Wilson V Edwards

Military
media-45875.jpeg UPL 45875 Maj. Edwards in front of his P-47.

Photo provided by family

Object Number - UPL 45875 - Maj. Edwards in front of his P-47.

Wilson V. Edwards had already volunteered in a so-called Eagle Squadron of the RAF before the USA entered the war in 1941



Later he was transferred to the American forces and worked in the Headquarters of the 4 FG which was stationed at Debden in England. On 13 July 1944 Edwards took part in the fighter escort of a bomber formation flying to Munich. At c 09.30 hrs he was detected by the Saarbrücken flak, fired at and hit. He bailed out and landed near Schwollen, his aircraft hit the ground near Hattgenstein. Edwards survived and became a POW.





Joined RAFVR

Spartan Flight School Tulsa

133S Nov 41

transferred to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF 20 June 1944 — 13 July 1944

C/O 336th FS

He was shot down in P-51 44-13608 [which crashed at Hattgenstein] 13-Jul-44. MACR 6711. Hit by flak, he parachuted near Metz, France and was in the process of being beaten and lynched by local civilians before being “rescued” by German soldiers. He spent the rest of the war in Luft I POW camp in Barth. Prisoner of War (POW).



Remained in the USAF for 26 years, holding posts in the ATC and ADC. He also served overseas in France, Germany and Italy. His last assignment was as Director of Maintenance, McCord AFB, Washington, DC.



Lt. Colonel Edwards retired from the Air Force in 1968.



1968-72 City Planner, City of Colorado Springs

1972-80 Worked as USAF consultant on DEW line and on the Middle East

1980 Flight Instructor, Colorado Springs, Colorado

2001 Inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron Headquarters (4th Fighter Group)

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Line up of P-47 Thunderbolts of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, at Duxford air base. September 1944. Printed caption on reverse of print: '55432 AC - War Birds Home To Rest - Republic P-47 Thunderbolts lined up on an 8th Air Force field in England after a daylight sweep over Germany. Crews have finished inspections and refueling.'
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: "Duckpond"

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Los Angeles, CA, USA 19 July 1918

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 13 July 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Died

Colorado Springs, CO, USA 7 August 2009

Buried

Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum Colorado Springs, El Paso County, CO 10 August 2009 Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Based

Debden 13 July 1944 Transferred to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.

Based

Biggin Hill Assigned to 133 Sqn RAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Date
ContributorMGB
Changes
Sources

Wilson V. "Bill" Edwards, was one of the American volunteers, that flew with the American Eagle Squadron, RAF. He flew Hurricanes and Spitfires. He later would fly P-47's and P-51's with the 4th fighter group, 8th Air Force, USA. On July 13th, 1944, While piloting a P-51, on a bomber escort mission, over Munich, flack hit his radiator. He had a hard parachute landing and injured both knees and broke his tail bone. He spent the last year of the war at Stalag Luft I, POW camp, in Barth, Germany. He retired as a Lt. Colonel from the Air Force in 1967.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 6708;/6716

Wilson V Edwards: Gallery (4 items)