Memorial

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S/Sgt William J. Sheehan worked in a machine shop.

He volunteered for the Army of the United States in New York on 3 August 1942.

The airplane was hit by flak over the target. Just after bombing the target, the airplane began to lag in the rear of the formation. It also began to lose altitude.
When the pilot realized that he would never be able to reach England, he gave the bail-out order. When four airmen jumped, it was observed that the B-24 was over water, so it was decided to ditch. The landing failed, and five men drowned.

It crash-landed in the IJsselmeer at a location that is now Flevoland. At the time of the crash, this new province didn't exist and was still open water.

Only one of the ten crew members survived the crash.

In 1975, while draining this part of the IJsselmeer, the wreckage was found, still containing the remains of five crew members: F/O Kent F. Miller, 2nd Lt Frank A. Passavant, T/Sgt James C. Childers, S/Sgt Stanley Pilch, Jr., and 1st Lt Donald E. Shaffer.

The remains of four other crew members were washed ashore or picked up from open sea at various times during the six months following the crash.

The remains of S/Sgt Sheehan were fished up by a fisherman in a location 12 km southwest of Urk Island on 17 February 1944. He was initially buried at the East Cemetery of Urk on 20 February 1944.