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Personal info

Full name
CHAUNCEY, William Richard Jr
Date of birth
31 August 1918
Age
25
Place of birth
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
Hometown
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee

Military service

Service number
O-771897
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Bombardier
Unit
508th Bombardment Squadron,
351st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
16 August 1944
Place of death
Burgwerben, north of Weissenfels, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 10 51

Immediate family

Members
William R. Chauncey (father)
Aileen O. (Quinn) Chauncey (mother)
Dorothy Chauncey (sister)
Austin Chauncey (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31702
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Schkeuditz, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviation industry
MACR: 7902

More information

William R. Chauncey Jr. graduated from Southwestern College in 1939 and was a head purchasing agent for North American Aviation in Dallas, Texas.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Miami Beach, Florida on 1 February 1943.

The airplane was hit by flak over the target, knocking out an engine, and was seen being escorted by fighters after it dropped out of formation. It went on fire an the right wing came off.

Six crew members bailed out and were taken prisoner, three men were killed.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - Chauncey Family Tree / 1940 Census / U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, www.findagrave.com - Dale Schaefer, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Julia M / Special edition of the Southwestern News (now Rhodes College), Memphis, Tennessee dated July, 1945