William M Racer
MilitarySent through to the American Air Museum by William Racer's son, Charles.
Sergeant William Racer served as a tail gunner with the 322nd Bomb Group from Andrews Field. He was part of the crew of B-26 (serial number 42-95970) that was shot down over France at Talmas on 8 July 1944. Three of his crew were killed; he and two other airmen survived.
He was taken as a Prisoner of War (POW). Injured, he was treated at a hospital in Amiens before being transferred to Stalag Luft IV.
In a letter dated 13 July 1944, Brigadier General Samuel E Anderson wrote to Della B Racer, William's mother, informing her that her son was missing in action.
He wrote 'William was a splendid airplane armorer and gunner, highly respected by the members of his crew and all those who know him. His loss is deeply felt by his comrades. His devotion to duty and to our country was unswerving and merited the highest praise.'
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
- Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 450th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Great Saling
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
West Virginia, USA | 24 October 1920 | |
Enlisted |
Columbus, OH, USA | 11 December 1941 | At Fort Hayes |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
8 July 1944 - 20 July 1945 | ||
Other Entered Germany Air Force Hospital |
Amiens, France | 8 July 1944 | Date given is that of the German report concerning movement of POWs. |
Revisions
A copy of the letter was sent through to the American Air Museum by William Racer's son, Charles.
See also: http://www.ww2pow.info/index.php?page=directory&rec=105795
And MACR 625
Correspondence with William Racer's son, Charles.
Also, NARA Enlistment record: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf…
Correspondence with William Racer's granddaughter, Christi Racer Kuhner.