Stegall William R. E.

Name:

William R. E. Stegall

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

38540761

Unit:

600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1945-03-18

State:

Texas

Cemetery:

McKnight Cemetery, Cushing, Nacogdoches County, Texas, USA

Plot:

Section B

Row:

18

Grave:

Decoration:

Purple Heart

Comments:

William R. E. “Tex Bill” Stegall was born on March 27, 1925, in Cushing, Nacogdoches County, Texas. He was the son of Robert William Stegall and Mary Roxana "Roxie" Wade Stegall. He served in the 600th Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner of a B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II.

On March 18, 1945, during a bombing mission over Berlin, Germany, SSgt Stegall was fatally wounded when a piece of shrapnel pierced beneath his helmet and struck the back of his head, killing him instantly. Amid the dangerous conditions, a fellow crew member made his way into the tail section to recover Stegall's body and tried to render first aid.

SSgt Stegall is now buried in the McKnight Cemetery, Cushing, Nacogdoches County, Texas, USA. William R. E. Stegall's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 13, in the top left wing (section A).

Source of information: www.398th.org, www.findagrave.com