World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
William Malcolm West
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
San Jose, California
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 6 OCTOBER 1942 AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. COMPLETED PRE-FLIGHT TRAINING AND GRADUATED FROM AERIAL NAVIGATION SCHOOL. UNDERWENT B-24 AIRCRAFT PRACTICAL FIELD TRAINING AT PINECASTLE ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR ORLANDO, FLORIDA. DEPLOYED TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS FROM MORRISON FIELD, NEAR WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA. FLEW THE SOUTHERN ROUTE TO NORTH AFRICA FOR ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL TRAINING IN TUNISIA. ASSIGNED TO 15TH ARMY AIR FORCE, 304TH BOMB WING, 454TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY), 737TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED IN THE FOGGIA AIRFIELD COMPLEX AT SAN GIOVANNI ARMY AIR FIELD, WEST OF CERIGNOLA, ITALY. ON 12 APRIL 1944, HE FLEW AS THE NAVIGATOR ABOARD A CONSOLIDATED B-24H LIBERATOR (SERIAL #42-52256) TO BOMBARD THE MESSERSCHMITT AIRCRAFT FACTORY AT BAD VOSLAU, AUSTRIA. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS ATTACKED BY GERMAN FIGHTER PLANES, AND SUSTAINED AN EXPLOSION IN THE NOSE, SETTING THE AIRCRAFT ON FIRE. HE WAS KILLED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 3 KILOMETERS WEST OF STOTZING IN THE EISENSTADT DISTRICT OF BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA.