William Earl Costley
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Back row, L to R: Sgt Wm. E. Costley, Tail gunner , Sgt. Darwin Kusian, waist gunner, Sgt. Sam Mock, Engineer and top turret gunner, Lt.Wm. H.Gill, Pilot, Lt. Wm, Barbeau, Co pilot.
Front row L to R: Flt.Ofcr. Wm. B. Lazzari, Navigator, Sgt Bob Farris, ball gunner, Hubert Smart, Toggleer and nose gunner, and Sgt James Perlongo, Radio operator.
William Costley was KIA. Remainder of crew were POW. Varrilli had flown 18 missions, Gill 4 missions and the remainder just 3 missions.
452nd Bomb Group Assoc.
Object Number - UPL 31761 - Crew of Miassis Dragon 44-8531 lost to fighters on 7 April 1945 over Germany (Mission 239 to Kaltenkirchen) Back row, L to R: Sgt Wm. E. Costley,...
Shot down 7 April 1945 in AC #448531. Killed in Action (KIA).
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
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Miassis dragon
- Unit: 452nd Bomb Group 728th Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Craigmont, Idaho, USA | 14 April 1925 | Born to William J. Costley and Ruth E. Costley |
| Pullman, Washington | 1 January 1942 | Attended Washington State College in Pullman, Washington. (Washington State University today) | |
|
Died |
Celle, Germany | 7 April 1945 | |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Germany | 7 April 1945 | Shot down on Bombing Raid aimed at Kaltenkirchen, Germany. |
Revisions
ContributorJables61
Changes
Sources
Sources gathered from numerous places for profile in Washington State University's Fallen Cougars Project.
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 13893 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
