Delivered Cheyenne 30/4/44; Gt Falls 3/5/44; Kearney 3/6/44; Grenier 18/6/44; Assigned 750BS/457BG [J] Glatton 29/6/44.



Missing in Action Merseburg 12/12/44 with Montell Higgins (Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Bill Bell, Navigator: John McCaughan, Bombardier: Harry Harstedt, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Frank Winder, Radio Operator: Fred Lawyer, Ball turret gunner: Phil Porter, Waist gunner: Russ Perry,Tail gunner: Bill Smigielski (9 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Sensweiler, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 11334. WILLIE III.



"On the 12 December 1944 American 457 BG was sent to attack Merseburg. With the formation was the B-17 of pilot Montell C. Higgins (750 BS). En route to the target this Flying Fortress got into trouble, let the wheels down and feathered engine # 4. For a certain time the aircraft trailed the formation, but then fell more and more behind until it disappeared altogether about 40 miles northeast of Frankfurt.



It can be assumed that the pilot attempted to make it back to base on his own. This, however, didn’t succeed and the crew were forced to bail out. When the eighth man had left the ship it was already diving down, nosed up again and finally raced down to earth. The crash occurred 9 km northwest of Idar-Oberstein. The pilot did not get out of the plane and lost his life. He was first buried in the communal cemetery of Sensweiler and now rests in the military cemetery at St. Avold in Lorraine".