William Henry Kuhlman1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 23232, (1918 - 1942)
FatherFrederick Michael Kuhlman7,8,9 (26 May 1866 - 24 Feb 1947)
MotherDaisy M. Askew4,5,6 (9 Dec 1892 - 12 Feb 1976)

Key Events:

Birth: 12 Jul 1918, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas10,11,12
Death: 2 Oct 1942, Cowbit, England13,12
Burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas3
ChartsDescendants of Hermann Hinrich Fennker
AncestryThe Fenker Family

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

      William Henry Kuhlman was born on 12 Jul 1918 in Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas.10,11,12
2nd Lt. William H. Kuhlman
courtesy 306th Bomb Group Archives

     He appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas, in the household of his parents, Frederick Michael Kuhlman and Daisy M. Askew.7 He appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas, in the household of his parents.8
     William attended the University of Texas for two years.14,15
     He appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas, in the household of his parents.9
     William registered for the draft for World War II on 16 Oct 1940, while living at 1800 Washington, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas, reporting he was employed by the U.S. Housing Authority in Fort Worth.2
     William enlisted 9 Jan 1942 at Sheppard Field, Witchita Falls, Texas, as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps.16 He was sent to the Advanced Flying School at Mather Field, California, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in Jun 1942.17
     He was assigned to the 367th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, as a navigator on a B-17 Flying Fortresses. On 31 Jul 1942 his squadron, with 38 planes, was ordered from Wendover Field, Utah to Westover Field, Massachusetts, then to an overseas destination.18 The squadron became one of the earliest to arrive in England and was stationed at the former Royal Air Force base at Thurleigh.
A 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron B-17
from World War Photos

     On 2 Oct 1942 William's aircraft, piloted by Lt. William Ely, was part of a high-altitude training mission. Over Cowbit, England, at 27,000 feet, the waist gunner had trouble with his oxygen supply and passed out. The pilot dived some 9,000 feet to reach denser air. As he tried to pull out control cables snapped, a part of the wing with one engine broke away, and the aircraft caught fire. Two crewmen parachuted to safety, but six, including William, did not survive.19,20
     William died on 2 Oct 1942 in Cowbit, England, at age 24.13,12 He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., Texas.3

Citations

  1. [S11008] Fredick Kuhlman household, 1920 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas, shows name as William Kuhlman.
  2. [S11010] William Henry Kuhlman, WWII Draft Registration Cards for Texas, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947.
  3. [S11011] William H. Kuhlman, Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941.
  4. [S11008] Fredick Kuhlman household, 1920 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas, shows him as the son of her husband.
  5. [S11012] Fredrick M. Kuhlman household, 1930 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas, shows him as the son of her husband.
  6. [S11014] Fred M. Kuhlman household, 1940 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas, shows him as the son of her husband.
  7. [S11008] Fredick Kuhlman household, 1920 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas.
  8. [S11012] Fredrick M. Kuhlman household, 1930 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas.
  9. [S11014] Fred M. Kuhlman household, 1940 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas.
  10. [S11008] Fredick Kuhlman household, 1920 U.S. Census, Tarrant Co., Texas, shows age 1 1/12 and state.
  11. [S11010] William Henry Kuhlman, WWII Draft Registration Cards for Texas, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947, shows date, city, and state.
  12. [S11011] William H. Kuhlman, Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941, shows date.
  13. [S11020] Headquarters Air Echelon 306th Bombardment Group (H), War Diary, 306th Bomb Gp (H), Mar-Nov 1942, pg 4, shows date and village.
  14. [S11018] "Fort Worth Man Gets Wings," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jun 1942, shows he attended University of Texas.
  15. [S1356] "U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," Ancestry.com, record for William H Kuhlman, Service No. 18065988, shows 2 years of college.
  16. [S1356] "U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," Ancestry.com, record for William H Kuhlman, Service No. 18065988, shows enlistment date, enlistment city and state, component as Army of the United States.
  17. [S11018] "Fort Worth Man Gets Wings," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jun 1942.
  18. [S11019] Headquarters Air Echelon 306th Bombardment Group (H), Special Order Number 5, 11 Aug 1942.
  19. [S11020] Headquarters Air Echelon 306th Bombardment Group (H), War Diary, 306th Bomb Gp (H), Mar-Nov 1942, pg 4.
  20. [S11021] Hermann, "Diarist Herman Flies Atlantic to Combat," pg 5.