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Personal info

Full name
HAMILTON, William Lyle
Date of birth
5 February 1921
Age
22
Place of birth
Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas
Hometown
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

Military service

Service number
38149747
Rank
Technical Sergeant
Function
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Unit
547th Bombardment Squadron,
384th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
12 August 1943
Place of death
Heisterbacherrott, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 38 7

Immediate family

Members
James C. Hamilton (father)
Agnes Hamilton (mother)
James C. Hamilton (brother)
Edward Hamilton (brother)
Sarah Hamilton (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-29686
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Pie Eyed Piper
Destination: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the synthetic hydrogenation plant
MACR: 290

More information

T/Sgt William L. Hamilton attended Kemper Military school. He enlisted in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on 16 July 1942.

Due to formation problems, the hydrogenation plant wasn't bombed. Instead, unidentified military installations were attacked.

The airplane was damaged by enemy aircraft and exploded in midair.

Eight crew members were taken prisoner, and two men were killed. They were initially buried at the community cemetery of Heisterbacherrott the same day.

T/Sgt Hamilton was last seen at his gun position when the other crew members bailed out. The Germans said they had found his body in the wreckage. This was his second mission.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=1544 - MACR 290, www.ancestry.com - 1925/1930 Census / U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Jac Engels, http://384thbombgroup.com/