William Wyatt Patton Jr
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Uploaded
Object Number - UPL 5407 - William Wyatt Patton Jr of the 388th BG
William Patton Jr was killed in action (KIA) on 15 January 1945 while flying weather recon in a P-51 Mustang in the 3rd Scouting Force detached to the 388th Bomb Group / 560th Bomb Squadron. Posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart. Patton's remains were not found until February 2001, when a French farmer turning the soil for planting uncovered the plane with the body of the pilot. E. Richard Atkins (Lt. Col. USAF - Ret.) has written a book about him : "The Long Wait - The Story of William Wyatt Patton Jr - 3rd Scouting Force - 8th USAAF - Missing in Action - 1945 / Found 2001" (AuthorHouse 2017). See also the French website dedicated to the memory of "Junior" Patton at http://fortdeleveau.fr/memorial-patton/
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: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 3rd Scouting Force 560th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 15 January 1945
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Stella, MO, USA | 10 January 1918 | the son of William W. and Rhoda (Gold) Patton |
|
Other Killed in action |
La Longueville, France | 15 January 1945 | Believed to have spun-in during adverse weather conditions. Remains not discovered until 22nd February 2001. |
|
Buried Killed in Action (KIA) |
Springfield, MO, USA | Remains returned to US and buried at the Sprinfield National Cemetery in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri |
Revisions
Updated known details and deleted reference to being buried at Ardennes American Cemetery.
ABMC, 388th BG Newsletter Spring 2001 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list