William Joseph Williams

Military
media-35811.jpeg UPL 35811 The "Hustlin'Hussy" crew in May 1944. Standing, from left to right : Arthur Pacha, engineer; Allen Patterson, Right Waist Gunner; Elmore Loveland, Tail Gunner; William Williams, Left Waist Gunner; Robert Piarote, Radio Operator; Leo Reynolds, Ball Turret Gunner.
In front, from left to right : Ralph Palmer, pilot; Ryal Skaggs, Co-Pilot; William Powell, Navigator; Frank Wieczerzak, Bombardier. (Photo via the Robert Piarote family)

Removed associations not depicted in photo

Object Number - UPL 35811 - The "Hustlin'Hussy" crew in May 1944. Standing, from left to right : Arthur Pacha, engineer; Allen Patterson, Right Waist Gunner; Elmore Loveland,...

Shot down by fighters after dropping out of formation due to an engine failure on return from mission to Frankfurt on 29 January 1944 in B-17 #42-30354 'Hustlin' Hussy'. Evaded capture for 6 months until caught in a trap set by the Gestapo and collaborators. Prisoner of War (POW). See the full story of his evasion and capture at http://www.evasioncomete.be/fwilliawj.html

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 385th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39274861
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31171364
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13093716
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator / Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hustlin Hussy
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Konzentrationslager Buchenwald

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

7 November 1920 Knox, Starke County, Indiana

Enlisted

6 January 1943 Evansville, Indiana

Other

Bailed out

29 January 1944 of B-17 42-30354 over Belgium; landed near Lobbes, Hainaut Province, Belgium

Other

Evaded capture

29 January 1944 - 3 August 1944 Helped by Belgian and French citizens and Résistance members; hidden in various places in Belgium; led to Paris where he was arrested on 3 August 1944 after infiltration of the evasion network by the Germans helped by collaborators

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

3 August 1944 Interned in the Fresnes prison, near Paris; transferred to the Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany; moved to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Poland; force-marched from there to Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Germany; liberated there by US troops on 29 April 1945. NARA WWII POW records : “Returned to Military Control : 14 June 1945.”

Died

22 November 2007 Titusville, Florida

Born

Oaktown, Knox County, Indiana

Buried

William Williams rests at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Lake Placid, Florida

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words "Waist Gunner" in the "Role/job" field.

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Updated website address in Bio

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 2268
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
RAMP Liberation Report # 8

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia ;
- MACR 2268;
- 8th AF Losses

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

MACR 2268 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

William Joseph Williams: Gallery (1 items)