William Albert Armstrong was born on July 22, 1911, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. He served in the 615th Bomber Squadron, 401st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-17 #42-40002 'Breezing Home' during World War II.

On June 19, 1944, his crew took off from Station 128 in Deenethorpe, England, for a mission to bomb the Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield in France. Hit by flak at around 10:00H, their plane developed mechanical problems (1 engine on fire - 2 others out of order - oil pressure). The plane was completely evacuated at 8,000 feet. Fortunately, all members survived the crash and the war. Their airplane crashed in Le Pouyau - 4 km south of Lesparre-Médoc. Based on the records, eight members were captured by the Germans before being released in Angoulêmes and returned to the UK. Two have evaded the capture. Sgt Armstrong was one of the POWs.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net