668th BS Patch

416th Bombardment Group (L)

2Lt. William George ("Bob") Kelley

Bombardier/Navigator,  O-722723

Killed In Training - Nov 10, 1944

668th Bombardment Squadron (L)

 WWII-Medal

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B/N Wings        Missing Man



      Born: 09-Nov-1920, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana

Entered Military Service: From: Caddo Parish, Louisiana

Buried: Greenwood Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana, Plot: VFW military section

On-line Memorials:
National World War II Registry
Find-A-Grave


Lieut William G. Kelley

Brother of PFC Bose Kelley, who lies next to him in the veterans section of Greenwood Cemetery. One of three Shreveport brothers killed in World War II. The third brother, Edgar Rew Kelley, died stateside in 1943 of spinal meningitis during training. William G. Kelley died one day after his 24th birthday.

Extracted from Find A Grave.com


See also 2Lt William George Kelley Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)
(Courtesy of Geoff Gentilini, Golden Arrow Research, LLC)
 Disclaimer: IDPF files document efforts to locate, identify, move, notify relatives and provide final resting for Soldier Dead,
often months or years after death, thus some pages may contain potentially disturbing or distressing information.
If you are sensitive, please consider whether to read this or not.
 Click Here for information on WWII IDPFs.



 Notes:
Pilot and crew were on a practice bombing mission at Arbonne Bombing Range. Witnesses heard the sound of racing engines causing them to look up. They saw the airplane coming through the overcast in a violent unconventional spin (possibly inverted). Soon after, the plane struck the ground inverted and was demolished, killing the entire crew.

Description:
There was one training accident during the month. While on a practice bombing mission on the 10th November, an A-20, piloted by 2d Lt Richard C. Miles of the 668th Bomb Sq (L), crashed about three miles south of Fontaineblue. The plane was seen to break through a low overcast in an unconventional spin--possibly an inverted spin. It struck the ground and was almost completely demolished. No one was seen getting out of the plane although the body of Corporal Samuel A. Pepe was found 500 yards from the crash, evidently thrown clear of the plane during the spin. There was no evidence of engine failure. Lt Miles, his bombardier-navigator, 2d Lt William G. Kelly, and the two gunners, Corporal Pepe and Corporal Terrance F. Morrissey, were all killed. The four men were interred at the American Military Cemetary at Solers, France. These were our only losses during the month of November.
(416th BG History 1944)

See also AAR 45-11-10-523



Photos and Documents
1930 US Census
1940 US Census
1940 US Census
WW II Draft Card
WW II Draft Card
Portrait
Crash Photo
Artifacts recovered from Crash site
Artifacts recovered from Crash site
Memorial Stele in the Fontainebleau Forest at the crash site.
Memorial Stele in the Fontainebleau Forest at the crash site.
Memorial Ceremony at Crash site
The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) 08 Sep 1948, Wed Page 8
The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) 19 Dec 1944, Tue Page 1
Headstone Application
Headstone Application
Headstone
WW II Army and Army Air Force Casualty List
National World War II Memorial Registry
 
 


Source information can be viewed at WWII Military Service Fatalities Sources