Posted By Jelle Reitsma on August 01, 2006 at 16:17:26:
Since I posted the message about Sergeant Watkins July, 31st, 2006, Mr Edouard Renière from Brussels, Belgium provided me some useful information. I updated my original text and post this message again.
Sgt Watkins was a member of the Butterfoss crew, 613 BS 401 BG. April 29th, 1944, returning from an attack on the Berlin Friedrichstrasse Railway station, he and the rest of the crew had to bail out over Woeste Hoeve, near Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. Their plane crashed in Lieren (Veldweg 25) around 1500 hrs local time (MACR 4345). The Dutch resistance took care of the crew; however, all of them except sgt Watkins were taken POW between April 29th - May 3rd 1944. By now I know most details about the crash, the other crew members, their experiences in German POW camps, and so on. Sgt Watkins evaded, but until now I have no other information than 'Sgt W.E. Watkins, serial nr 39281632, waist gunner, evaded'.
Mr Renière wrote me:
‘The www.401bg.com website lists Watkins as "Watkins, W. F." while you wrote "W. E."
The Serial Number 39281632 is not listed (or at least not findable) at NARA's WW II Enlistment Records database.
The first digits (39) point to a draftee from the Ninth Corps Area [ = the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona (partly), California and Alaska. ]
I browsed the NARA db for all the Watkins in those States and only found one
William F. WATKINS
Serial 39234692 (five digits that correspond, and the three others that are often easily taken for another: a 3 for an 8, a 4 for a 1 and a 9 for a 3 !...)
That Watkins was from Los Angeles County, California.
He enlisted on April 6, 1942 in Los Angeles, California.
Born in Alabama in 1918. I couldn't find anything else on him, as the name is rather common.
Hope this helps somewhat.’
I could not trace his enlistment record and I think that mr Renière answered my question.
The other questions remain: I dont' have the faintest idea how he evaded, where he was liberated, returned to active duty or not, and so on. The information is needed to complete the story of the Butterfoss crew in a local book '55 names at Heidehof' about Allied airmen who had to crashland or to bail out in the vicinity of Apeldoorn. 55 of them lost their lives and are buried at the Heidehof cemetery.
Who can help me out?
Jelle Reitsma
Zwarte Kijkerweg 25a
NL-7313 GC APELDOORN
The Netherlands