Shank William W Lt

Assigned Aircraft

P-38H 42-66727

Mission History

9 missions

Mission List

55th FG Mission #	Date	Target
	16th October 1943	Practice Mission (Red 2)
02	16th October 1943	Sweep - Dutch Islands (Red 2)
04	18th October 1943	Sweep - Dutch Islands (Red 2)
05	19th October 1943	Sweep - Amiens Area (White 4)
08	24th October 1943	St. Andre L'Eure (Blue 4)
09	03rd November 1943	Wilhemshaven (White 4)
11	07th November 1943	Sweep in Ostend-St. Omer area (Red 3) (Landed at 1700 with left engine cutting out at altitude)
13	10th November 1943	Montdidier Airdrome (White 3)
14	11th November 1943	Munster (Red 4)
15	13th November 1943	Bremen (Blue 2)

Air Scores

0-0-0

Ground Scores

0-0

Notes

Known as 'Bill'
ASN - O-740289
13 November 1943 - Killed in Action
MACR No. 01267

Lt. Shank was one of six pilots lost on this bomber escort mission to Bremen, Germany. It was one big dog fight in which the 338th Ftr. Sqdn. was badly mauled by the fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe which resulted in three deaths and three taken prisoner.

Capt. Charles O. Jones reported: "The last time I saw Lt. Shank he was pulling out of a dive following his flight leader's attack on a FW190. He then continued on a straight course in the direction of the bombers. This happened before reaching the target. I did not identity him again, although I saw a number of single ships."

Lt. Shank was from Virginia. His name is on the Wall of the Missing, Cambridge American Military Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, Cambridge, England.

Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble

Memories

Additional Photo

Lt. Shank's name on the Wall of the Missing, at the Madingley Military Cemetery, Cambridge, UK (R. Abbey)
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