William Thomas Bradley, Jr. was born on July 7, 1918, in Stuarts Draft, Virginia. He was the son of William T. and Estelle Smith Bradley. He was graduated from Stuarts Draft High School in 1936; had worked in the Montgomery Ward farm store in Staunton but at the time of his entry into military service was employed at Wayne Manufacturing Co., Waynesboro. William Thomas, Jr. entered the service in April 1941 and served in the 555th Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomber Group, Medium, as a Staff Sergeant and the Mechanic/Machine Gunner of the B-26 #41-31903 IH*T during World War II.
On April 25, 1944, his crew took off from Station 164 at Great Dunmow, England on a bombing of coastal batteries mission. Around 11:15 am, their plane was hit by heavy flak over the sea while returning to the mainland. The right engine was affected as well as the ventral fuselage. The crew successfully evacuated the plane but were all taken as prisoners except for SSgt Bradley who was fatally injured on the head by flak or small firearms during parachuting.
SSgt Bradley was temporarily buried in the military cemetery of St-Riquier-és-Plains, France, and was transferred later. He is now buried in the Riverview Cemetery, Waynesboro, Waynesboro City, Virginia, USA.
B-26 #41-31903 aircrew:
1Lt William Calvin Reynolds - Pilot
2Lt George Robert Freeman - Co-Pilot
2Lt Bernard J. Tallerico - Navigator/Bombardier
S/Sgt Robert Lavering Kegg - Radio Operator/Machine Gunner
S/Sgt William Thomas Bradley, Jr. - Mechanic/Machine Gunner
S/Sgt Norman Hershel Hines - Machine Gunner
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net