Billy Maurice Salyer (William Maurice "Billy" Salyer in other records) was born in Waverly, Missouri in 1924. He enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Corps at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on October 8, 1942. He had completed 4 years of high school, and was single, with no dependents.

After basic training, he qualified for flight duty and was assigned to aerial gunnery school. He completed this course, was promoted to Sergeant, and sent to an operational training unit for advanced gunnery techniques with the B-17. As part of a replacement crew, he deployed to England and was assigned to a combat crew in the 561st Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group.

His first combat mission was flown on August 17, 1943, as part of the Eccleston crew on board B-17F # 42-30362, nicknamed "Wee Bonnie." On this mission, he flew as the right waist gunner. He then flew 6 missions with the Felece crew, three of which were aborted, 2 was completed, and the last one that ended with the loss of the aircraft and crew.

On October 2, 1943, the crew flew as part of an attack on the Hispano Aero Engine Works at Emden, Germany. Just a few minutes after dropping the bomb load, the aircraft was hit by flak, damaging # 1 and # 2 engines. The aircraft fell out of formation, went into a tight spiral dive, and crashed just north of Emden, along the Danish coast. Although all of the crew bailed out, they landed in the North Sea and drowned.

Staff Sergeant Salyer is buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium. 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.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, airforce.togetherweserved.com