William Featherstone Gilmore

Military

Shot down 26 November 1943 in B-17 42-5051 'Barrel House Bessie'. Plane ditched in North Sea, off UK. Returned to base. Later became Commanding Officer of the 482nd BG .
Awards : Silver Star / Purple Heart / Distinguished Flying Cross / Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.

384th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Lieutenant John C "Red" Morgan of the 482nd Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Lt Red Morgan, Cong, Med of Hon.'

482nd Bomb Group

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

People

James Frank Bucher

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13067778
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Joseph Earnest Burger

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32373835
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Donald Leroy Engwer

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36255285
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Maurice Victor Henry

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37205337
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Earl Carter Mason

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19085247 at enlistment, then O-738778
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Aircraft

42-5051

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Barrel House Bessie
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 546th Bomb Squadron 303rd Bomb Group 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Gallatin, Tennessee 17 September 1918 Tennessee

Enlisted

30 July 1940 as an Aviation Cadet in the Air Corps, at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia

Other

rescued after ditching

26 November 1943 of B-17 42-5051, in the North Sea

Revisions

Date8 Feb 2019 10:23:23
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to service number, biography, events, person associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources

MACR 1579
NARA WWII Enlistment records

Date29 Nov 2017 15:56:42
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
ChangesChanges to surname, middlename, highest rank, biography, unit associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Merged with duplicate entrios to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=4895;
- MACR 1579;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date2 Jun 2015 18:46:57
Contributorbombercommand
ChangesChanges to surname
Sources

http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=4895

Date27 Sep 2014 18:28:00
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Whos Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45/MACR 1579, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=…