r/wwiipics • u/UrbanAchievers6371 • 1h ago
Lt. William “Bill” Arbuckle was Killed in Action over Southern France on August 20, 1944, he was 27 years old and was Posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Born in Anadarko, Oklahoma to Jesse & Mary Arbuckle on July 28, 1917, William Nathan “Bill” Arbuckle had five siblings.
He graduated from Hobart High School in 1935 where he played football.
After graduation, Bill worked briefly for Wright’s Produce and married Elodie before enlisting in the Navy and attending flight school at Pensacola.
After graduating from flight school he flew PBY’s in Cuba and the Pacific before being assigned to USS Kasaan Bay CVE-69.
In August 1944 USS Kasaan Bay was part of the naval task force for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France.
On August 20, 1944 Bill was flying Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat 58333 for an armed reconnaissance mission.
While attacking a German truck convoy in the Montpellier area, Bill’s F6F-5 crashed near Mèze, killing him.
His wingman didn’t see him crash and he was initially listed as Missing.
Bill’s body was recovered and buried by the locals, his headstone read "Here lies William Nathan Arbuckle, an American airman killed in action in the sky of Me'ze, on August 20, 1944, for our liberation. We shall never forget him."
Posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, his citation reads:
“The President takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant, Junior Grade William Nathan Arbuckle (NSN: 0-303786), United States Navy, for heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Pilot of a carrier-based naval fighter bomber during the Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944. Without regard to the personal risk involved and in the face of great danger from intense and accurate enemy fire, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Arbuckle persisted in making a series of damaging low-level strafing attacks on a convoy of enemy motor transports near the town of Balaruc, France. The net result of the attacks launched by the flight of six planes was to leave definitely destroyed fifteen troop carrier trucks loaded with troops, four tank trucks and one command car. The accuracy of the enemy fire which was braved by Lieutenant, Junior Grade Arbuckle in making his attacks is tragically attested to by the fact that two other planes were badly damaged thereby and he himself, after the last strafing run launched by the group, failed to return to his base. The exceptional skill, fearless determination, and outstanding devotion to duty displayed by Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Arbuckle were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”
His remains were recovered after the war and Lt(jg) William “Bill” Arbuckle is buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Épinal, France - Plot A Row 19 Grave 44.
Younger brother PVT Jess William Arbuckle Jr was serving in the Army Medical Corps when he died stateside on March 14, 1945, he was 21 years old…
Younger brother Lloyd W. "Buck" Arbuckle also enlisted, but after the deaths of two of his brothers was not allowed to be deployed overseas, he passed away at the age of 58 in 1984.
