George W. Williams was born on May 19, 1919, in Illinois. He was the son of George and Elsie Williams. He worked as a mechanic and repairman for motor vehicles before enlisting in the service on January 3, 1942. He initially flew with the 322nd Bomb Group from Andrews Field, Essex, and survived a disastrous low-level bombing raid on Ijmuiden, Holland, in May 1943, where only two aircraft reached the target. His plane was later shot down into the North Sea by a German fighter, and Williams survived by clinging to a dinghy for four days before being rescued. After recovering, he was assigned to the 394th Bomb Group and joined the 584th Bomb Squadron at Boreham Airfield, serving as a crew member aboard B-26 Marauder #42-107592 “Stinky,” which flew from Station No. 161, Boreham Airfield, Essex, England during World War II.

On the morning of June 6, 1944, D-Day, B-26 Marauder 42-107592 “Stinky” was flying in formation toward its target over Normandy when it encountered heavy cloud cover and severe weather over Battle, Sussex, England. Visibility was extremely poor, with icing and turbulent cloud conditions. As the aircraft flew on instruments through dense overcast, it inadvertently collided with another Marauder, 42-96249 of the 587th Squadron, which had descended unexpectedly out of a thick cloud bank. The impact did not register as a strong jolt, according to the only survivor, Lt. Tommie Potts, but his aircraft soon entered an uncontrolled spin, eventually flipping onto its back. Potts ordered the bombs jettisoned to avoid ground explosions and then bailed out, becoming the sole survivor of both crews. B-26 “Stinky” crashed at Whatlington Level, while the other aircraft crashed at Ashburnham Place. The crews’ quick decision to release their bomb loads prevented further devastation on the ground.

SSgt Williams is now buried in the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, gillinghambattleb26crash.weebly.com