Lewis C. Williams was born in 1922. He was the son of Louis Williams and Emilie Williams. He served in the 349th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group (Heavy), as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot of B-17G #42-31986, nicknamed "Once in a While," during World War II.

On November 9, 1944, 2nd Lt. Lewis C. Williams piloted B-17G 42-31986, Once in a While (also known as Boomerang), on a combat mission to Saarbrücken, Germany. During the mission, the veteran B-17 sustained severe battle damage over Saarbrücken, forcing the crew to abandon the aircraft. Williams was killed while bailing out when he became caught in the aircraft’s stabilizer and was carried to his death. The other crew members survived the incident. The damaged B-17 itself survived the immediate emergency and was recorded as having made a forced landing on the European continent. It did not return to combat service and was officially salvaged on December 8, 1944, bringing the operational career of Once in’a While to an end.

2Lt Williams is now buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial, Henri-Chapelle, Arrondissement de Verviers, Liège, Belgium.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.92ndbg.org, aviation-safety.net