William Ralph Alexander

Military

Assigned to 853BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. John Kenney crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Swabische Hall. Crashed Semmenstedt in B-24 'Ain't Bluffing' 44-40246 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 8861





Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

A Pathfinder B-24 Liberator (V2-P+, serial number 42-51691) of the 491st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '491 BG supplying troops at Arnhem, Sept 1944.'

491st Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

John Douglas Kenney

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-190888
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

"Movement of Unit Flight Echelon, 491st Bomb Gp (H), dd 14 Mar 44 & amendments thereto dd 18 Unr 44 & 22 Mar 44 & 2nd AF Memo 35-2, dd 11 Apr 44• This is a TEMPORARY change of station.

44-40246

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Aint Bluffing
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron

Places

Dulag Luft 12

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12

Stalag Luft IV

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Easley, SC 29 August 1920 Son of Homer Herd and Clara Mae [Keenan] Alexander.

Enlisted

Camp Croft, SC 17 September 1942 Camp Croft, South Carolina

Other

Baled out POW

Semmenstedt, Germany 13 September 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Swabische Hall. Crashed Semmenstedt in B-24 'Ain't Bluffing' 44-40246 POW MACR 8861

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Tychowo, Poland 13 September 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV.

Died

18 September 1989

Buried

Woodlawn Memorial Park, Greenville, Greenville County, SC 21 September 1989 Woodlawn Memorial Park Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina

Based

Metfield 13 September 1944 Assigned to 853BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

ttps://www.fold3.com/image/28734774
https://www.fold3.com/image/28734770
https://www.fold3.com/image/682438642
https://www.fold3.com/record/84076524-william-r-alexander
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37319248/william-ralph-alexander

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28734774
https://www.fold3.com/image/28734770
https://www.fold3.com/record/84076524-william-r-alexander

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8861 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database