William Hawkins was a Mustang pilot assigned to the 4th Fighter Group/335th Fighter Squadron. On a local transition flight on 1 March 1944, he had a landing accident at Station 345, Goxhill, Lancashire, after attempting a go-around during a local transition flight in P-51B 43-12424 of 496th FTG/555th FTS. Returned to duty. He was pilot of P-51 Mustang 43-6316 on a bomber escort/sweep mission to Bordeaux, France on 21 March 1944, a few short weeks after his arrival in England. On return from the raid, his Mustang, which had bullet holes in the wing and fuselage, the result of dog-fighting with German fighters in the Bordeaux area, was running low on fuel. (The German J-726 report says he was downed “by Flak”…) Hawkins thought he wouldn’t have enough gas to make it back across the Channel and he bailed out over the Brest area in Northwest France. He managed to evade capture with the help of French citizens, notably the Dr de la Marniere family in Brest, who sheltered him for over a month, and other members of the Résistance. Evacuated 12-13 July 1944 from Sous-Kéruzeau, Brittany, on board British Motor Gun Boat MGB 503. Back in the UK on 13 July 1944. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 3438. Escape & Evasion Report E&E 832.



Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.