Walter Wade Mallard Jr. was born on April 10, 1922, in Trenton, North Carolina. He was the son of Wade Walter Mallard and Emma Lee Barker Mallard. He was married to Doris Virginia Brock Mallard. He served in the 858th Bomb Squadron, 492nd Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-24 #44-40152 nicknamed ''Sierra Blanco'' during World War II.

On May 19, 1944, 'Sierra Blanco' was lost during a bombing mission over Nazi-occupied Europe. The aircraft, flown by Fisher Crew 805, came under heavy German anti-aircraft fire and fighter opposition while over Germany. The damage was severe, and although the crew managed to keep the bomber airborne long enough to leave German airspace, the aircraft could not safely return to its base in England. As the crippled Liberator reached the Netherlands, it became clear that the aircraft was no longer controllable, and the crew was forced to abandon it. The crew bailed out over Holland, but the evacuation came at a cost. Only one crew member was killed in the incident when his parachute did not open after bailing out, while the remaining nine crew members survived but were captured by German forces and became prisoners of war.

2Lt Mallard successfully bailed out of the aircraft but was captured by German forces and taken as a prisoner of war in Germany. He died on January 9, 1977, and is now buried in the Bailey Cemetery, Bailey, Nash County, North Carolina, USA.

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