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name
HAYES, William Opel - Date of
birth
24 July 1920 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Chipley, Washington County, Florida -
Hometown
Mulberry, Polk County, Florida
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-818868 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
338th Bombardment Squadron,
96th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
8 May 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Schwarmstedt, 6 km west of Gut Hustedt, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 12 | 29 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William R. Hayes (father)
Mary V. Hayes (mother)
Mary V. Hayes (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102525 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 4576
More information
2nd Lt William O. Hayes was a clerk before he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Tampa, Florida on 20 August 1942.The airplane was attacked by fighters and broke in half prior to the crash. The entire crew of 10 was killed.
Eight of them were recovered and buried at the Jewish cemetery of Hoya on 10 May 1944. Only the remains of James V. Ball, then listed as unknown, was buried at the Russian POW Cemetery of Vechta on 11 May 1944. Eight days after the crash, a Luftwaffe guard detail discovered the totally burned remains of the last two crewmembers in the wrackage (Edward J. Bondy and Charles B. Birdsey). Their are no records what happened with these bodies.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry HIrsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten