William Douglas Proppe
Military
William D. Proppe Crew
Standing Left to Right: Calvin E. Toof (B), William D. Proppe (P), Dovre Gottschalk (CP), Thomas O. Levens (N)
Kneeling Left to Right: Charles E. McGinty (TG), Louis P. Ward (TT), James Charles Stacey (BTG), Ernest P. Keith (R/O), Milo I. Noble (NG), Gerald L. Weaver (FE) 466th Bomb Group collection
466th BG Historian
Object Number - UPL 6711 - Crew #588 William D. Proppe Crew Standing Left to Right: Calvin E. Toof (B), William D. Proppe (P), Dovre Gottschalk (CP), Thomas O. Levens...
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: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2057146
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2074479
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18191057
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39715973
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Nose Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15375625
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Polaris II
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 785th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 493rd Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron 861st Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Consolidated Mess
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Lady Jake
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 21 April 1945
- Date: 18 April 1945
- Date: 16 April 1945
- Date: 15 April 1945
- Date: 14 April 1945
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Final Combat Mission |
Salzburg, Germany | 21 April 1944 | "I think I will never forget the image of "Black Cat" being hit and going down. She was flying as the 3rd squadron lead. In the turn to abort Black Cat slid slid underneath my deputy squadron lead until it seemed right off my left wing (underneath of course). I can still see the flames coming out of the bomb bay just before they tell me it exploded. The human interest story is that most of the crew were on their final mission, and so near the end of the war too. My crew reported only seeing two chutes coming out. When the abort turn was ordered by Col. (Brunow) Feiling, my navigator called and told me a left turn would take us right over Regensburg, a heavy flak area. I told my navigator to call the lead ship, which he did, only to catch hell for breaking radio silence." - Bill Proppe |
|
Other 466th BG Combat Tour |
Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK | 10 March 1945 - 21 April 1945 | |
|
Died |
Portland, OR, USA | 17 February 2007 | |
|
Buried |
Portland, OR, USA | 20 February 2007 | Willamette National Cemetery Portland Multnomah County Oregon, USA Plot: Section 2 Site 4617 |
|
Born |
Portland, OR, USA | ||
| Portland, OR, USA | 723 SE Malden Street |
Revisions
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources
Letter from Wiliam Proppe to Chris Brassfield - 3 March 2000
466th BG Archives
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE DIARY by Wassom & Brassfield, page 349 & Page 380 in the book 2ND AIR DIVISIONby Turner Publishing Company, 1998 edition (D790.A2S45)