William Donald King

Military
media-26752.jpeg UPL 26752 Capt Oscar D O'Neil and crew of the 401st Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, beside Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 42-5070 'Invasion II'. England, 12 March 1943. Capt O'Neil crouched down centre front row.

Object Number - UPL 26752 - Capt Oscar D O'Neil and crew of the 401st Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, beside Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 42-5070 'Invasion II'....

Assigned to 401BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 17-Apr-43 in B-17 #42-5070 'Invasion II'. Plane was on fire when all crew parachuted to safety. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 15519



Awards: AM (4OLC), PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medal.



Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean war, crashed in B-29A of 344th BS, 98th BW 4 miles north of Taegu, South Korea, Killed in Action (KIA)

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32183032
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-430613
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Bomber pilot

Aircraft

Ground crew of the 91st Bomb Group uncover the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress at Bassingbourn. Image stamped on reverse: '’Reviewed and Passed U.S Army 24 Mar 1943 Press Censor No 21 E.T.O. U.S.A.' [stamp]. 'Passed for publication 24 MAR 1943 INTLD 32 Central Section Press Censorship Bureau' [stamp]. 'Associated Press' [stamp]. '254766' [Censor no]. Printed caption on reverse: 'FORTRESSES DAY RAID ON WILHELMSHAVEN The German naval base at Wilhelmshaven was successfully attacked in daylight March 22 by A
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Invasion II
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Pecos County, TX, USA 18 January 1923

Enlisted

Fort Bliss, TX, USA 17 December 1941 Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Tychowo, Poland 17 April 1943 Prisoner of War (POW).Stalag Luft IV.

Other

Shot down

Oldenburg, Germany 17 April 1943 Shot down 17 April 1943 in B-17 42-5070 'Invasion II'. Plane was on fire when all crew parachuted to safety.

Other

Discharged USAAF

16 September 1945 Honourable discharge.

Enlisted

Fort Worth, TX, USA 9 September 1950 Re-Enlisted.

Died

Daegu, South Korea 30 August 1952 Killed in action in the crash of B-29A from 98th BW 344th BS 4 miles north of Taegu, South Korea.
Imperial, TX 79743, USA

Based

Bassingbourn 17 April 1943 Assigned to 401BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF.

Buried

Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii Courts of the missing Honolulu Memorial Honolulu Honolulu County Hawaii, USA

Buried

Monahans Memorial Cemetery, Monahans, Texas Memorialised Monahans Memorial Cemetery Texas

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15519 / MACR 15519, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 p. 105, The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourn by Havelaar pp. 37-38, NARA / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

William Donald King: Gallery (3 items)