William James Martin was born on August 16, 1920, in Denver, Colorado. He was the son of Gus (Josephine) Davenport. After attending Murray State Teachers College, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in December 1942. He served in the 364th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator of the B-17 #42-3436 during World War II.

On October 14, 1943, the B-17F Flying Fortress #42-3436 joined a major Allied mission to bomb Schweinfurt's industrial targets. Known as "Black Thursday," the raid faced fierce resistance, with bombers lacking long-range fighter escorts. The aircraft came under heavy attack from German fighters, suffering critical damage, including hits to its number 2 engine. Around 13:45, the B-17 broke apart midair. The tail section, with two deceased waist gunners, fell near a Dutch coal mine, while the nose section crashed in Germany near Finkenrath. Five crew members survived but were captured; the co-pilot was never found. 2Lt Martin was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands.

Source of information and photo: www.americanairmuseum.com