William Lawrence Cabaniss was born on April 14, 1922, in Petersburg, Virginia. He was married to Dorothy Harris Cabaniss. He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces on January 29, 1942. He served in the 729th Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group, Heavy, as Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner of the B-17G "BTO in the ETO" (#42-38202) during World War II.

On June 21, 1944, "BTO in the ETO" was on a mission to bomb targets in Nazi Germany. Following the successful bombing run, the aircraft encountered damage severe enough to force the crew to abandon the plane. The crew members parachuted out, landing in German-occupied Poland. Three of them—TSgt White, SSgt Cabaniss, and SSgt Shumate were captured by German forces and became prisoners of war. The remaining crew members, however, avoided capture and joined up with the Polish guerrilla unit "34th PP AK Zenon," an Armia Krajowa (AK) resistance group, where they continued to fight against German forces.

William was captured by German forces while attempting to reach the Polish Underground and sent to Stalag Luft IV, a POW camp in Tychowo, Poland. In early 1945, he and other prisoners were forced into a grueling "Death March" across Poland and Germany. On May 2, 1945, William and his fellow prisoners were liberated. After the war, William returned to the United States. He died on June 9, 1985, and is now buried in the Chandler Cemetery in Calhoun, Georgia, on June 12, 1985.

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com