| Name | Trees, William Ernest ‡ |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Serial Number | O-809453 ‡ |
| Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 546th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #146 dated 17 November 1943, effective 17 November 1943. |
| Duty | Navigator |
| MOS | 1034 - Navigator |
| Last Duty Date | 28 February 1944 |
| Results |
Prisoner Of War POW Camp: Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang Prussia 54-12 |
| Related Documents | Missing Air Crew Report # 2937⇓ (36.613 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Crew Photo Album⇗ |
| CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Lt. Rinne, Austin Dean⇗ | Pilot | POW |
| 2nd Lt. Bornhorst, Francis Joseph, Jr⇗ | Co-pilot | POW |
| 2nd Lt. Trees, William Ernest | Navigator | POW |
| 2nd Lt. Aegeter, John Lloyd⇗ | Bombardier | POW |
| S/SGT. Edwards, Thomas Joseph, Jr⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | POW |
| S/SGT. Jones, Leroy Charles⇗ | Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | POW |
| SGT. Hickey, James Currie⇗ | Ball Turret Gunner | POW |
| SGT. Regan, Charles Thomas⇗ | Tail Gunner | KIA |
| SGT. Cooper, Robert Henry⇗ | Flexible Gunner | EV |
| SGT. Page, William Marvin⇗ | Flexible Gunner | POW |
| Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42⇗ | 13 December 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑3051⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Lead group. Aborted with loss of oil pressure in #2 engine. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 43⇗ | 16 December 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31211⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 47⇗ | 30 December 1943 |
Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31222⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 54⇗ | 21 January 1944 |
Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France |
Navigator | 42‑31058⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 55⇗ | 29 January 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31058⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 56⇗ | 30 January 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑40005⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 57⇗ | 3 February 1944 |
Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31058⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 58⇗ | 4 February 1944 |
Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31058⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High group, 41st A Combat Wing. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 59⇗ | 5 February 1944 |
Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France |
Navigator | 42‑31222⇗ |
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗ |
| 60⇗ | 6 February 1944 |
Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France |
Navigator | 42‑31045⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 62⇗ | 11 February 1944 |
Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31346⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 63⇗ | 20 February 1944 |
Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31058⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41B Group. Turned back at 1023 hrs due to #2 cylinder head on #1 engine blew out, causing a fire, which resulted in feathering of engine. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 64⇗ | 21 February 1944 |
Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑29723⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back when #4 engine threw oil excessively and oil pressure dropped very rapidly. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 65⇗ | 22 February 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑31375⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit 41B Group. Landed away at RAF Gosfield, Essex, on return. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 67⇗ | 25 February 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑29927⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 68⇗ | 28 February 1944 |
Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France |
Navigator | 42‑31058⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return Went down in France during the first bomb run between the IP and target with one engine smoking badly and in flames; no flak or fighters encountered up to that point; ten chutes seen; one did not open; aircraft seen to hit ground; crashed near Envermeu, France. MACR 2937 Sortie Report⇗ |