World War II Honoree

William Edward Allen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

San Rafael, California

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 22 JANUARY 1943 AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AS PART OF 20TH AIR FORCE OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN USING STAGING BASES AROUND THE CHENGDU AIRDROME COMPLEX IN CHINA. SUBSEQUENTLY RE-DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 444TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 676TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT WEST FIELD ON TINIAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 1 JUNE 1945, HE FLEW AS AN AERIAL GUNNER IN THE CENTRAL FIRE CONTROL BARBER CHAIR STATION ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'SUPER MOUSE' (SERIAL #42-24524). IT WAS ONE OF 458 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-WING, MULTI-GROUP, FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE URBAN MANUFACTURING AREA AT OSAKA ON THE ISLAND OF HONSHU, JAPAN. ON THE WAY TO THE TARGET, THE GROUP FORMATION WAS INTERCEPTED BY JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES. HIS B-29 WAS ATTACKED BY A SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER WHICH DAMAGED THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT INSTRUMENT PANELS AND CAUSED LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURIZATION. THE AIRCRAFT STAYED IN FORMATION, BUT AFTER THE BOMB RUN; IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL GAGES, TACHOMETERS, COMPASS, RADAR, AND UPPER FORWARD GUN TURRET WERE ALL INOPERATIVE; WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE FLOOR. HE WAS KILLED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A VIOLENT LEFT BANK AND EXPLODED INTO A FIREBALL, APPROXIMATELY 117 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF OSAKA BAY.