David Elihu Councill was born on Christmas Eve, 1920 to William Mansfield Councill and Bertha Etta Wing Councill in Bellevue, Allegheny Co., PA, USA. In April, 1943, he married Kathryn Louise Collins in Tucson, AZ at St. Phillips in the Hills. To this union was born one daughter in April 1944 who shares her dad's initials.
Capt. David E. Councill served in World War II in the United States Army Air Corp, 15th Air Force, 47th Wing, 449th Bombardment Group, 719th Squadron. On the original Cadre of Air Crews he is listed in Crew 9-18. He was the Commanding Officer of the 719th Squadron. The B-24 Liberator he was on at the time of his death was named "Pudgy II". Capt. Councill completed his over-seas training at Bruning, NE and on November 14, 1943, Special Orders No. 228 was issued for the movement overseas. This set of special orders provided a list of the officers and enlisted men assigned to the original cadre of personnel that were to fly the Group's B-24's overseas to Grottaglie Field near Taranto, Italy.
The Group began movement overseas on 16 November 1943. The individual airplanes of the air echelon headed for Italy by a route which took them to Florida, then to Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Brazil. The Atlantic crossing was made between Brazil and Dakar, Africa. From Dakar the Group flew north to Morocco, then east to Tunisia, and finally north across the Mediterranean Sea to Southern Italy. In North Africa, they had to negotiate a flight through the Atlas Mountain Range. By the first week in December, the individual aircraft formed a long, unending chain stretching from Topeka to North Africa. Such a massive movement of men and equipment was certain to produce mishaps. Tragedy struck the Group for the first time on the 8th of December when the "Pudgy II", Tail #01, commanded by Captain David Councill, C. O. of the 719th squadron, struck a mountain peak in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa.
All fourteen men on board died in the crash of "Pudgy II". They are all buried together in one grave at St. Louis, MO at Jefferson Barricks National Cemetery, Section 82, Grave 21. They are Capt. David E. Councill, C. O. of the 719th squadron, 2nd Lt. Robert D. McFarland, 2LT Robert McFarland was the 719th Squadron Engineering Officer. 2nd Lt. Michael J. O'Neil, 2LT Michael O'Neill was the 719th Squadron Staff Intelligence Officer. M/Sgt Bernard J. Brady, M SGT, Bernard J. Brady was the 719th Squadron Staff Flight Engineer. 2 Lt. Leon L. Ogurek, 2LT Leon Ogurek was the 719th Squadron Staff Navigator. 1st Lt. Earl McDaniel, 1LT McDaniel was the 719th Squadron Staff Bombardier. 2nd Lt. George W. Parker, 2LT George Parker was the Assistant 719th Squadron Operations Officer. Sgt. Raymond H. Lara, S Sgt Raymond Lara was the 719th Squadron Operations Administration Technician. 2nd Lt. Charles M. Swift, 2LT Charles Swift was the Copilot in the original Easters' crew. 2nd Lt. James A. Goforth, 2LT James A. Goforth was the bombardier in the original Easters' crew. Sgt. Walter H. Hauser, SGT Walter H. Hauser was the armorer/gunner in the original Easters' crew. Sgt. Sylvan R. Lazarus, SGT Sylvan Lazarus was the radio operator/gunner in the original Easters' crew. S/Sgt. Carl H. Cobb, S/Sgt Carl H. Cobb was a gunner on the original Easters' crew. S/Sgt. Frank E. Boudroau, S SGT Frank E Boudreau was a gunner in the original Easters' crew.