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William E Chapman

Military

Service

People

  • Rico Convertino

    Military | Sergeant | 401st Bomb Group

  • Warren Gelula

    Military | Second Lieutenant | 401st Bomb Group

  • Euin Guinn

    Military | Second Lieutenant | 401st Bomb Group

  • Robert Larson

    Military | Staff Sergeant | 401st Bomb Group

  • Leo Lingenfelter

    Military | Second Lieutenant | 401st Bomb Group

  • William Price

    Military | Sergeant | 401st Bomb Group

  • James Weatherman

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner ; Togglier | 401st Bomb Group
    completed 40 missions

  • Kenneth Wells

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 613BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 32 x combat missions. ETD Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

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Units served with

  • 401st Bomb Group

    401st Bomb Group

    Group
    The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...

  • 612th Bomb Squadron

    612th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-31087 'Heaven Can Wait', 'Boche Buster'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 17/9/43; Gt Falls 28/9/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-K] Deenethorpe 26/10/43; Missing in Action Politz 7/10/44 with Tom Hill, Wilbur Schmedel, Theo Block, Junius Chadwick, Jim Mullins, Vic Shewbert, Ed Hellenbeck, Buddy Keith, Omer...

  • 42-31511 'Fools Luck III'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 16/11/43; Kearney 3/12/43; Presque Is 9/12/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-D] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; Missing in Action Evere A/fd 10/4/44 with Gaston Fox, Co-pilot: Francis Hoad, Navigator: Darrel Wilson, Bombardier: Leon Mendelson, Ball...

  • 42-31662 'Fancy Nancy IV'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 2/12/43; Kearney 17/12/43; Romulus 6/1/44; Kearney 7/1/44; Memphis 9/1/44; Presque Is 10/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-B] Deenethorpe 31/1/44; 134m crash landed Polebrook 22/4/44, Salvaged 1 SAD Troston. FANCY NANCY IV.

  • 42-38026 "Sad Sack" "My Day"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 18/11/43; Kearney 5/12/43; Presque Is 22/12/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-N] Deenethorpe 2/2/44; Missing in Action Kiel 19/5/44 with Marion Hagen, Co-pilot: John Dunn, Navigator: Wilbur Cordell, Bombardier: Fred Graham, Flight...

  • 42-39840 The Lopin' Lobo

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 17/9/43; Scott 3/10/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-A] Deenethoprpe 13/10/43; transferred AFSC 6/6/44 as development and test aircraft and designated XB-17G; Returned to the USA, used by US Navy from 20/11/45; 4148 BU Bedford 30/1/46;...

  • 42-39932 Sweat 'er Out

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 12/10/43; Gr Island 5/11/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-H] Deenethorpe 2/1/44; 11 x missions; was set for mission to Bernburg 6/7/44 with Russ Lockhart, Co-pilot: Porter Ham, Navigator: Bob Grilley, Bombardier: John Jardine, Flight...

  • 42-39993 'Hells Angels Out Of Chute 13', 'Grossly Inadequate'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 26/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-C] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; 118m landing accident at base with Jim Nolan 7/5/45; sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 8/5/45. HELL’S ANGELS OUT OF CHUTE 13 aka GROSSLY INADEQUATE. ...

  • 42-97780 NOW GO!, also Blue Bomb Express

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 24/2/44; Denver 2/3/44; Kearney 1/4/44; Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 452BG Deopham Green 19/4/44 NOW GO!; transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-R] Deenethorpe 28/4/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10...

Associated Place

  • Deenethorpe

    Military site : airfield
    Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...

Events

Event Location Date
Nationality
American
Nickname
Chappy
Service numbers
Not yet known
Highest rank
Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade)
Role/job
Right Waist Gunner
Awards
  • Air Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
  • American Campaign Medal
  • Distinguished Flying Cross
  • Good Conduct Medal
  • World War II Victory Medal
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 bronze stars

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 January 2020 00:09:00 jmoore43 Changes to role
Sources

Corercted a typo in the role description.
Date Contributor Update
12 January 2017 15:54:09 bchapjr Changes to person associations
Sources

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
Date Contributor Update
12 January 2017 15:42:15 bchapjr Changes to awards
Sources

WD AGO Form 53-55; 1 November 1944
Date Contributor Update
12 January 2017 15:34:09 bchapjr Changes to nickname, highest rank, role, unit associations, place associations and aircraft associations
Sources

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:27:54 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=1366

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