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F/O Willard W. Royer worked in an aircraft factory.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Santa Ana, California on 24 April 1943.

Statement from Captain Bertrum E. Ellingson, who flew in the same mission: "I was leading Vortex White Flight on a target support and bomber withdrawal from Hannover. On the way out, White Flight was with Red Flight on the left side of the bomber track. In the vicinity of Dummer Lake, White Flight was bounced by an ME 262. Vortex White Three called in, but White Four evidently did not hear him. White Four was straggling badly at the time and took no evasive action. The ME 262 closed to very short range. White Four then did a snap roll to the right and down, leveling out about two thousand feet lower. That’s the last I saw of White Four as I tried to get a shot at the enemy aircraft, White Four was not smoking or burning and appeared to be under control at that time."

The airplane was seen in a spin, but no one actually saw the enemy aircraft fire on it. There was no fire or explosion. The aircraft snap rolled to the right and down, recovering about 2,000 feet below the formation, assuming previous heading.

F/O Royer was initially buried at the county cemetery of Halden on 5 November 1944.