William Patrick Maher
MilitaryBack row, left to right : S/Sgt David Miller; S/Sgt Alfred R. Buinicky; S/Sgt Walter Gasser; S/Sgt James H. Comer Jr; S/Sgt Marion D. Ignaczewski; S/Sgt Frank Kimotek
Front row, left to right : Lt Ripley W. Joy; Lt William J. Monahan; Lt William P. Maher; Lt Walter Hargrove; Lt Martin L. Clark.
Connections with men and aircraft
Born in 1915 in New Hampshire, William Maher was working for the Manchester City Street Railway Company as a bus repairer in 1940. He enlisted in April 1942 and was sent overseas. Assigned to the 303rd Bomb Group/358th Bomb Squadron in England. Shot down over France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on the 31 August 1943 mission to bomb the Amiens/Glisy airfield, France. After bailing out, he landed just South of Abbeville, France. Helped by French patriots and the Belgian Comet evasion network, he crossed into Spain on 22 September 1943, reached Gibraltar on 1 October and was back in England on 5 October 1943. The full story of his evasion : http://www.evasioncomete.be/fmaherwp.html
Maher was a member of the William Monahan crew, which usually flew B-17F #41-24577 'Hell's Angels'. After WWII, William Maher returned to the US and stayed in the Air Force, serving last as a Navigator/ Observer on RB-36 aircraft out of Rapid City. He was Killed in Service on 18 March 1953 flying in a RB-36H Peacemaker #51-13721 of the 28th SRW (Strategic Reconnaissance Wing)/ 718th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. The plane was on a low-level overwater training flight, just 1,000 ft over the ocean whitecaps, from the Lajes airfield in the Azores to its base at Rapid City, South Dakota. The RB-36 became lost in bad weather, had problems with its jet engines and crashed into a frigid wilderness hillside on Random Island, near Burgoyne Cove, Newfoundland. All twenty-three men aboard were killed, including Captain William Maher who was flying as an Observer, Radar Operator. Details at http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20wrecks.htm#51-13721
The Senior Officer aboard was Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth, CG of the 28th SRW. The Rapid City AFB, South Dakota, was renamed Ellsworth AFB after Brig. Gen. Ellsworth by order of President Eisenhower on 13 June 1953.
Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17063132 / O-735354
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11040361
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11095636
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35043171
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-734678
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Jersey Bounce
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hell's Angels
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Augerhead
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 31 August 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
19 October 1915 | the son of Irish-born Mary and William Maher. | |
Enlisted |
13 April 1942 | ||
Other Evaded (EVD) |
31 August 1943 - 3 October 1943 | Landed about 2km from the center of Epagne-Epagnette, southeast of Abbeville, Pas-de-Calais, France. Helped by French patriots and the Belgian Comète network, he crossed into Spain, reached Gibraltar on 1 October and was flown back to England on 4 October 1943, arriving in Bristol, England the following day. Escape & Evasion Report E&E 118 | |
Other Baled out EVD |
31 August 1943 | Failed to Return (FTR) Amiens, in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' 31-Aug-43; Baled out EVD MACR 470 | |
Died |
18 March 1953 | Killed in the crash of RB-36H # 51-13721. He served as a radar operator on a training flight | |
Buried |
Saint Joseph Cemetery Manchester, Hillsborough County, NH | ||
Based |
31 August 1943 | Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Own research for website www.evasioncomete.be - updated website address
Changed highest rank to Captain per Find-A-Grave MEMORIAL # 65711745.
Notes compiled from articles on file at IWM by historian and volunteer Helen Millgate.
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- MACR 470 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 470, son 2009