William J. Powers was born in 1922 in New York. He resided in Erie County, New York, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on January 11, 1943, in Buffalo, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the building of aircraft and also as Single, without dependents.

William served in the 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Mechanic/Gunner on the B-17 #42-107012 during World War II.

On April 30, 1944, at 06:00h, his crew took off from Station 109 airfield in Podington, England, on a bombing mission to Lyon-Bron airfield in France. At 04:48 PM, their plane was shot down by six enemy fighters which knocked out the oxygen, completely destroyed the electrical system, and caused severe damage to the cockpit. The warning system was also knocked out, then the crew was advised to bail out. The plane crashed at a place called La Vacherie Le Luet in the commune of Neuvy-en-Sullias in France. Three crew members were able to bail out, but those who didn't make it perished in the incident (including SSgt Powers). Of the three survivors, two were captured by the Germans; the remaining one evaded the capture.

SSgt Powers is now buried in the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA, in the same grave as SSgt Wells. They were originally interred in Solers, France, and were later repatriated here on September 19, 1949.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net