William Henry Beeson
Military ROLL OF HONOURWilliam was an architect when he joined the AF a few months before Pearl Harbor. He was an accomplished musician. He performed the role of navigator and bombardier in B-24s and B-17s.
His plane (Blue Streak B17) was shot down over Merseburg, Germany on November 2, 1944. The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire at bomb release and exploded killing all crew.
He had finished his tour of 25 missions, but remained and was KIA on his 31st mission over Merseburg, Germany. (There is an AF photo of his plane - B-17 #43-37883 'Blue Streak' exploding at or just before bomb release).
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Captain
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Blue Streak
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 834th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Acton
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Shepherd, Texas, USA | 20 August 1917 | |
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Merseburg, Germany | 2 November 1944 | |
Buried |
Netherlands American Cemetery | Plot I Row 8 Grave 21 |
Revisions
Updated the Buried event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 56296661.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56296661/william-henry-beeson
Copied the "Summary biography" from a Duplicate person as part of a merge operation of dup people so the dup person can be deleted.
Added punctuation to the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Updated a Buried event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 56296661.
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56296661/william-henry-beeson
Added birth info to the Born event and cemetery info to the Buried evwnt per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 56296661.
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity. Changed Died event label to "KIA".
Brought in information from duplicate record. Sources:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 10168 / https://www.abmc.gov/node/531053#.WVYTmU2WyM8
MACR 10168 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database