William Junior Shiffer
Military
Jill Shiffer Gehrig; daughter
Object Number - UPL 20660 - William Junior Shiffer
William J. Shiffer, flying on a bombing mission out of Eye on 1 September 1944, was one of 3 airmen to survive a mid-air collision over France between two USA bomber planes. Member of the Kirklin crew; lead crew. The squadron was returning home from a mission over Germany when one bomber flew into another. They were the Lt. Kirklin and Lt. Frey crews.
He had also flown on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
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: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 490th Bomb Group 849th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 490th Bomb Group 848th Bomb Squadron 849th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-427735
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 490th Bomb Group 834th Bomb Squadron 849th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37537656
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 490th Bomb Group 849th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-666307
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot/Personnel Staff Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 490th Bomb Group 849th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-805173
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 490th Bomb Group 849th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Brome
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Millerstown, PA, USA | 28 November 1922 | |
|
Enlisted |
30 January 1943 | ||
|
Other Survived mid-air collision |
1 September 1944 | ||
|
Died |
3 April 2015 | William J. Shiffer died peacefully at a hospice center in 2015. He was always proud of his service to his country. | |
|
Based |
Eye |
Revisions
Added information from a previously-existing record for Bill Shiffer. The sources of that entry were:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self
www.486th.org roster
MACR 8857 - https://www.fold3.com;
hhttp://www.ladives1944.com/documents/crash-b17-dives-cabourg/&prev=sear…;
http://www.findagrave.com
