Doherty William Joseph

Name:

William Joseph Doherty

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-751280

Unit:

383rd Fighter Squadron, 364th Fighter Group

Date of Death:

1945-01-10

State:

Massachusetts

Cemetery:

Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium

Plot:

C

Row:

8

Grave:

50

Decoration:

Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Hear

Comments:

William Joseph Doherty was born in 1922 in Everett, Massachusetts. He was the son of Robert John Doherty and Elizabeth Mary Nugent Doherty.

Enlisted as a Private in the Air Corps on April 14, 1942. Doherty first served a tour with the 324th Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group. There he flew as a co-pilot in James Tyron's crew, who flew in the bomber nicknamed Sunkist Special. Later he was a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot. He was killed during a scouting flight in the area of Vielsalm, Belgium. MACR 11876 just mentioned Lt Doherty's P-51 was last seen in formation above Vielsalm, Belgium. No chute was seen and no trace of the plane or pilot was found. Freeman's "Mighty 8th War Diary" mentioned only one 364th aircraft missing that day on Mission 789.

1Lt Doherty is now buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, honorstes.org www.americanairmuseum.com