Thomas D. Williams, Jr. was born in 1922 in Hamilton, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. He served as a Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-24J (#42-110107), 854th Bomber Squadron, 491st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

On August 24, 1944 more than 2000 aircraft (485 B-24s, 834 B-17s, and 739 Fighters) launched in England to bomb an area north of Hanover. Among them was a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) four-engined B-24 Liberator bomber with the inscription "Wham! Bam! Thank you, Ma'm," which launched the day's raid in North Pickenham, England.

One direct hit in the bomb bay area knocked out the hydraulic system, one engine, and damaged two other engines. The bail out order was given. The crew landed in a farm area.

S/Sgt. Brininstool had suffered a shrapnel wound in the stomach, and was very fortunate when a farm couple took him in and cleaned his wound. The rest of the crew was rounded up by Luftwaffe personnel and placed in a cell in the town hall.

Sgt. Dumont and Lt. Rogers suffered ankle injuries. The captured crew was taken by train to a German Air Force base near Munster.

On August 26, 1944, the remaining eight crew members while on a 12 hour train ride, ran into a bombed out section of track near Russelsheim and were forced to de-train. The guards escorted the airmen toward Russelsheim expecting to catch another train beyond the damaged area. A large violent crowd quickly formed and immediately turned into an uncontrollable mob who started beating the airmen with sticks, rocks, and shovels caused by a false accusation of being terrorists.

The group was joined by a German air-raid warden, Josef Hartgen, who was armed with a 6.35mm pistol. Six crew were executed (including Williams) by Hartgen and the civilian mob. Sgt. Adams and Sgt. Brown survived and escaped. The crew originally consisted of nine, with S/Sgt. Brininstool wounded and sent to a German hospital.

Williams is now buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-Avold, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France. His name is also honored on a memorial plaque at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com