MinnicksWilliam - 671st KIT

416th Bombardment Group (L)

2Lt. William Daniel Minnicks

Pilot, O-747856

Killed In Training - Feb 14, 1944

671st Bombardment Squadron (L)

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Pilot Wings Missing Man

Born: 06-May-1922, Franklin, Simpson County, Kentucky

Entered Military Service: Date: 4-Jul-1942 At: Camp Forrest, TN From: Simpson County, Kentucky
NARA Enlistment Record: Enlisted Serial # 14050310

Buried: Greenlawn and Shady Rest Cemetery, Franklin, Kentucky

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

See also 2Lt William Daniel Minnicks 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:
Nature of Accident: "While engaged in evasive maneuvers with pursuit the pilot pulled up sharply into the clouds and while in the clouds attempted a steep spiral developing into nearly a half roll when coming out of the clouds. In an attempt to come out of the half roll, the pilot pulled the airplane into a high speed stall and crashed."

Cause of Accident: "Attempting to perform violent maneuvers while at too low an altitude and the fact that momentary instrument conditions were encountered while beginning the violent maneuvers."

Description:
On a local flight made on 14 February 2nd Lt. William D. Minnicks of Franklin, Kentucky was killed when his plane, an A-20-G stalled and dove into the ground. This was the first loss by the Group on foreign soil.
(416th BG History 1944)

See also AAR 44-2-14-501

Photos and Documents

1920 US Census

1940 US Census

School Yearbook Portrait

School Yearbook

Headstone

Rosters Of WW II Dead

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