William D Bates

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-20653.jpeg UPL 20653 F/O William D Bates 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.

Object Number - UPL 20653 - F/O William D Bates 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.

Suffered Mechanical Failure in P-51D 44-13884 aborted mission and abandoned A/C over North Sea, unable to get into his dinghy after several attempts, he elected to float in his Mae West and await rescue. Though located by an ASR Walrus, it was too rough for the flying boat to land. His body was later located by an ASR launch two and a half hours after landing in the Channel. KIA.

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Alabama, USA 6 March 1918 Son of Mr David G and Mrs Dezzie S Bates.

Died

North Sea 6 February 1945 Suffered Mechanical Failure in P-51D 44-13884 aborted mission and abandoned A/C over North Sea, unable to get into his dinghy after several attempts, he elected to float in his Mae West and await rescue. Though located by an ASR Walrus, it was too rough for the flying boat to land. His body was later located by an ASR launch two and a half hours after landing in the Channel. KIA.
Cullman, AL, USA

Buried

Elkmont, AL 35620, USA Antioch Cemetery Elkmont, Limestone County Alabama, USA.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Combat Chronology / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

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