By Krista Finstad Hanson
For the Times
Prior to U.S. entry in World War II, the re-designated Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was fighting in the European theater of war beginning in 1939 and then again from 1941 to 1945. They were stationed in England and supported the fighting in continental Europe as part of the Combined Bomber Offensive. The pilots and crew flew B-24 Liberators and B-17s. They were strategic in their raids on oil refineries, railroads, airfields, ports, bridges, and other key targets in Europe.
The 19 Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron was a part of the 8th Army Air Force. As early as Sept. 1944, the 19 Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron was stationed at Hitcham, Suffolk in England.
Following the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, some of the B-17 and B-24 heavy bomber groups of Eighth Air Force were sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations. Some of those groups were stationed in Okinawa, Japan as late as June 1946.
William A. Meyer served with the 19th Reclamation and Repair Squadron in England.
William Albert Meyer was born on June 17, 1906 in Berlin, Germany to Ida (Czatch) and Otto Meyer.
On Sept. 12, 1918, Otto Franz Herman Meyer registered for the WWI draft. He was working as a barber for Paul Meyer in Monroe, Wisconsin. His wife was Ida and was living in Milwaukee.
From the 1920 U.S. Census, the Meyer family was living in Monroe in Green County, Wisconsin. The household included father Otto, wife Ida, and son William (13). Otto was working as a barber in a barbershop.
On July 17, 1921, Otto Meyer’s Petition for Naturalization was filed in Monroe. Otto Meyer was born on July 24, 1880 in Gellenow (sic: Gellenov), Germany. He emigrated to the U.S. from Bremen, Germany on Feb. 9, 1911 and arrived in the port of New York on Feb. 19, 1911 on the vessel George Washington. His wife Ida and son William were both born in Berlin, Germany. They all were residing in Monroe. Otto’s occupation was Barbering.
On Sept. 30, 1921, Otto Meyer received naturalization and thus did his wife and son.
Son William married Elizabeth Menz, who was also born in Germany, on April 23, 1925. They were both 18 when they married.
On Aug. 8, 1925, father Otto died in Monroe. On June 22, 1929, William’s widowed mother, Ida Meyer, married John Wittrich (a native of Austria) in Milwaukee.
On the 1930 U.S. Census, William and Elizabeth Meyer were living in Milwaukee. He was a barber working in a barber shop.
On Oct. 16, 1940, William Albert Meyer registered for the WWII draft. He lived and worked as a barber in Darlington, Lafayette County, Wisconsin.
On Dec. 17, 1942, William A. Meyer enlisted for service in WWII in Milwaukee. He was married and was born in 1906 in “Danzig or Germany” and was a citizen. He resided in Lafayette County. He had three years of high school and worked as a barber.
From the Oct. 28, 1944 The Capital Times article titled “Darlington Man Dies in England,” the news was that “Staff Sgt. William A. Meyer, 38, Darlington, died at Suffolk, Eng., Oct. 9, according to word received here by his wife from the war department.
“The last news she had from him was a telegram from the war department on Oct. 4 stating that he was seriously ill in England.
“Sgt. Meyer was born in Berlin, Germany. At the age of 5, he came with his parents to Milwaukee, and some years later to Monroe.
“He operated a barber shop in New Glarus prior to coming here in 1932, where he opened a shop. He enlisted Dec. 17, 1942. He arrived in England Dec. 7, 1943, and was with the air corps.
“He married Elizabeth Menz, New Glarus, Apr. 23, 1925.
“He is survived by his wife and his mother, Mrs. Ida Wittrich, Milwaukee. He is the sixth from Darlington to lose his life in the war, the fourth reported in October.”
Pvt. William A. Meyer was buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial at Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.
He is memorialized on Honor States and the National WWII Memorial Registry. He is listed on the Gold Star Honor list with the National Archives as being from Lafayette County. His death status was DNB, died non-battle.
Thank you, Private William Albert Meyer, for your service to and ultimate sacrifice for this country. We honor you and remember you.
Stories Behind The Stars
A series that honors more than 421,000 Americans that lost their lives in World War II.
Fallen soldiers from Lafayette County are currently being highlighted in the Monroe Times. For Green County, see the archives at
www.themonroetimes.com
To learn more about the project, visit storiesbehindthestars.org.
