AIR COMMANDO Gilhousen, William Richard

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Gilhousen ​

• FORENAME

William Richard​

• UNIT

1 AC Group (Fighter Section)​

• RANK

Captain ​

• NUMBER

0-667062 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

16th July 1944 ​

• AGE

24​

• GRAVESITE

Manila American Cemetery, Philippines Tablets of the Missing ​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

from Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa​

born 23.1.1920 Des Moines, Iowa​

son of Lawrence Eugene and Della Luella (nee Harden) Gilhousen (1899-1981)​

graduated high school​

draftsman in civilian life​

employed by Proudfoot Rawson Brooks and Borg, Des Moines, Iowa​

01.07.1941 draft card Iowa​

enlisted 23.2.1942 Fort Des Moines, Iowa (Private 17065212 Air Corps)​

1 AC Group 29.10.1943​

awards D.F.C. with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster​

POW 15.4.1944 (P-51 43-6872)​

died as POW Rangoon Central Jail, Burma​

​

William's remains were recovered in 1946 from a burial at the Rangoon POW camp.​

​

His remains, along with others, were being transported from Rangoon to Calcutta, India by C-47 #43-48308. However this C-47 crashed on this trip on May 17, 1946. His remains were not recovered from this crash.​