William B Ostrander
Military
Left to Right:
Captain Frank J. Harrold - Pilot - 669th BS
1LT Vernon H. Powell - B/N - 668th BS
Captain John P. Hillerman - Pilot - 670th BS
Captain Paul G. Atkinson - Pilot - 669th BS
Major William J. Meng - Pilot/Squadron Commander - 671st BS
Captain Lowell E. Geffinger - Bomb Sight Officer - 668th BS
Captain David Hulse - Pilot - 670th BS
1LT William B. Ostrander - Pilot - 670th BS
Object Number - UPL 48590 - Members of the 416th BG after receiving decorations 11 July 1944 Left to Right: Captain Frank J. Harrold - Pilot - 669th BS 1LT Vernon H. Powell -...
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Melun, Alsace
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Utah | 3 May 1921 | |
|
Enlisted |
Los Angeles, California | 7 April 1942 | |
|
Other First 416th BG Combat Mission |
Bernay, France | 4 March 1944 | |
|
Other Combat Damaged/Bailed Out/Rescued |
13 miles east of Clacton-on-Sea, UK | 4 March 1944 | Lt Ostrander's ship, with S/Sgt Wilson and Sgt Binney aboard, came back with the hydraulic system out of order. The landing gear would not lower and there was a full load of bombs aboard. After unsuccessful attempts to bring the wheels down the decision was reached to ditch the plane in the English Channel. To make matters a little more complicated, Sgt Binney's chute had opened in the plane. The interphone was out so Lt Ostrander was not aware of this situation. S/Sgt Wilson gathered the open chute in his arms, booted Sgt Binney out the gunners hatch, and threw the chute out after him. After this he also jumped. Lt Ostrander then headed out over the Channel, and when he was sure the ship would go into the sea he jumped. While floating down he watched his airplane use up the last of its fuel and dive into the water. He hit the water and remained there only three minutes before the air-sea rescue boat picked him up. S/Sgt Wilson and Sgt Binney came down at Ipswich. When Wilson came down in a field near the town a group of small English boys ran up to him yelling "Hi, Yank, got any gum!!" This, as S/Sgt Wilson expressed it, "was the last straw." |
|
Other Final 416th BG Combat Mission |
Dilsburg, Germany | 9 December 1944 | Flew 56 combat missions |
|
Died |
Tarzana, California | 9 August 1996 |
