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name
HUNT, William Wycoff - Date of
birth
2 July 1921 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Pinos Altos, Grant County, New Mexico -
Hometown
Pinos Altos, Grant County, New Mexico
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-756593 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
335th Fighter Squadron,
4th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
21 May 1944 - Place of
death
2 km southwest of Kremmen, 15 km west of Oranienburg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 39 | 9 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Joseph G. Hunt (father)
Nell (Watson) Hunt (mother)
Alan W. Hunt (brother)
Richard B. Hunt (brother)
Lawrence G. Hunt (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-6901 -
Data
Type: P-51B-7NA
Destination: Germany
Mission: Fighter Sweep
MACR: 5289
More information
William Hunt attended high school in Silver City and State Teachers College in Silver City for three years and one semester at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.He joined the Army Air Corps on 19 November 1942 at Santa Fe, New Mexico and trained at Santa Ana, California, Ryand Field in Arizona, Chico in California, Luke Field in Arizona, Tallahasse in Florida and Hillsborough Field in Florida.
Statement from 1st Lt George I. Stanford, Jr.
"I was flying as Blue Leader on the mission of May 21, 1944; Fighter Sweep to Berlin. We let down to about 3,000 and were traveling southeast from Berlin (1300) looking for ground targets, when intense and accurate (believed to be 40mm from Bofor-type guns) flak started bursting behind us.
I broke down to avoid it, but Blue D and 4, who were with me, tried to climb out of it. When Blue 4 (Lt Hunt) rejoined me, oil was streaming from under his fuselage. He asked over the R/T for someone to lead him home, which I started to do. In order to avoid the flak that was all around us, I stayed on the deck with Blue 4 following behind. In the vicinity of Belzig, flying a course of about 300 degrees, Lt Hunt was still with me. When I looked behind again in about twenty seconds, he wasn't there.
I circled back and saw what appeared to be the remains of an aircraft that might have exploded in the air. Dark grey smoke was rising from several scattered spots in a group, rather than a single column of dark black smoke that an aircraft which had crashed into the ground would make. Due to the flak, I could not get close to determine what it was, so I made one more circle looking for an aircraft or a parachute in the air. Seeing none, I then returned by myself."
1st Lt Hunt was initially buried at the cemetery of the community Staffelde.
William's brother, Richard B. Hunt, was killed in action on 24 October 1944 and is memorialized at Fort
Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines.
Source of information: FOHF, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com – Headstone and Interment Record / 1930/1940 Census / New Mexico WWII Record, www.newspapers.com, www.fold3.com – MACR
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.fold3.com, Arie-Jan van Hees - Pilot Class 43-I Luke Field, Arizona, courtesy of Mr. Claiborne / Pilot Class Book 43-I Chico AAF California