Goodrich Cook White Jr. was born on August 8, 1918, in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He was the son of Goodrich Cook White and Helen Chappell White. He served in the 602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator of B-17 #42-102597 nicknamed ''Stinker'' during World War II.

On September 12, 1944, the ''Stinker'' embarked on its 41st mission targeting the synthetic oil refinery at Brüx (now Most), in the present-day Czech Republic. During the mission, the aircraft sustained significant damage from anti-aircraft flak and was subsequently attacked by a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. The combined assaults critically impaired the bomber, compelling the crew to divert towards neutral Sweden in an attempt to avoid capture. Unfortunately, Stinker crashed into the Baltic Sea near Trelleborg, Sweden. Of the ten crew members aboard, only the co-pilot survived, and the remaining nine crew members perished in the crash.

2Lt White was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-James, Departement de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France. Goodrich C. White, Jr.’s name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 3 (right), on Butterfly 27, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information: b17flyingfortress.de, www.findagrave.com, www.398th.org