1/Lt. William M. Lewis Jr.


(Robert M. Littlefield)

1/Lt. William M. Lewis Jr.

38th FS - 07 July 1944 - 11 September 1944 (Killed in Action)

Assigned Aircraft

P-51D 44-14176
Mission History

31 missions
Mission List

55th FG Mission #

 Date Hours Flown Target
181 12 July 1944   Munich (flew as White 2)
183 14 July 1944   Perone (flew as Spare)
184 16 July 1944   Saarbrucken (flew as Red 2)
189 25 July 1944   Type 16 (flew as Spare)
190 28 July 1944   Merseberg (flew as Yellow 4)
192 30 July 1944 3hrs 55 mins Sweep - France (flew as White 2)
195 03 August 1944   Mulhouse (flew as White 2)
196 04 August 1944   Rostock (flew as Red 4)
197 05 August 1944   Brunswick (flew as Yellow 4)
198 06 August 1944 7 hrs Gydnia, Poland  (flew as Red 2)
199 07 August 1944 5 hrs 05 mins Escort - Paris (flew as Yellow 4)
200 08 August 1944   Romilly (flew as Spare)
201 09 August 1944 5 hrs Nurnberg (flew as Blue 4)
202 10 August 1944 3 hrs 10 mins St. Florentine (flew as Red 4)
203 10 August 1944 Railroads - France (flew as White 4)
206 12 August 1944 5 hrs 35 mins Rodeo - France (flew as Yellow 4)
208 12 August 1944 2 hrs 45 mins Rodeo - France (flew as White 2)
210 13 August 1944 3 hrs 20 mins Rodeo- France (flew as Red 4)
211 14 August 1944 5 hrs 15 mins Mannheim (flew as White 2)
215 18 August 1944 3 hrs 35 mins Roye-Amy (flew as Red 4)
216 18 August 1944 3 hrs St. Quintin (flew as Red 2)
217 24 August 1944   Dresden (flew as White 4 - had early return at 1026 due to electrical failure)
218 25 August 1944 6 hrs 10 mins Politz, Poland (Yellow 2)
219 26 August 1944 4 hrs 30 mins Nancy - Culmont (flew as Red 2)
221 27 August 1944 5 hrs 15 mins Berlin (flew as White 4)
222 28 August 1944 3 hrs 45 mins Saarbrucken (flew as Yellow 2)
225 03 September 1944 6 hrs Ludwigshaven (flew as Yellow 4)
226 05 September 1944 4 hrs 40 mins Suttgart (flew as White 4 and returned early as an escort)
228 09 September 1944   Dusseldorf (flew as Yellow 4)
229 10 September 1944   Nurnberg (flew as Spare)
231 11 September 1944   Ruhland (flew as Blue 4)
Air Scores

0-0-0
Ground Scores

0-0
Notes Joined the 38th Fighter Squadron on the 07th July 1944.
September 1944 - Awarded the Air Medal
September 1944 - Awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
MACR No. 08684

1/Lt. William J. Ingram, 338th Fighter Squadron, reported: "I was engaged with an Me-109 at approximately 8,000 feet, and I glanced over my right shoulder and observed a P-51, unidentified, on it's back and smoking.  I believe that this was a plane from the 38th Fighter Squadron."

This air battle took place over Germany.  Lt. Lewis was experiencing mechanical; failure when he was killed by an enemy fighter.  Lt. Lewis' name is on the Wall of the Missing, Luxembourg American Military Cemetery and Memorial, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.  He was from Oklahoma.
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble

It is now known that 1/Lt. Lewis was killed in a crash near Oberhof, Germany.  The story on this discovery and Lt. Lewis' repatriation will be forthcoming.
Memories  
Additional Photos Display of artefacts from the crash site of P-51D 44-14176 in the Museum of Air Battle over the Ore Mountains (WWW.MUSEUM119.CZ)

Display of artefacts from the crash site of P-51D 44-14176 in the Museum of Air Battle over the Ore Mountains (WWW.MUSEUM119.CZ)
Nb. Photos open in a new window.  Close window to return to this page.

Back to 38th Fighter Squadron Pilots