Parrish, Florida.
William served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #44-40566, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Manatee County, Florida prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40566, with a crew of 10, took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO 324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on the way to a strike mission over Truk Island.
Just prior to arriving they had a phosphorous bomb, which was dropped by a Japanese Zero, explode right in front of them which was believed to have caused serious damage and was also the cause of them crashing into the sea.
William was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during World War II.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 14136150
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40566:
Bennett, John C ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Foust, Albert C, Jr ~ Corp, Gunner, OK
Francese, Gaetano D ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, RI
Lawson, William J ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Loes, Eldred J ~ Corp, Gunner, IA
Mullins, A P ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Northrup, Jerome K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Stevens, Hustus F ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Strait, Robert E ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Widdowson, Stewart L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 26, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest Lawson who resided in Parrish, Florida.
William served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #44-40566, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Manatee County, Florida prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40566, with a crew of 10, took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO 324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on the way to a strike mission over Truk Island.
Just prior to arriving they had a phosphorous bomb, which was dropped by a Japanese Zero, explode right in front of them which was believed to have caused serious damage and was also the cause of them crashing into the sea.
William was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during World War II.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 14136150
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40566:
Bennett, John C ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Foust, Albert C, Jr ~ Corp, Gunner, OK
Francese, Gaetano D ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, RI
Lawson, William J ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Loes, Eldred J ~ Corp, Gunner, IA
Mullins, A P ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Northrup, Jerome K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Stevens, Hustus F ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Strait, Robert E ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Widdowson, Stewart L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Ernest Lawson who resided in Parrish, Florida.
William served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #44-40566, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Manatee County, Florida prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40566, with a crew of 10, took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO 324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on the way to a strike mission over Truk Island.
Just prior to arriving they had a phosphorous bomb, which was dropped by a Japanese Zero, explode right in front of them which was believed to have caused serious damage and was also the cause of them crashing into the sea.
William was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during World War II.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 14136150
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40566:
Bennett, John C ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Foust, Albert C, Jr ~ Corp, Gunner, OK
Francese, Gaetano D ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, RI
Lawson, William J ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Loes, Eldred J ~ Corp, Gunner, IA
Mullins, A P ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Northrup, Jerome K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Stevens, Hustus F ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Strait, Robert E ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Widdowson, Stewart L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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