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Ritchie William Howard

Name:
William Howard Ritchie
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-729564
Unit:
563rd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-07-25
State:
Utah
Cemetery:
Netherlands American Cemetery, Netherlands
Plot:
Tablets of the Missing
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Comments:

William Howard Ritchie graduated at South High School in Salt Lake City, attended Washington State university and the University of Utah, and enlisted in the army air forces in January, 1942. He received his second lieutenant's commission in September, 1942, from Williams Field in Arizona. He was promoted to First Lieutenant while stationed at Wendover Field in Utah.

A member of the Fuller crew, he was killed when their plane crashed on July 25, 1943. Lt Fuller's crew was the first 388th Bomber Group crew to be lost in action. They went down in the North Sea on the return route. 1Lt Ritchie was declared Missing in Action. His name is commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.abmc.gov, www.fieldsofhonor-database.com