USAAF WORLD WAR II
United States Military Academy Class of 1942
Captain William H. Edwards KIA
49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group
Hometown: Ironton Ohio
Service# O-024708
Awards: Air Medal Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
Biography gleaned from www.westpointaog.org
William Hampton Edwards was born in Ironton, Ohio, on 4 January 1917, the son of Walter and Mary (Hampton) Edwards. Bill attended grammar and high school in Ironton. After high school, he attended Ohio State University for three years, where he was a member of the University Reserve Officers Training Corps and studied engineering. In 1938 he won an appointment to the Military Academy from Ohio's 10th Congressional Distiict.
Entering West Point on 1 July 1938 and upon graduation, 29 May 1942, he was commissioned in the Field Artillery and assigned to the Air Corps for flight training. Less than a week after graduation, Bill reported to primary flying school at Orangeburg, South Carolina. From there he was assigned to basic school at Shaw Field, Sumter, South Carolina, and then to advanced flying school at Spence Field. Moultrie, Georgia, where he was one of the few members of Flying Class 42-K to fly P-39 pursuit planes before winning his pilot's wings. He was a member of the "Victory Class" which graduated on 7 December 1942 and was almost immediately transferred from the Field Artillery to the Air Corps, at about the same time being promoted to first lieutenant. .
Shortly after being assigned to a Provisional P-40 Pursuit Squadron at Spence, Bill married Mary Woodward Pierce of East Lansing, Michigan. Bill was a cadet and Mary a student at Vassar College. In January 1943, he was transferred to the 328 Fighter Group stationed at Hamilton Field, California. As a member of this operational training unit, he was instrumental in training and developing young pilots just out of flying school into fighter pilots. In October of that year, he was promoted to captain, Army Air Corps. He received further flight training at air bases at Santa Rosa, California, and Seattle, Washington, and in August 1944, Bill left the country for overseas duty in the European Theatre of Operations. He was stationed in Italy as a member of the 49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, with the 15th Air Force flying from the fields in Foggia. He flew a P-38 (Lightning) and was awarded two Air Medals for combat flying before his final mission.
On 26 November 1944, while on a deck level strafing mission of an enemy airdrome near Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Captain Edwards plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
He was survived by his wife (Mrs. Eric Kerr) and their daughter.
United States Military Academy Class of 1942
Captain William H. Edwards KIA
49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group
Hometown: Ironton Ohio
Service# O-024708
Awards: Air Medal Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
Biography gleaned from www.westpointaog.org
William Hampton Edwards was born in Ironton, Ohio, on 4 January 1917, the son of Walter and Mary (Hampton) Edwards. Bill attended grammar and high school in Ironton. After high school, he attended Ohio State University for three years, where he was a member of the University Reserve Officers Training Corps and studied engineering. In 1938 he won an appointment to the Military Academy from Ohio's 10th Congressional Distiict.
Entering West Point on 1 July 1938 and upon graduation, 29 May 1942, he was commissioned in the Field Artillery and assigned to the Air Corps for flight training. Less than a week after graduation, Bill reported to primary flying school at Orangeburg, South Carolina. From there he was assigned to basic school at Shaw Field, Sumter, South Carolina, and then to advanced flying school at Spence Field. Moultrie, Georgia, where he was one of the few members of Flying Class 42-K to fly P-39 pursuit planes before winning his pilot's wings. He was a member of the "Victory Class" which graduated on 7 December 1942 and was almost immediately transferred from the Field Artillery to the Air Corps, at about the same time being promoted to first lieutenant. .
Shortly after being assigned to a Provisional P-40 Pursuit Squadron at Spence, Bill married Mary Woodward Pierce of East Lansing, Michigan. Bill was a cadet and Mary a student at Vassar College. In January 1943, he was transferred to the 328 Fighter Group stationed at Hamilton Field, California. As a member of this operational training unit, he was instrumental in training and developing young pilots just out of flying school into fighter pilots. In October of that year, he was promoted to captain, Army Air Corps. He received further flight training at air bases at Santa Rosa, California, and Seattle, Washington, and in August 1944, Bill left the country for overseas duty in the European Theatre of Operations. He was stationed in Italy as a member of the 49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, with the 15th Air Force flying from the fields in Foggia. He flew a P-38 (Lightning) and was awarded two Air Medals for combat flying before his final mission.
On 26 November 1944, while on a deck level strafing mission of an enemy airdrome near Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Captain Edwards plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
He was survived by his wife (Mrs. Eric Kerr) and their daughter.
USAAF WORLD WAR II
United States Military Academy Class of 1942
Captain William H. Edwards KIA
49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group
Hometown: Ironton Ohio
Service# O-024708
Awards: Air Medal Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
Biography gleaned from www.westpointaog.org
William Hampton Edwards was born in Ironton, Ohio, on 4 January 1917, the son of Walter and Mary (Hampton) Edwards. Bill attended grammar and high school in Ironton. After high school, he attended Ohio State University for three years, where he was a member of the University Reserve Officers Training Corps and studied engineering. In 1938 he won an appointment to the Military Academy from Ohio's 10th Congressional Distiict.
Entering West Point on 1 July 1938 and upon graduation, 29 May 1942, he was commissioned in the Field Artillery and assigned to the Air Corps for flight training. Less than a week after graduation, Bill reported to primary flying school at Orangeburg, South Carolina. From there he was assigned to basic school at Shaw Field, Sumter, South Carolina, and then to advanced flying school at Spence Field. Moultrie, Georgia, where he was one of the few members of Flying Class 42-K to fly P-39 pursuit planes before winning his pilot's wings. He was a member of the "Victory Class" which graduated on 7 December 1942 and was almost immediately transferred from the Field Artillery to the Air Corps, at about the same time being promoted to first lieutenant. .
Shortly after being assigned to a Provisional P-40 Pursuit Squadron at Spence, Bill married Mary Woodward Pierce of East Lansing, Michigan. Bill was a cadet and Mary a student at Vassar College. In January 1943, he was transferred to the 328 Fighter Group stationed at Hamilton Field, California. As a member of this operational training unit, he was instrumental in training and developing young pilots just out of flying school into fighter pilots. In October of that year, he was promoted to captain, Army Air Corps. He received further flight training at air bases at Santa Rosa, California, and Seattle, Washington, and in August 1944, Bill left the country for overseas duty in the European Theatre of Operations. He was stationed in Italy as a member of the 49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, with the 15th Air Force flying from the fields in Foggia. He flew a P-38 (Lightning) and was awarded two Air Medals for combat flying before his final mission.
On 26 November 1944, while on a deck level strafing mission of an enemy airdrome near Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Captain Edwards plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
He was survived by his wife (Mrs. Eric Kerr) and their daughter.
United States Military Academy Class of 1942
Captain William H. Edwards KIA
49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group
Hometown: Ironton Ohio
Service# O-024708
Awards: Air Medal Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
Biography gleaned from www.westpointaog.org
William Hampton Edwards was born in Ironton, Ohio, on 4 January 1917, the son of Walter and Mary (Hampton) Edwards. Bill attended grammar and high school in Ironton. After high school, he attended Ohio State University for three years, where he was a member of the University Reserve Officers Training Corps and studied engineering. In 1938 he won an appointment to the Military Academy from Ohio's 10th Congressional Distiict.
Entering West Point on 1 July 1938 and upon graduation, 29 May 1942, he was commissioned in the Field Artillery and assigned to the Air Corps for flight training. Less than a week after graduation, Bill reported to primary flying school at Orangeburg, South Carolina. From there he was assigned to basic school at Shaw Field, Sumter, South Carolina, and then to advanced flying school at Spence Field. Moultrie, Georgia, where he was one of the few members of Flying Class 42-K to fly P-39 pursuit planes before winning his pilot's wings. He was a member of the "Victory Class" which graduated on 7 December 1942 and was almost immediately transferred from the Field Artillery to the Air Corps, at about the same time being promoted to first lieutenant. .
Shortly after being assigned to a Provisional P-40 Pursuit Squadron at Spence, Bill married Mary Woodward Pierce of East Lansing, Michigan. Bill was a cadet and Mary a student at Vassar College. In January 1943, he was transferred to the 328 Fighter Group stationed at Hamilton Field, California. As a member of this operational training unit, he was instrumental in training and developing young pilots just out of flying school into fighter pilots. In October of that year, he was promoted to captain, Army Air Corps. He received further flight training at air bases at Santa Rosa, California, and Seattle, Washington, and in August 1944, Bill left the country for overseas duty in the European Theatre of Operations. He was stationed in Italy as a member of the 49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, with the 15th Air Force flying from the fields in Foggia. He flew a P-38 (Lightning) and was awarded two Air Medals for combat flying before his final mission.
On 26 November 1944, while on a deck level strafing mission of an enemy airdrome near Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Captain Edwards plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
He was survived by his wife (Mrs. Eric Kerr) and their daughter.
Inscription
William H Edwards
Capt 49th FTR SQ 14TH FTR GP
OHIO NOV 26 1944
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Ohio.
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