William F. Wood was born in 1923 in New York. He resided in Du Page County, Illinois, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 10, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
William served in the 850th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Navigator on the B-17G #44-8140 during World War II. He was Killed in Action but was declared "Missing" on December 5, 1944, when his B-17 was hit by enemy flak and crashed in Gross Zerlang, Germany.
1Lt Wood is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
Crew of the B-17G #44-8140:
Kermode, Donald ~ Capt, Command Pilot, POW
Gregory, Ralph E, Jr ~ Capt, Mission/Pilot, KIA
Meadows, Martin F ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, KIA
Bruce, James L ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, KIA
Caldwell, John T ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, KIA
Dorr, Earle L, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, KIA
Hillweg, Charles U, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, KIA
Mayer, Clement T ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, KIA
Meyer, Walter A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Togglier, KIA
Upshaw, Charles C ~ 2nd Lt, Radar Operator, KIA
Wood, William F ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, KIA
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov