Thank you to Laura Phillips for the following:
Family:
William J. Harker (father)
Ethel Harker (mother)
Jean Harker (sister)
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Function: Pilot
Company – Squadron: 355th Fighter Squadron
Unit – Group: 354th Fighter Group
Plane data:
(Serialnumber, MACR, etc.)
Serialnumber: 44-63695
Type: P-51D-20
Destination: Wernigrode, Germany
Mission: Armed Reconnaissance
MACR: 14209
Status: KIA
Place of death: In the area of Wernigrode, Germany
Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Statement from Clayton K. Gross, Capt, Air Corps.
"I was leading Red Flight with Lt Harker on my wing the day he crashed in enemy territory.
We were strafing trucks from across an open field to a road paralleling a woods. I would estimate the height of the trees as approximately 30 feet. Several times I experienced difficulty in clearing them after a pass at the line of trucks.
Lt. Harker was following in a string pattern about 500 Yards behind me. There was no flak or anti aircraft fire of any sort.
After about 6 passes I pulled up and noticed a fire in the middle of the woods. Number 2 man called me and said Number 2 man had failed to clear the tree tops and had crashed into the woods."
Family:
William J. Harker (father)
Ethel Harker (mother)
Jean Harker (sister)
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Function: Pilot
Company – Squadron: 355th Fighter Squadron
Unit – Group: 354th Fighter Group
Plane data:
(Serialnumber, MACR, etc.)
Serialnumber: 44-63695
Type: P-51D-20
Destination: Wernigrode, Germany
Mission: Armed Reconnaissance
MACR: 14209
Status: KIA
Place of death: In the area of Wernigrode, Germany
Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Statement from Clayton K. Gross, Capt, Air Corps.
"I was leading Red Flight with Lt Harker on my wing the day he crashed in enemy territory.
We were strafing trucks from across an open field to a road paralleling a woods. I would estimate the height of the trees as approximately 30 feet. Several times I experienced difficulty in clearing them after a pass at the line of trucks.
Lt. Harker was following in a string pattern about 500 Yards behind me. There was no flak or anti aircraft fire of any sort.
After about 6 passes I pulled up and noticed a fire in the middle of the woods. Number 2 man called me and said Number 2 man had failed to clear the tree tops and had crashed into the woods."
Thank you to Laura Phillips for the following:
Family:
William J. Harker (father)
Ethel Harker (mother)
Jean Harker (sister)
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Function: Pilot
Company – Squadron: 355th Fighter Squadron
Unit – Group: 354th Fighter Group
Plane data:
(Serialnumber, MACR, etc.)
Serialnumber: 44-63695
Type: P-51D-20
Destination: Wernigrode, Germany
Mission: Armed Reconnaissance
MACR: 14209
Status: KIA
Place of death: In the area of Wernigrode, Germany
Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Statement from Clayton K. Gross, Capt, Air Corps.
"I was leading Red Flight with Lt Harker on my wing the day he crashed in enemy territory.
We were strafing trucks from across an open field to a road paralleling a woods. I would estimate the height of the trees as approximately 30 feet. Several times I experienced difficulty in clearing them after a pass at the line of trucks.
Lt. Harker was following in a string pattern about 500 Yards behind me. There was no flak or anti aircraft fire of any sort.
After about 6 passes I pulled up and noticed a fire in the middle of the woods. Number 2 man called me and said Number 2 man had failed to clear the tree tops and had crashed into the woods."
Family:
William J. Harker (father)
Ethel Harker (mother)
Jean Harker (sister)
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Function: Pilot
Company – Squadron: 355th Fighter Squadron
Unit – Group: 354th Fighter Group
Plane data:
(Serialnumber, MACR, etc.)
Serialnumber: 44-63695
Type: P-51D-20
Destination: Wernigrode, Germany
Mission: Armed Reconnaissance
MACR: 14209
Status: KIA
Place of death: In the area of Wernigrode, Germany
Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Statement from Clayton K. Gross, Capt, Air Corps.
"I was leading Red Flight with Lt Harker on my wing the day he crashed in enemy territory.
We were strafing trucks from across an open field to a road paralleling a woods. I would estimate the height of the trees as approximately 30 feet. Several times I experienced difficulty in clearing them after a pass at the line of trucks.
Lt. Harker was following in a string pattern about 500 Yards behind me. There was no flak or anti aircraft fire of any sort.
After about 6 passes I pulled up and noticed a fire in the middle of the woods. Number 2 man called me and said Number 2 man had failed to clear the tree tops and had crashed into the woods."
Inscription
355 FTR SQ 354 FTR GP
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Kentucky.
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