William F Vermillion

Military
Sergeant William Vermillion and Lieutenant Ralph Phillips of the 323rd Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder Passed as censored 17 Aug 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'A Bomber that has palyed[sic] a great part in the N. African and Sicilian campaigns and is now being used in large numbers in this country is the U.S. "Marauder". The Marauder has a speed of 350 [censor ammended to read '346'] m.p.h., arange[sic] of 2,000 miles, carries a bomb load of over a ton and is fitted with 8 calibre .50 guns. ... 17 media-413334.jpg FRE 4655 Sergeant William Vermillion and Lieutenant Ralph Phillips of the 323rd Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder Passed as censored 17 Aug 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'A Bomber that has palyed[sic] a great part in the N. African and Sicilian campaigns and is now being used in large numbers in this country is the U.S. "Marauder". The Marauder has a speed of 350 [censor ammended to read '346'] m.p.h., arange[sic] of 2,000 miles, carries a bomb load of over a ton and is fitted with 8 calibre .50 guns. ... 17/8/43. O.P.S. Sergt. William Vermillion (S. Dakota) radio gunner, (on left) and Lt. Ralph Phillips, (Missouri) Navigator. The latter has his helmet decorated with a pattern of bombs.' Censor no: 279194. On reverse: Daily Sketch, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 4655 - Sergeant William Vermillion and Lieutenant Ralph Phillips of the 323rd Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder Passed as censored 17 Aug 1943. Printed...

Assigned to 455BS, 323BG, 9AF USAAF. 30 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to V-1 target near Devres, FR a direct flak hit near the left engine forced crew to bail-out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2056.



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

Private First Class Barbara O'Brien of the Womens Army Corps, paints the nose of a B-26 Marauder (YU-Y. serial number 41-34982) nicknamed "Jolly Roger" of the 323rd Bomb Group. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publcation 4 Dec 1943.' [stamp] and '295589.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'W.A.C.S. on duty at a Bomber Station. Associated Press Photo shows:- Pfc: Barbara O'Brien painting the Jolly Roger on the nose of a Marauder with the crew looking on.'

323rd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

41-35000

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Swamp Chicken
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Group 455th Bomb Squadron

Places

Stalag Luft IV

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Westfield, IA 19 July 1920 Son of William T and Ethel [Sprague] Vermillion.

Other

Prisoner of War

Tychowo, Poland 5 February 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV.

Other

Shot down / baled out

62240 Desvres, France 5 February 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to V-1 target near Devres, FR a direct flak hit near the left engine forced crew to bail-out. POW. MACR 2056.

Died

Beresford, SD 57004, USA 12 January 2015

Buried

Viborg, SD 57070, USA 16 January 2015 Rose Hill Cemetery Viborg Turner County South Dakota, USA

Enlisted

North Sioux City, SD 57049, USA

Other

Radio training

Sioux Falls, SD, USA Radio training at Sioux Falls Air Base.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28711757
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=141288644

Date
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
Changes
Sources

Additioanl details from http://www.findagrave.com

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Combat Chronology, Marauder Men, Losses of 9th AF / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

William F Vermillion: Gallery (3 items)

A bomber crew of the 323rd Bomb Group in full flight gear, beneath the nose of their B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Mr Falla". Image stamped on reverse: 'Central Press Ltd.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 18 Aug 1943.' [stamp] and '279281.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'America's new super medium bomber in Britain 18.8.43. The U.S super medium bomber, the "MARAUDER" is now operating from Britain after doing fine work in N Africa and Sicily. It has a range of 2,000 miles with a speed of 350 m.p.h a

Object number: FRE 1195 - A bomber crew of the 323rd Bomb Group in full...

Sergeant William Vermillion and Lieutenant Ralph Phillips of the 323rd Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder Passed as censored 17 Aug 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'A Bomber that has palyed[sic] a great part in the N. African and Sicilian campaigns and is now being used in large numbers in this country is the U.S. "Marauder". The Marauder has a speed of 350 [censor ammended to read '346'] m.p.h., arange[sic] of 2,000 miles, carries a bomb load of over a ton and is fitted with 8 calibre .50 guns. ... 17

Object number: FRE 4655 - Sergeant William Vermillion and Lieutenant Ralph...

Object number: UPL 27663 - A bomber crew of the 323rd Bomb Group with their...