William O Wood
Military ROLL OF HONOURAll information correct as on Roll of Honor board
SSgt. Willam O. Wood was Killed In Action (KIA) during Operation Tidal wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994. 1 Aug 43.
Sgt. Wood was dispatched to North Africa in 1943 with the 93rd Bomb Group to take part in Operation Tidal Wave as part of the crew of the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994, on 1 August 1943. On reaching the target area, the 93rd Bomb Group led by Col Addison Baker and Major John Jerstad, were following their element leader, Col. K.K. Compton in the Lead B-24D, Teggie Ann, who was ordered by the mission leader, General Uzal Ent, to deliberately turn southeast away from, instead of toward Ploesti, at the wrong IP, and to head for Bucharest. The pilots in the 93rd and 376th Bomb Groups, following Compton, stunned and in disbelief by what they just saw Compton do, immediately broke radio silence and repeatedly attempted to warn Compton about his disastrously wrong turn away from Ploesti, as did Compton's own navigator, Harold Wicklund, on Teggie Ann's intercom ! But when they saw they had failed to get Compton to respond, a number of pilots, including Col Baker and Maj. Jerstad, Lt. Walter Stewart in Utah Man, broke formation, on their own, and led the remainder of the force, who were following them, out of synch, now, and unable to follow their individual attack plans, back toward Ploesti, which would, by itself, prove disastrous, by flying over the heaviest of the flak concentrations south of Ploesti.
Now heading north and west toward targets of opportunity, Hell's Wench, took several direct flak hits, setting the entire plane on fire. Baker jettisoned his bombs as both wings were hit, and the aircraft became engulfed in flames. At almost the same time, the aircraft had to break formation and pull up to avoid mid-air collisions with bombers from the 98th Bomb group, arriving, correctly, in their assigned target area at White IV, from the opposite direction.
Despite Baker's and Jerstad's efforts to gain altitude, Hell's Wench, lost speed in the climb, stalled, rolled over, crashed, and exploded in flames, killing everyone aboard, including SSgt. William Wood. KIA. 1 Aug 1943.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11021584
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group Headquarters (93rd Bomb Group)
- Service Numbers: O-280827
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot / Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17037959
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11019924
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18070690
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Hell's Wench
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Aircraft crash site
- Known as: Rafinărie Concordia Vega (White II)
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Florence American Cemetery, Tavarnuzze, Italy
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Died |
1 August 1943 | ||
Born |
Georgia | ||
Buried |
Revisions
ABMC MACR 331 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia