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name
KNOWLES, William Adams - Date of
birth
23 April 1918 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa -
Hometown
Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-748428 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
562nd Bombardment Squadron,
388th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
11 April 1944 - Place of
death
Baltic Sea, north of Rostock, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Homer C. Knowles (father)
Florence E. (Adams) Knowles (mother)
Lorena Knowles (sister)
Clark Knowles (brother)
George Knowles (brother)
Olive Jean Knowles (sister)
Lee Knowles (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-32003 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Shoo Shoo Baby
Destination: Poznan, Polen
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 3774
More information
1st Lt. William A. Knowles attended Joliet Junior College and the University of Missouri and was a locomotive fireman.He enlisted in Chicago, Illinois, on 18 June 1941.
He was assigned to the Infantry at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In June 1942, he transferred to the Army Air Corps. He received his pilot's wings and commission on 22 June 1943 at Roswell, New Mexico, where he also received advanced training in B-17s. In January 1944, he and his crew flew to England. He flew his first mission on 16 March 1944 and was shot down on his 8th mission.
The plane was attacked by fighters just after bombs away, which shot off a part of the vertical stabilizer. It stayed in the formation for a few minutes, then dove down and crashed into the water.
One crew member survived and was taken prisoner; nine men were killed.
On 18 October 1945, the War Department officially declared him dead.
Lt Knowles is remembered at Seward Mound Cemetery in Kendall County, Illinois, with a memorial marker.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Mrs. Jean Knowles (sister) / Mrs. H. Wetzels, www.388bg.org, National WWII Memorial, Footnote, www.fold3.com - MACR
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 43-F, Minter Field, California, American Air Museum, www.findagrave.com