William Sanders Chappell Jr. was born on July 2, 1924, in Tennessee. He was the son of William Sanders Chappell Sr. and Sammie Drake Chappell. He enlisted in the service on December 7, 1942. He served in the 734th Bomb Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator Gunner of B-24H #42-52226 during World War II.

On March 6, 1944, B-24H-10-FO Liberator #42-52226 departed from its base at RAF Old Buckenham, England, as part of a large bombing mission targeting industrial facilities at Genshagen, near Berlin, Germany. During the return flight, the formation came under heavy attack from German fighter aircraft and intense anti-aircraft fire. In the course of these engagements, the Liberator was hit and became separated from the protective bomber formation, leaving it more vulnerable to continued enemy attack. After sustaining severe damage, the crew lost control of the aircraft. Unable to maintain altitude or return safely to England, the Liberator crashed into the IJsselmeer, a large inland body of water in the Netherlands, approximately 4 kilometers northeast of Edam. The crash resulted in the deaths of several crew members, while others were able to escape the aircraft and were either rescued or later captured by German forces and taken prisoner.

TSgt Chappell was killed in action after drowning and is now buried in the Fort Bliss National Cemetery, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, americanarchive.iwm.org.uk