Lieutenant William Alfred Cox, Jr., Fred as he preferred to be called, was a Martin B-26C Marauder pilot that regularly flew a plane he named DOTTIE (after his wife) assigned to the 552nd Bombardment Squadron, 386th Bombardment Group-Medium, 8th Army Air Force, stationed at RAF Boxted just outside of Colchester, Essex, England. The 386th was re-assigned to the 9th AAF in October1943. It consisted of the 552nd, 553rd, 554th and 555th squadrons.

On Monday, September 27, 1943, the Third Bomb Wing Flight Ops issued a tasking order to the 386th and 323rd Bomb Groups directing them to hit the airdrome at Conches-en-Ouche in northern France. The order was a repeat of the previous days' mission that was recalled, probably due to poor visibility over the target. Today, though, weather was improving over the continent.

At the pre-flight briefing, the air crews were given the primary, secondary and decoy targets, routes of flight to and from the targets, rendezvous points and times and maps. The 386th BG led by Captain Donald Weiss would lead with 36 aircraft, followed by the 323rd BG and its 36 aircraft. They were advised to expect light and heavy flak near Fecamp (coastal France) on the way in and that the target had twelve to fourteen guns spread around from southwest to northwest and northeast of the airdrome. It is considered to be accurate for both range and tracking. On the way out stay well clear of the Cany-Barville area just southwest of St. Valery. They have a flak gunnery school there; we do not wish to graduate any of their students. The 72 plane attack would be covered by 21 RAF Spitfire squadrons from 11 Group.

The Groups departed on time with Capt Weiss from the 555th BS in the lead and headed for the English Channel. They rendezvoused at 12,000 feet with the fighter escort about five miles off the coast near Fecamp and turned left towards Serquigney, the initial point (I.P.) for the bomb run. As the group started its run, light tracer and heavy 88mm flak was seen over the target aimed at the forward escort planes but dissipated as they neared and the escort planes moved off..

The bombers had released their loads and mushroom clouds of dirt and debris could be seen erupting across the runway intersection two miles below. A prescribed left turn executed off of the target and the planes regrouped heading back to England. Fighter planes were very active a mile or so away and several aerial dog fights were witnessed.

As the group reached its next checkpoint at Yvetot, Lieutenant Popovici's voice came over the intercom system stating, "They are getting too close to St. Valery, we should be off to the left side here!". The warning words of the briefing officer came to mind, "Avoid the flak school at St. Valery!".

Almost instantly, all Hell broke loose with a fury of black bursts of 88mm flak that saturated the high flight in the lead box, and it was deadly accurate. Lieutenant Cox, piloting a Marauder named DANNY BOY II in the number two position, took a direct hit in the left main fuel tank. A sheet of flame nearly 100 feet long was seen streaming rearward. The fire burned off all fabric on his rudder and elevators. All that remained was the heat-twisted metal framework. Lt. Cox was reported to have made an heroic effort to maneuver his plane away from nearby aircraft, but seconds later, the fire burned through his left wing and it folded upward, then broke off outboard of the engine. None of the crew appeared to have the slightest chance to bail out as the bomber plummeted to earth in flames. The plane exploded and burned on impact in an area known as Cany-Barville, two miles south of St. Valery Airdrome.

Excerpted and edited from a narrative by Chester P. Klier, flight engineer and 386th BG historian

William Alfred Cox Jr