William E. Barnard was born on December 1, 1920, in Bloomington, Garrett County, Maryland. He was the son of Edgar A Barnard and Mable Cora McRobie Barnard. He resided in Allegany County, Maryland, prior to the war.

William entered the Army in May 1939 and served in Hawaii for three years. He was on duty at Pearl Harbor when war broke out in the Pacific. He was commissioned December 3, 1941, and was dispatched to Hawaii shortly afterward as an aerial navigator. Returning to this county in August 1942, he married the former Miss Nina Ferguson, of Luke, in January 1943. He was commissioned a pilot at an AAF field in Texas and went overseas in November 1944.

William then served in the 848th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on the B-17 #43-38131 'Little Miss Mary Kay.' He was Killed in Action on April 5, 1945, when his B-17 was shot down by German flak boats in the harbor of Middelharnis, Netherlands.

2Lt Barnard is now buried in the Deer Park Cemetery, Deer Park, Garrett County, Maryland, USA.

Airmen who perished on B-17 (#43-38131):
Roufs, Darril F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Minnesota
Barnard, William E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, Maryland
Emmons, John L ~ S/Sgt, Togglier, Texas
Grant, Donald C ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, Massachusetts
Hartkopf, Paul O ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, Iowa
Koutz, Bernard W ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Maryland
Pickens, Lilbert D, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Radar Operator, Kentucky
Plein, William J B ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, California
Watson, Wayne E ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California

Source of information: www.findagrave.com