William Decker Harris
MilitaryWilliam Harris was Engineer/Top Turret gunner on B-17 #42-39811, shot down on a night leaflet operation to France, 5-6 July 1944. Crashed near Overschie, a suburb of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Missing Air Crew Report – MACR 6988. Prisoner of War (POW)
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: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-756169
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16065396
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33688109
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 858th Bomb Squadron 492nd Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: O-762574
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39108011
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Donna Mae
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 6 July 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Lavenham/Alpheton Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
9 May 1924 | Maine, United States | |
Enlisted |
5 March 1943 | Fort Devens, Massachusetts | |
Born |
Skowhegan, Somerset County, Maine | ||
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Initially evaded but captured near Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Interned at Stalag Luft, Braunau, near Krems, Austria. NARA WWII POW record : “Returned to Military Control 25 May 1945.” |
Revisions
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.
MACR 6988
German report KU-2407 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/147886912 (NARA)
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 6988 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database