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Personal info

Full name
ALEXANDER, William L
Date of birth
17 July 1923
Age
20
Place of birth
Scurry County, Texas
Hometown
Howard County, Texas

Military service

Service number
O-672285
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
333rd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
17 July 1943
Place of death
Near Helgoland, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
William J. Alexander (father)
Carrie E. (Sickendick) Alexander (mother)
Helen Alexander (sister)
Alvis 'Hi' Alexander (brother)
Donnie Beryl Alexander (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3219
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Dear Mom
Destination: Hamburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft industry
MACR: 93

More information

Lt. Alexander graduated from Big Spring High School in 1939 and attended Tarleton and Howard Payne Colleges.

He was employed by the Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company.

He enlisted in Abilene, Texas on 4 March 1943.

The element originally designated to attack Hamburg was a combined force of 125 B-17's, but weather caused a recall of this formation. However 84 B-17's from 94BG (18), 95BG (23), 96BG (21) and 100BG (22) sighted a German ship convoy on the return. Only one B-17 from 96BG managed to drop on the convoy. Another segment of this formation, 385BG (21) and 388BG (20) attempted to bomb the Fokker aircraft factory at Amsterdam. A total of 22 aircraft attempted the bombing, but the results were highly scattered and 150 civilians were killed. 1 B-17 from 94BG, aircraft 42-3219, was shot down by enemy aircraft (2 engines were hit) near Helgoland, Germany.

The entire crew was killed. Every crew member, with the exception of waist gunner Everett A. Quimby is remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. We have no information why he isn't mentioned.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.94thbombgroup.com, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov. www.ancestry.com - Abilene Reporter News, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.8thafhs.com

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Chris van der Linden, www.ancestry.com - Big Springs High School, 1939