Chester William Watson was a pilot during World War II. He was with the 358th Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, D Flight. His rank was First Lieutenant.

On November 7, 1943, he was flying a P-47 Thunderbolt bomber escort over Belgium. In poor weather, he ran out of fuel on his return and his plane went down somewhere over the English Channel off the coast of France near LeTouquet. It was believed at the time that he had bailed out. He was declared missing in action.

A February 1944 newspaper article in the local paper stated he was taken as a POW in Germany. He was most likely mistaken for 2nd Lt. William E. Roach, also is his squadron and the only one to survive from his unit. Roach made an emergency landing on a German air field. He was imprisoned as a POW at Stalag Lift I. Roach's Thunderbolt was given German markings and was one of the only complete P-47's that the Germans had. Chester's parents attempted to verify this many times, but the military stated they still knew him as missing in action (MIA), not a prisoner of war (POW).

The family received notice in November 1945 that his status was changed to KIA with the presumptive date of death, November 8, 1944. The loss of Chester William Watson and the presumption of his death was extremely hard on his family. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. He is listed among the 5127 missing in action at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial in Cambridge, England.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com