William Henry Wild was born in 1921, son of Henry Morrison Wild and Elizabeth Annice Wild, of Bolton, Lancashire.

He was an air gunner with 138 Special Duty squadron, flying special mission in support of the resistance groups operating in occupied Europe. The squadron flew out of Tempsford.

Sgt Wild was part of the following crew:

F/S P B Norris
Sgt S Boothroyd
Sgt J H Dixon
Sgt L W Tomlinson
Sgt A W Mureph
Sgt W H Wild
Sgt F W Green

138 Sqn RAF

On the night of 22/23 May 1943, the crew took off in Halifax BB329 NF-Z on mission Operation "Marrow 35/36". This was a double mission where the crew were to drop supplies at two different drop zones, at Marrow 35 near Putten and Marrow 36 near Elspeet. It took off from its base at Tempsford at 00.53 and should have been over the drop zone I (Marrow 35) at 01.10 and over drop zone II (Marrow 36) at 01.29. However, it crashed in Noord Beemster at around 01.00, most probably shot down by German anti aircraft fire.

Two of the crew were killed, Flt Eng Sgt Stanley Boothryd, and the rear gunner Sgt William H. Wild. The Halifax crash landed between two farms in the Beemster polder, one of which became known as five pilots farm. The other five crew were taken PoW.

Sgt Wild is buried in Bergen War Cemetery, Plot 2. Row E. Grave 19. He was 21.

Bergen, The Netherlands

See also:
Sgt Stanley Boothroyd

Sources:
Gerrit Zwanenburg, En Nooit Was Het Stil, vol. I, Royal Dutch Air Force, nj
 

Acknowledgements:
Mr. Alan Plant
Mr. Bob Body
Mr. Tim Norris website about this crash. His father was the pilot. Please visit this site for a more complete story on the crew and their mission.

Directions to Bergen War Cemetery

Posted 14 July 2005
Updated 19 September 2005

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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