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Submit- Full
name
AUDETTE, William Ivan - Date of
birth
19 January 1922 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Newport, Sullivan County, New Hampshire -
Hometown
Windsor County, Vermont
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-832972 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
850th Bombardment Squadron,
490th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
21 March 1945 - Place of
death
Strehla, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 3 | 43 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Oliver Audette (father)
Dorothy Audette (mother)
Creighton Audette (brother)
Ann Audette (sister)
Virginia A. (Sherwin) Audette (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-39130 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Target: Plauen, Germany
MACR: 134555
More information
Statement from Sgt William E. Shipp."The plane was shot down near Leipzig, Germany while on a mission on 21 March 1945." He also stated that: "the engineer, T/Sgt Charles B. Johnston, who was also a prisoner of the Germans, informed him after they were liberated that the Germans showed him the identification tags of the pilot, 1st Lt William Audette, and that he was alive and was to have been sent to Stalag 4B. The Germans also informed Sgt Shipp, while he was still in prison at Stalag 4B, that Lt Audette was still alive."
Flew 22 missions, including a "wheels up" landing in France on 01/21/1945 with no damage to plane or crew. Some crew survived fatal last mission and were in POW camps; according to reports, it is likely Bill was at Stalag IVB near Muhlberg or IVE near Altenburg. Latter bombed by Allies 04/11/1945.
Remains were buried "...at an isolated grave at Oberfrauendorf, Germany"; later moved to Ardennes cemetery, Belgium.
Source of information: Terry Hirsch, Eric Swain, Historian of the 490th Bombardment Group; Bruce Haley, nephew of the Co-Pilot (had his uncle’s personal log); letter from Office of the Quartermaster General dated 12/06/1945 (burial information); www.abmc.gov, family records and photos; Carol Audette Evans., WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Michel Beckers, Eric Swain (490th Bomber Group), Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Daystcat, New England Yankee