Leroy Wayne Wilder was born on November 2, 1919 in Orleans, California. His parents Albert and Lillian were Native Americans and were both born in California. Leroy had three older sisters, six older brothers, two younger sisters, and one younger brother. His father worked as a miner, farmer, and a carpenter. Leroy’s parents evidently divorced at some point prior to the 1940 census, when Leroy was living with his father in Klamath, California.

Leroy was drafted into the Army Air Forces in October 1941 and trained as a radio operator. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, of the Eighth Air Force. The 303rd BG (nicknamed “Hell’s Angels”) was activated in February 1942 and was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers. It was based at Molesworth, England and began flying combat missions over France and Germany in November 1942.

SSgt Wilder was assigned to the crew of B-17F 41-24526, named Leapin’ Liz. SSgt Wilder and the crew of the Leapin’ Liz flew their first combat mission on 23 November 1942 to bomb the German submarine pens at St. Nazaire, France. They completed three more combat missions by the end of 1942.

On 3 January 1943 SSgt Wilder participated in his fifth combat mission, as the 303rd dispatched seventeen B-17s to St. Nazaire to bomb the German submarine torpedo storage areas. According to the 303rd BG mission report, the group encountered heavy flak and 25-35 enemy fighters. Four of the 303rd’s aircraft did not return from the mission, including the Leapin’ Liz, which was shot down by enemy fighters and ditched in the Bay of Biscay off of St. Brevin, France. SSgt Wilder and the rest of the crew did not survive.

Leroy Wayne Wilder is buried in Orleans Cemetery in Orleans California.

Thank you SSgt Wilder for your service and your sacrifice.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. SBTSProject/California/Humboldt.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at bob.al@storiesbehindthestars.org.

Wilder, LeRoy W., SSgt