William Amos Whitcomb

Military
media-51432.jpeg UPL 51432 S/Sgt William A Whitcomb, 334BS, 95BG

Object Number - UPL 51432 - S/Sgt William A Whitcomb, 334BS, 95BG

Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Bill Thomas crew. 23 x combat missions.



7-Apr-43, B-17 42-3090 'Taint-a-bird' force landed near Clonakilty, County Cork Ireland. Crew was safe. RTD



B-17 42-3267 ditched in Bay of Biscay out of fuel 28-Jun-43. All on board returned. RTD



Shot down 29-Nov-43 in B-17 42-6039 'Wildfire', Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1560



Awards: AM (OLC), POW, WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 95th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-733713
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-791163
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Wilder Nell II
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron 334th Bomb Squadron 525th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hell-n-Back
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: T'aint A Bird
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group Base Air Depot 2 334th Bomb Squadron 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Harley Charley
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Mecosta, MI 4 February 1915 Son of Lena Whitcomb.

Enlisted

Kalamazoo, MI 20 June 1942 Kalamazoo, Michigan

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Krems an der Donau, Austria 29 November 1943 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag XVIIb.

Other

Baled out POW

SE of Friesoythe, Germany 29 November 1943 Shot down 29-Nov-43 in B-17 42-6039 'Wildfire', Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1560

Died

27 June 1966

Buried

Maple Hill Cemetery Charlotte, Eaton County, MI Maple Hill Cemetery Charlotte, Eaton County, Michigan

Based

Horham 29 November 1943 Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C type in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1560 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor; MACR 1560, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 101, 169, 391

William Amos Whitcomb: Gallery (3 items)