Missing information?

Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?

Submit

Personal info

Full name
WILLIAMS, Norman Neale
Date of birth
20 August 1917
Age
27
Place of birth
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Hometown
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California

Military service

Service number
O-887193
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Radar Observer
Unit
422nd Night Fighter Squadron
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
12 October 1944
Place of death
Near the superhighway from Cologne near the bridge of the superhighway Wiedmuehle
Neustadt Wied, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
I 16 17

Immediate family

Members
Norman Williams (father)
Margaret T. Williams (mother)
Margaret T. Williams (sister)
Neva F. (Baker) Williams (wife)
Norman N. Williams II (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-5538
Data
Type: P-61A
Destination: Ostheim Airdrome, Germany
Mission: Intruder mission
MACR: 9539

More information

Norman N. Williams was a clerk before he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Los Angeles, California on 10 June 1942.

The airplane took off from Advanced Landing Ground A-78 in Florennes, Belgium at 18:52 hours. They were last heard from at 19:45 hours via GCI at which time the pilot was reported to have said, "Hot target, see you later". The location at that time was south of Bonn, Germany.
According to two investigations in September 1948 and November 1951 the airplane was strafing military vehicles in a low dive and hit the top of some trees in the vicinity of Neustadt and crashed into the woods, bursting into flames in three separate spots. The two crew members were found dead. The fire brigade of Neustadt was alerted at that time and took over guard duty at the scene of the crash. Although a thorough search for casualties was conducted that very night, the prevailing darkness prevented positive results. However, on the next morning, the two crew members were found dead at a distance of approximately 500 meters behind the main part of the plane. Both remains were placed into caskets and buried by civilians in the community cemetery of Neustadt Wied.

At the distinterment in March 1946, both bodies were found by a team of the U.S. Army They were wrapped into mattress covers and placed on a truck, with which they were evacuated to an unknown destination. The grave digger of Neustadt recalled that no tags were attached to the bodies and he was wondering at that time how the team was able to tell the bodies apart, since approximately ten other bodies were already on the truck. According to an investigation in April 1951 the remains were marked as Unknown X-7440 and X-2282 at that time. Further information is unavailable but it is a fact that only the remains of Lt Williams were identified.

Lt Doyle is remembered at the Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - Baker Family Tree, IDPF of Raymond A. Boulter

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Stefan Gillissen