William also has a memorial cenotaph in the U.S.A. here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150042727/william-estes-greble

Cenotaph information above added by Terry Powers Find A Grave ID 49591513

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William served as a Second Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-24J "Belle Of The East" #42-110187, 789th Bomber Squadron, 467th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

He resided in San Francisco County, California prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on February 10, 1943 in San Francisco, California. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents. Service No. #39039371

B-24J #42-110187 took off, with a crew of 9, from Station 145, Rackheath, England on a bombing mission over Oschersleben, Germany.

Over the target they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire and eventually exploded and crashed near Oschersleben. There was only one survivor from the crew.

William was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.

He was awarded with the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #O-817426

Note: At the families request, the state of New York was added to his headstone instead of his state of residence as was normally done (California).

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Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110187:

Davis, Harris P ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, AL

Fisher, Robert C ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NJ

Greble, William E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA

Hudson, Donald H ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL

Kennedy, Joseph J ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, NY

Murphy, John J ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, RI

Robinson, James E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, TX

Van Veen, Francis P ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, DE

The pilot, 2nd Lt. William H. Counts became a POW of the German Army and survived the war.

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

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William E. Greble is listed as Killed In Action in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for New York County, New York.

U.S., Consular Reports of Births, 1910-1949 lists William Estes Greble with birth date of 9 Apr 1924 in Bucharest, Rumania to Edwin St. John Greble and Florance Colgate Greble.

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 lists his residence as 850 Powell Street, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California. Contact person listed as Mrs. C. Greble of same address. Place of birth listed as Bucharest, Rumania on 04/09/1924. Middle name listed as Estes. Not employed as of 06/30/1942 registration date.

U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949 lists the name and address of his Next of Kin as:

Mrs. Colgate Greble (Mother)

375 Park Avenue

New York, New York

***I would like to thank Steve Cole Find A Grave ID 47375355 for adding his photo of William to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Des Philippet Find A Grave ID 46914181 for adding his gravesite photo to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Kelt Find A Grave ID 12691943 for adding his photo of William to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Michel Beckers Find A Grave ID 47419676 for adding his photos to this memorial***