1LT William Murray “Billy Murray” Holland Jr.

Birth

5 Nov 1920

Texas, USA

Death

30 Nov 1943 (aged 23)

Silverstone, South Northamptonshire Borough, Northamptonshire, England

Burial

Gussettville Cemetery

George West, Live Oak County, Texas, USA

Pilot of Sharon Belle, B-17F, exploded with all crew killed, over England, while aloft for a mission to Solingen that was scrubbed due to weather. Nose of plane exploded, according to witnesses on the ground, cause never explained.

"Billy Murray" Holland was chosen as lead pilot on more than one mission, and flew every variety of B-17 developed up to the time of his death. It is not clear if remains were positively identified for all crew members, so there are multiple locations for markers in their memory by the government and family members.

Memorial marker for this crew installed in Helmdon England, Nov 2009.

92nd Bomber Group

327th Squadron

USAAF

Contributor James Durham (46994633) - bullsoftexas77@gmail.com, adds this, unverified by the memorial manager: Enlistment Army Service No. (ASN): 18058400

Officer Service No: O-663914

From Randy Watkins, who worked at Jefferson Barracks:

It would appear that remains were recovered and positively identified since there are grave locations for the other crewmembers and those appear not to be memorial markers. More information could be obtained by requesting the Individual Deceased Personnel Files from the US Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky. I don't know what rationale was used by the anthropologists after the end of World War II to make the determination of a positive identification.