Bill Dunn was born on November 16, 1916, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 19, 1934, and served as an infantryman until receiving an honorable discharge on November 22, 1935. Dunn enlisted in the Canadian Army on September 7, 1939, attaining the rank of Sergeant Major before joining the Royal Air Force on December 13, 1940. After completing RAF Flying School at Tern Hill, England, on April 16, 1941, Pilot Officer Dunn was assigned to the RAF's No. 71 Squadron, also known as the initial Eagle Squadron (so named because it was composed of expatriate American pilots in the RAF prior to the official entry of the United States into World War II) from May to August 1941, during which time he became the first American fighter ace of World War II by destroying 5 German fighters in aerial combat plus a shared probable; all while flying RAF Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters. After being wounded in action on August 27, 1941, Dunn was hospitalized for 3 months and then spent another 3 months in the U.S. on leave before serving as an instructor pilot in Canada until he transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces on June 15, 1943.

Lieutenant Dunn served as a gunnery officer with the 53rd Fighter Group and then joined the 513th Fighter Squadron of the 406th Fighter-Bomber Group, 9th AF, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt, in October 1943, and deployed with the group to England in April 1944. He was credited with the destruction of his 6th and final enemy aircraft in aerial combat in June 1944. Promoted to Captain and then Major, he later completed Command & General Staff College before transferring to China, where he served as commander of Luchien and Luchow Air Bases as a Lieutenant Colonel from May 1945 to 1947, participating in the Chinese Civil War on the side of the Nationalists. His next assignment was as an advisor to the Imperial Iranian Air Force from 1947 to 1949.

Lt Col Dunn resigned his commission on November 3, 1949, and rejoined the Air Force in an enlisted capacity on November 14, 1949, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant before receiving an appointment as an Air Force Warrant Officer on April 17, 1952. During this time, he served as an advisor to the Brazilian Air Force from 1950 to 1952. Promoted to Chief Warrant Officer, CWO Dunn served as a staff officer from 1952 to 1954, and then served as an Aircraft Controller, Interceptor Controller, Air Traffic Controller, and Wing Support Officer for the 33rd Air Division at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, from May 1954 to February 1958. His next assignment was as a Weapons Controller with the 623rd Aircraft Control & Warning (AC&W) Squadron at Naha AB, Okinawa, from April 1958 to April 1960, and then with the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing at Naha AB from April 1960 to July 1961. CWO Dunn next served as a staff officer with Headquarters, 29th Air Division at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri, from July 1961 to May 1963, followed by service as a Weapons Controller with the 848th AC&W Squadron at Wallace AS in the Philippines from May 1963 to May 1964. He served as a Weapons Officer on the staff of Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, from May 1964 to May 1967, and then deployed to Southeast Asia, where he served as a Weapons Force Plans Officer with the 6250th Support Squadron at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, from May 1967 to June 1968.

CWO Dunn's final assignment was as a Weapons Controller with Headquarters, Aerospace Defense Command at Ent AFB, Colorado, from June 1968 until his retirement from the Air Force on February 1, 1973. He was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 4 (W-4) in 1963, but retired at his highest rank held of Lieutenant Colonel (O-5).
Bill Dunn died on February 14, 1995, and was buried at the Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Minneapolis, MN, USA	16 November 1916
Born 16th November, 1916, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Enlisted	Minnesota, USA	19 March 1934
Enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 19, 1934.
Honorably discharged		22 November 1935
Served as an infantryman until receiving an honorable discharge on 22nd November, 1935.
Enlisted	Canada	7 September 1939
Enlisted in the Canadian Army on 7th September, 1939.
Joined RAF	England, UK	13 December 1940
Joined the Royal Air Force on 13th December, 1940.
Completed RAF Flying School	Ternhill, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9, UK	16 April 1941
Completed RAF Flying School at Tern Hill, England, on April 16, 1941.
Assigned	Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK	17 April 1941 – 27 August 1941
Assigned to the No 71 [Eagle] RAF Squadron. First American fighter ace of WWII by destroying 5 German fighters in aerial combat plus a shared probable.
Wounded in Action WIA	Hawkinge, Kent, UK	27 August 1941
Wounded in action on August 27, 1941.
Hospitalized		27 August 1941 – November 1941
Hospitalized for 3 months.
Stateside on leave		November 1941 – February 1942
Returned to the states on leave.
Assigned 53rd FG		June 1943
Served as a gunnery officer with the 53rd Fighter Group.
Transferred to USAAF		15 June 1943
Served as an instructor pilot in Canada until he transferred to the USAAF on June 15, 1943.
Assigned 406th FG	South Carolina, USA	October 1943
Joined the 513th Fighter Squadron of the 406th Fighter-Bomber Group, 9th AF, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt, in October 1943. Congree Army Airfield, South Carolina, USA.
Deployed Overseas	England, UK	April 1944
Deployed with the 406th Fighter Group to England in April 1944.
Take Off Accident TOA	Ashford, Ashford, Kent, UK	10 July 1944
Take Off Accident, Ashford/Sta 417, England. Cat 5 damage. P-47D 42-26528 513th FS 406th FG 9th AF.
Landing accident causing ground loop	Casper, WY, USA	7 July 1953
Landing accident causing ground loop, Casper, Wyoming, in T-6D, 44-81467 127th FBS 137th FBG, Kansas ANG. Cat 2 damage.
Buried	Fort Logan, Denver, CO, USA	1995
Buried Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Died	Colorado Springs, CO, USA	14 February 1995
14th February, 1995, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.