SSGT. Willard Joseph Archambeau was an Aerial Gunner with the 12th Air Force; 57th Bombardment Wing; 310th Bombardment Group; 379th Bombardment Squadron; stationed in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, (MTO)

His Hometown was Ironwood, Gogebic County, Michigan.

Originally assigned to the 321st Bomb Group's 448th Bomb Squadron; and was transferred in July 1943 to the 321st Bomb Group's 446th Bomb Squadron. In November 1943, SSGT. Archambeau was transferred to the 310th Bomb Group's 379th Bomb Squadron.

379th BS War Diary
10 June 1944
18 of our planes bombed an alternate target at Calafuria. Crews reported that the road bridge received a good concentration of hits. Lt. Ernest J. Kulik and his crew were lost. Four chutes were observed, three of them on fire. Flak was moderate to intense, accurate and heavy. No enemy fighters attacked the formation.

310th BG; 379th BS; B-25J; Serial No. 43-4098; MACR: 5828;
P: Ernerst J. Kulik; 1LT; O-665207; RTD; Chicago, ILL
CP: Robert Damon; 2LT; O-761568; DED; Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co. CAL
B: Alexander D. Allen; 1LT; O-673007; DED; Pittsford, Monroe Co. NY
R: Irvin H. Ross; TSGT; 15072854; DED; Cleveland, OH
G: Willard J. Archambeau; SSGT; 16021664; DED; Ironwood, MICH
TG: Clarence I. Knobeloch; PVT; 36063906; DED; Belleville, ILL

The plane was hit by flak in the left wing behind the engine and immediately caught fire. The plane left the formation and crashed. The last seen location is given as Q-0541. The tail gunner bailed out but his chute caught fire. Lt. Kulik was the only other one to successfully bail out. At least two others also bailed out but their chutes were also on fire. Kulik was the only survivor from his crew. The other five crewmen were buried near Leghorn (Livorno). Kulik was apparently captured, but subsequently escaped and evaded.

The MACR includes a summary page from his E&E report, which is dated July 13, 1944, so by that date he had RTD (returned to duty). In it he states that after he gave the bail out order he remained in his seat for about a minute as the copilot left his seat, the plane rolled over at went into a dive. Kulik had lost all communication with the crew as the inter-phone was out. The plane was burning as it went down and crashed and exploded on the ground.
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Excerpt from:
The Tyrrhenian

2004 > 07 > 28 > Without Title

They take part in the rescue operation of the American pilot and his transfer to partisan detachment, in addition to the Ronda family, Virgilio Antonelli, Giovanni Biagini, Francesco Paggini and Manfredo Bianchini.
At Quarata, the Kulik is cared for and assisted by Urbino Guedri. On June 19, almost all of Livorno's caretakers, aboard two trucks and a motorcycle, decided to reach the partisan formations. Unfortunately, during a voyage a truck and motorbike are intercepted at Nugola by SS. In the clash the group is overwhelmed. After days of torture, the police officers are shot at Selvatelle and Nugola Vecchia.

A patrol made by Luciano Montelatici, Michele Carlesi, Francesco Paggini and Gino Tosi, in early July, after exhausting and fortunate misfortunes through the territory controlled by the Germans, delivered to the US Command, installed in Vada, the American pilot John Ernest Kulik Still completely restored.

Willard J Archambeau