Name:
William M. Mathias
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-728692
Unit:
353rd Fighter Group
Date of Death:
1943-06-29
State:
Illinois
Cemetery:
Cambridge American Cemetery, United Kingdom
Plot:
D
Row:
3
Grave:
69
Decoration:
Comments:
William M. Mathias entered the military service in Illinois. He served in the Headquarters, 353rd Fighter Group as a First Lieutenant during World War II. He was the first loss to the Group since arriving in England. 1LT Mathias was killed in a flying accident on June 29, 1943. Taking off from Goxhill to complete a camera gunnery mission, 1Lt Mathias got into a rat race with another pilot (as the training mission required) but misjudged his altitude while trying to evade his opponent and smashed into the ground at high speed. He is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, 353rdfightergroup.wordpress.com