William James Focht was born at Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa on October 3, 1922. He was the oldest of three children of Charles Edward Focht (25 Jul 1895 – 31 Oct 1968), who was born at Villisca, Montgomery County, Iowa; and Laura Lucille (Triplett) Focht (later Scheel) (called Lucille or Lucile) (20 Mar 1903 – 9 Dec 1938), who was born at Grinnell, Iowa. His parents married at New Hampton, Chickasaw County, Iowa on June 22, 1921, and lived at Grinnell, Iowa. His father served overseas in the 19th Aero Squadron during World War I, and worked at several jobs after the war. One of his jobs was traveling salesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
His parents had two other children: Richard Charles Focht (10 Jul 1924 – 28 May 2007) and Laura Etta 'Lauretta' (Focht) Herrera (4 Oct 1926 – 10 May 2016). His parents divorced at Grinnell, Iowa on September 8, 1927. His father was given custody of him and his brother Richard C. Focht; his mother was given custody of his sister Laura Etta Focht.
His father married Lola Rose (Renaud) Focht (26 Apr 1905 – 15 Oct 1990) at Davenport, Scott County, Iowa on September 14, 1929. Charles and Lola Focht lived at Davenport, Iowa, and had two children: Charles Edward Focht Jr (2 Feb 1938 – unk) and Michael Allan 'Mike' Focht (4 Sep 1942 – 20 Jun 2020). In 1940 the family lived at Minneapolis, Minnesota. By 1942 the family moved to Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa.
His mother later married William Roy Scheel (11 Jul 1895 – 8 May 1941) of Newton, Jasper County, Iowa; by 1930 they lived at Los Angeles, California with daughter Laura Etta (called Lauretta or Loretta).
He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa, and registered for the draft at Des Moines on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 145 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he worked for U.S. Rubber Company at Ankeny, Polk County, Iowa. He worked in a semiskilled occupation in the mechanical treatment of metals and was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Des Moines, Iowa on September 1, 1942. His wartime home of record was his father's address at 4051 Cottage Grove Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery school, and was assigned as a gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Joseph Peyton. By December 1943 the Peyton crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field near Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the Peyton crew was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. The 487th Bomb Group switched from the B-24 'Liberator' to the B-17 'Flying Fortress' in July 1944.
S/Sgt Focht was later transferred to the crew of Lt Harold E. Oesch in the 836th Bomb Squadron.
On September 30, 1944 the Oesch crew flew B-17G 43-38154 'Heavenly Body' on the 487th Bomb Group mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Bielefeld, Germany. S/Sgt Focht and seven of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft collided with another B-17 just after bombs away over Bielefeld, Germany. Apparently B-17G 43-38154 'Heavenly Body', flying in the number 7 position of the Low Squadron, was caught in prop wash turbulence during the turn away from the target. The aircraft flipped over on its back and collided with B-17G 43-38037 'Liberty Belle', piloted by Lt Raymond F. Jackson, who was flying in the number 9 position. (Note: This is based on an eyewitness account, and differs from the report in MACR 9423.) 'Liberty Belle' lost its outboard starboard wing, and both ships went down.
He is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
B-17G 43-38154 crew:
• Oesch, Harold E – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Furr, Wilburn E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Miller Jr, Henry J – 1/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Zalneraitis, Vitold A – 1/Lt – Bombardier – POW
• Volavka, Melo – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Stanley, Martin E – T/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Graves, Hudie E – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Green, Willard A – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Focht, William J – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov