William S Humphrey
Military
Personal records
Object Number - UPL 38263 - Gossage crew
William Humphrey was Top Turret Gunner on board B-17 #42-30259 'Damifino II' on a 24 September 1943 practice flight to test PFF equipment and technique. Intercepted by enemy fighters and shot down. Ditched North Sea. 5 men died. William was among the 5 men who were rescued by Royal Navy torpedo boats and spent the night with them on the French coast. MACR 778. Returned to duty and flew on other missions. He was a replacement TTG on 'Murderer's Row' B-17G #42-39817 on the 3 March 1944 mission to Berlin with Pilot Robert D. Vollmer. Attacked by a swarm of FW110s, shot down, exploded and the debris fell in a radius of 3km between Drage and Peissen, 10km N of Itzehoe (50km N of Hamburg), Germany. MACR 3029. Immediately captured in Peissen. Prisoner of War (POW).
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
![Three airmen of the 100th Bomb Group, Lieutenant Kenneth Menzie, Lieutenant Donald Strout and Lieutenant Norman Scott, plan the route they will take during the next mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30380). Image stamped on reverse: 'Reviewed and passed U.S. Army 23 Aug 1943 Press Censor E.T.O. U.S.A.' [stamp]'. Passed for publication 23 August 1943 INTLD 16 General Section Press Censorship Bureau '[stamp], 'Associated Press' [stamp] and '280035.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reve](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378743.jpg.webp?itok=HBB0lqjl)
- 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: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-801587
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17051757
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16171635
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 38128395
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12046800 at enlistment, then O-673491
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 3 March 1944
- Date: 24 September 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
12 February 1914 | Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan | |
|
Enlisted |
24 December 1941 | as a Private in the Air Corps, in Detroit, Michigan | |
|
Other Rescued in the North Sea |
24 September 1943 | by a Royal Navy torpedo boat after ditching of B-17 42-30259 and returned to duty | |
|
Other captured |
3 March 1944 | in Peissen, North of Itzehoe, Germany, after parachuting out of B-17 42-39817 | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
3 March 1944 | Interned at Stalag Luft 4 in Gross Tychow (Tychowo), Poland. Force-marched to other camps. Liberated. NARA WWII POW records : "Returned to Military Control 23 May 1945." | |
|
Other Honorably discharged |
30 October 1945 | ||
|
Died |
3 July 1995 | Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan | |
|
Born |
Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan |
Revisions
Added an association to the 100th BG, the parent BG of the 349th, 350th, 351st & 418th Bomb Squadrons & the 1141st Quartermaster Company.
Added a "# to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
MACR 778 and MACR 3029
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft Cards
NARA WWII POW records
100th Bomb Group Foundation Directory, 2000 - 2001; MACR 778; MACR 3029, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3029 / MACR 778 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
