William P Kelly

Military
media-18715.jpeg UPL 18715 'Flight Sergeant Bill Kelly (left) and Flying Officer Osborne sleep between 'sweeps' in the Dispersal Hut at Rochford airfield. Underneath the bed on which they sleep is the station mascot, a dog called Roger. The original caption states that "Like so many of the fighter squadron mascots, Roger belonged to a pilot since reported missing, and has been adopted by the others". American volunteers, Flight Sergeant Bill Kelly (left) and Flying Officer Osborne of No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron, RAF, at rest in the Dispersal Hut at Rochford airfield in Essex during 1942'.
IWM Photo D 9518

IWM Photo.

Object Number - UPL 18715 - 'Flight Sergeant Bill Kelly (left) and Flying Officer Osborne sleep between 'sweeps' in the Dispersal Hut at Rochford airfield. Underneath the bed on...

Joined RCAF, service pilot training, shipped overseas to ETO, operational training at OTU, assigned to 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF, Fw190 destroyed on Rodeo to Abbeville, France 31-7-42

transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Dispatched in Spitfire EN918 to strafe a convoy off Walcheren Island. He was hit by flak from one of the ships at 1200 feet. Attempted to make land, but A/C was seen to go into the North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). 5-2-43. Body not recovered.



Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Connections

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

Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron No 121 'Eagle' Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Saratoga, New York 23 August 1918 Born - 23 August 1918 Saratoga Springs, New York, USA.

Other

E/A Kill

Abbeville, France 31 July 1942 Fw190 destroyed on Rodeo to Abbeville, France. 31-7-42.

Other

Transferred

Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK 14 October 1942 - 5 February 1943 Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF 14 October 1942

Died

4364 Walcheren, Netherlands 5 February 1943 Killed when aircraft was shot down by flak while strafing an enemy ship convoy near Walcheren Island, Holland. Killed in Action (KIA). His remains have never been recovered.

Buried

Commemorated

Memorialised on the Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery.
Saratoga, NY, USA Saratoga, New York, USA.

Other

Joined RCAF

Canada Joined Royal Canadian Air Force. Fl/Sgt.

Other

Service pilot training

Ottawa, ON, Canada Service pilot training.

Other

Shipped overseas

Merseyside, UK Shipped overseas to ETO.

Other

Operational training

Great Britain, United Kingdom Operational training at OTU. Conversion to Hurricane and Spitfires.

Other

Assigned

Kirton in Lindsey, Gainsborough, North Lincolnshire DN21, UK 14 October 1942 Assigned to 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 29-Jan-2015. Added decoration , confirmed SN and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; KIA event and loss details in biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE and confirmed by Peter Randall, webmaster and historian of the liittlefriends.co.uk wesbsite.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol I by Bishop and Hey, p .74, with picture, ABMC web site / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

William P Kelly: Gallery (2 items)