William E. J. Griffith                                                                                            Updated:  13 NOV 2017

Airman: e777943.htm Surname: Griffith Init: W E Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 350

P_link: p190.htm Plane: B17 425862 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: The North Sea

Crash_d: d250743 Buried_d: e777c C_link: e777c.htm At_Next: NO - CAM

B17 42-5862 styrtede i Nordsøen den 25. juli 1943 kl. 17 i nærheden af kutteren E 475 »Bertha« omkring 75 miles sydvest for Esbjerg. (Kilde: FOS A1393)
AOD har detaljer. Dette er en af beretningerne om flyvere Reddet af fiskere i Nordsøen.

De 10 B-17-fly var ude af stand til at bombe Warnemünde (her). Ved det sekundære mål Kiel (her) blev flyet så beskadiget af antiluftskyts at Captain Carey besluttede sig for at lande på Nordsøen, men seks besætningsmedlemmer gik ned med flyet. Piloten og andenpiloten fra cockpittet og to mere fra radiorummet klarede at komme  ud. En dansk fiskekutter samlede de fire flyvere op. (Kilde: p190MACR)

2nd LT (Navigator) Calvin H. De Fevre, 2nd LT William E.J. Griffith,  T/Sgt (Radio Operator) Steven S. Kopczewski, T/Sgt (Engineer ) Lester I. Berg,
S/Sgt (Waist Gunner) Charles J. Mayville og S/Sgt (Ball Turret Gunner) Norman C. Eddy har ingen kendt grav. 100th Bomb Group (Heavy) har mere om denne flyver.

2nd Lt William E. J. Griffith var Bombardier på B17 42-5862.  (Kilde: p190MACR)
Han har ingen kendt grav. Hans navn findes på Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery, England. Han kom i tjeneste fra Californien.
Hæderstegn: Air Medal, Purple Heart. (Kilde: ABMC)

Se Tegning af besætningen på en B-17*Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk*B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner*B-17 Flyvende Fæstning. 10 flyvere.

On 25 July 1943 at 5pm B17 42-5862 ditched in the North Sea near the cutter E 475 "Bertha" about 75 miles south west of Esbjerg. (Source: FOD A1393)
AOD has details. This is one of the stories about airmen Rescued by fishermen in the North Sea.

The 10 B-17s were unable to bomb Warnemünde (here). At the secondary target Kiel (here) this plane was so damaged by flak that Captain Carey decided to ditch in
the North Sea, but six members of the crew went down with the plane. The pilot and copilot from the cockpit and two more from the radio room managed to get out.
A Danish fishing boat picked up the four airmen. (Source: p190MACR)

2nd LT (Navigator) Calvin H. De Fevre, 2nd LT William E.J. Griffith,  T/Sgt (Radio Operator) Steven S. Kopczewski, T/Sgt (Engineer ) Lester I. Berg,
S/Sgt (Waist Gunner) Charles J. Mayville, S/Sgt (Ball Turret Gunner) Norman C. Eddy have no known grave. 100th Bomb Group (Heavy) has more about this airman.

2nd Lt William E. J. Griffith was the Bombardier of B17 42-5862. (Source: p190MACR)
He has no known grave. His name is inscribed on
Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery, England. He entered the Service from California.
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart. (Source: ABMC)

See Drawing of the crew of a B-17 * Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk * B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
This B-17 was from 350 BS, 100 BG, 13 Wing, 3 BD, 8 AF of the USAAF.
See also the 100th Bomb Group (Heavy)  with p190MACR*Mission Warnemünde-Kiel*Casualty Report*Photo of the pilot and operational details.
It took off from RAF Thorpe Abbott - USAAF Station 139. See also 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum. 10 airmen.