William J. Beimbrink
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces

In December 1944, Second Lieutenant William J. Beimbrink was serving as a pilot with the 757th Bomb Squadron, 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 304th Bombardment Wing, 15th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Forces, based at Giulia Airfield, Italy. The 459th Bombardment Group flew B-24 Liberator bombers on missions in Italy, France, the Balkans, Austria and Germany.

On 18 December, 2LT Beimbrink was the pilot of B-24J Liberator bomber Serial Number 42-51714 named ’California Rocket’ that was on a mission to bomb a target at Oświęcim, Poland. [Missing Air Crew Record (MACR) 10688.] The aircraft had a crew of 10.

MACR 10688 says the aircraft was last sighted by a witness at 1216 hours. The witness, 2LT Don C. Hutton, said that when he last saw the aircraft it was flying at a reasonable altitude. He believed that engine failure was the probable cause of the crash.

Following his Return to Duty (RTD) CPL William J. McCuttie, Jr., the tail turret gunner, made this handwritten statement in regard to the crew leaving the aircraft: ”We bailed out. I was eighth. Only the pilot and co-pilot remained. On descending I saw two chutes above me – which could only have been the ninth and tenth members of the crew. Pilot trimmed ship and stood on catwalk with co-pilot preparing to bail out. Went back to the flight deck for a minute then returned to co-pilot. Motioned to co-pilot to jump and that he was ready to follow. This was the last anyone saw of him. Polish Partisans found plane, recovered small flying equipment. Claimed to have dismantled plane and hid it, and to have chopped away trees where aircraft struck to confuse Nazis. They said no one was in plane. They also returned important papers and maps, slightly charred – which we burned. The navigator, Tad Dejewski of Stamford, Conn. spoke good Polish, therefore there were no misunderstandings in any conversations.”

The body of the pilot, 2LT William J. Beimbrink, was never recovered. The other nine members of the crew were all met by Polish Partisans who hid them from German soldiers and all nine were eventually able to Return to Duty (RTD). They were then Evacuated to the U.S. (EUS).

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army Air Forces Pilot Badge

B-24J Liberator bomber Serial Number 42-51714 named California Rocket had the following crew members on 18 December 1944.

● Pilot: 2LT William J. Beimbrink [Honoree Record ID 67825] Declared Dead
● Co-Pilot: 2LT Spencer P. Felt, Jr. [Honoree Record ID 308691] RTD
● Navigator: 2LT Thadieus A. Dejewski [Honoree Record ID 308692] RTD
● Bombardier: FO Robert T. Nelson [Honoree Record ID 308693] RTD
● Engineer/Gunner: CPL Edward J. Sich [Honoree Record ID 308694] RTD
● Radio Operator: CPL Walter B. Venable [Honoree Record ID 308695] RTD
● Nose Turret Gunner: CPL Clarence A. Dallas, Jr. [Honoree Record ID 308696] RTD
● Waist Gunner: CPL Bernard C. Racine [Honoree Record ID 308697] RTD
● Ball Turret Gunner: PVT Jack F. Blehar [Honoree Record ID 308698] RTD
● Tail Turret Gunner: CPL William J. McCuttie, Jr. [Honoree Record ID 308699] RTD

Memorialization

Second Lieutenant William J. Beimbrink is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial Epinal in Departement des Vosges, Lorraine, France.

[The information in this biography was derived primarily from various sections of the 459th Bombardment Group website at http://www.459bg.org/ and permission was granted for its use.]