William S Burtt

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-29606.jpeg UPL 29606 Lt. William Burtt And Crew Of The 322nd Bomb Sq., 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, In Front Of A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Man O War, Ii, Horsepower Ltd". England, 10 February 1944. - 1LT William S. Burtt & crew, 322nd Bomb Sq, 91st BG with B-17G 42-38083 "Man-O-War II - Horsepower LTD" (coded LG-V), 10 February 1944. The ship replaced their earlier "Man-O-War - Horsepower LTD" (serial 42-37987) in which they'd managed to complete one mission - barely. On the 29 January sortie to Frankfurt they were badly shot up by enemy fighters. Limping back across the Channel, a third engine failed just as they crossed the English coast; they promptly crash-landed.
BACK ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT:
Sgt. Harold H. Jones, Radio Operator (Mont Alto, Pennsylvania); S/Sgt. Vern P. Woodward, Top Turret Gunner (Greenwich, New York); Sgt. Weiss, Waist Gunner (Michigan); Sgt. Jack Webb, Waist Gunner (Illinois); Sgt. John J. (Moose) Wheeler, Tail Gunner (Buffalo, New York); Sgt. Rudolph (Rudy) Thigpen, Ball Turret Gunner (Shreveport, Louisiana); Unknown
FRONT ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT:
2nd Lt. R.L. West, Navigator (Cincinnati, Ohio); 1st Lt. William S. Burtt, Pilot (Grand Rapids, Michigan); 1st Lt. Frank Alford, Co-Pilot (Texas)

Object Number - UPL 29606 - Lt. William Burtt And Crew Of The 322nd Bomb Sq., 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, In Front Of A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Man O War, Ii,...

Assigned to 322BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by fighters on mission to Frankfurt on 29-Jan-44 in B-17 42-37987 'Man O War - Horsepower Ltd' managed to return to England on two engines and crashed near Sittingbourne, Kent when the third engine went out. Returned to Duty (RTD).



Finished tour as B-17 pilot with 35 completed missions. Joined Experimental Scouting Force at Duxford and killed following loss of wing over Leckhampstead, Bucks (Not Newbury) the day before the advanced scouting force came into being. Special Duties 1 Scout Force, 8AF USAAF. Killed while in training for fighter tour in P-51 44-13728 'Mary Jane'. Died Non Battle (DNB).



Awards: DFC (2OLC), PH.

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fifinella
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Texas Chubby, The JVille Jolter
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-17G Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31673) nicknamed "Lassie Come Home" of the 91st Bomb Group Passed for publication 10 Jan 1943. On reverse: Not For Publication, Personal Use Only, US Army Examiner [Stamp].
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lassie Come Home
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Man O’ War - Horsepower Ltd.
  • Unit: 2nd Strategic Air Depot 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Man O War II, Horsepower Ltd
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Aerial photography of Honington airfield looking south, the technical site with four C-type hangars and bomb dump are at the top, 21 June 1946. Photograph taken by No. 540 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1589. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: RAF Honington

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Kalamazoo, MI, USA 27 March 1943 Kalamazoo, Michigan

Other

Combat damaged force landing

Sittingbourne, UK 29 January 1944 Damaged by fighters on mission to Frankfurt, 2 engines out, crashlanded when 3rd quit. Sittingbourne, Kent. 29-Jan-44. 8 x RTD, 1 x WIA, 1 x KIA.

Other

Promoted

Bassingbourn cum Kneesworth, Royston SG8, UK 17 February 1944 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Combat damaged

Thorney Island, Emsworth PO10, UK 25 April 1944 Landed at Thorley Island on the way home from Metz airfield with #1 and #2 engines out in ship #353. 10 x RTD.

Died

Leckhampstead, Newbury RG20, UK 16 September 1944 Killed while in training for fighter tour in P-51 44-13728. Died Non Battle (DNB).

Buried

17 September 1944 Interred Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial Plot E Row 1 Grave 3
Michigan

Other

End Tour Duty (ETD)

End Tour Duty (ETD).

Other

Special Duty

Honington, Bury Saint Edmunds IP31 1QZ, UK Special Duty 1st Scouting Force.

Born

Montcalm County, MI, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Adjusted punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56288264/william-s-burtt

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “came” was misspelled.

Date
ContributorTobin Jones
Changes
Sources

This from my own research into the crash site which is in my village, a letter from Dick Atkins and Letter from Capt Burge

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

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

William S Burtt: Gallery (2 items)