Willis served as a Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F #42-5435, 366th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Otsego County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 16, 1941 in Albany, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17F #42-5435 took off, with a crew of 10, from England on a bombing mission over France. They were attacked by German Aircraft and were shot down and ditched in the Bay of Biscay off of France. The entire crew was lost in this ditching.
Willis was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was decorated with an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12035148
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-5435:
Cain, Warden ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NM
Clark, Rene C. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Gibson, Willis I. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NY
Gillespie, Clarence W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Hirsch, Charles B. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Markli, Robert G. ~ Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, MD
Schott, Erwin R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, MA
Sion, Fairen R. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Spelts, Richard L. ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, KS
Suomi, Einar H. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MN
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Otsego County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 16, 1941 in Albany, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17F #42-5435 took off, with a crew of 10, from England on a bombing mission over France. They were attacked by German Aircraft and were shot down and ditched in the Bay of Biscay off of France. The entire crew was lost in this ditching.
Willis was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was decorated with an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12035148
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-5435:
Cain, Warden ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NM
Clark, Rene C. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Gibson, Willis I. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NY
Gillespie, Clarence W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Hirsch, Charles B. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Markli, Robert G. ~ Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, MD
Schott, Erwin R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, MA
Sion, Fairen R. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Spelts, Richard L. ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, KS
Suomi, Einar H. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MN
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
Willis served as a Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F #42-5435, 366th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Otsego County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 16, 1941 in Albany, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17F #42-5435 took off, with a crew of 10, from England on a bombing mission over France. They were attacked by German Aircraft and were shot down and ditched in the Bay of Biscay off of France. The entire crew was lost in this ditching.
Willis was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was decorated with an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12035148
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-5435:
Cain, Warden ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NM
Clark, Rene C. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Gibson, Willis I. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NY
Gillespie, Clarence W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Hirsch, Charles B. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Markli, Robert G. ~ Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, MD
Schott, Erwin R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, MA
Sion, Fairen R. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Spelts, Richard L. ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, KS
Suomi, Einar H. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MN
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Otsego County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 16, 1941 in Albany, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17F #42-5435 took off, with a crew of 10, from England on a bombing mission over France. They were attacked by German Aircraft and were shot down and ditched in the Bay of Biscay off of France. The entire crew was lost in this ditching.
Willis was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was decorated with an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12035148
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-5435:
Cain, Warden ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NM
Clark, Rene C. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
Gibson, Willis I. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NY
Gillespie, Clarence W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Hirsch, Charles B. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Markli, Robert G. ~ Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, MD
Schott, Erwin R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, MA
Sion, Fairen R. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Spelts, Richard L. ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, KS
Suomi, Einar H. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MN
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
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