2LT William Fay Davis (WWII)

2LT William Fay Davis was born August 9, 1922 in Everson, West Virginia to Marcene and Willa (Everson) Davis. William was the third of four children, with two older sisters (Mary Margaret and Virginia) and one younger brother (John).

William spent much of his life in Baxter, WV, while his father worked for Consolidated Coal in Rivesville, first as a trackman (1930), then as a timberman (1940).

William entered the draft on June 30, 1942. At the time, he was also employed by Consolidated Coal in Rivesville. He listed himself as 5'11" and 151 lbs, with blue eyes and brown hair. He only attended two years of high school according to the 1940 census, presumably at Rivesville High School.

Military Service:

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Wheeling on February 5, 1943. On May 4, 1944, 2LT William Fay Davis died in a plane crash near Westover Field in Ludlow, Massachusets, when all four engines experienced catastrophic engine failure. All three crewmen on board died in the accident:

• Pilot: Captain Harold H. Melkonian, 26, of Watertown, Massachusetts
• Co-pilot: 2nd Lieutenant William F. Davis, 21, of Baxter, West Virginia
• Tec-Sergeant Harry Schultz, of Kansas City, Missouri

Of the time between enlistment and when he died, not much is known, but his nephew and namesake William Davis says of his uncle:

"Billy's mother, Willa Maxine Davis, died in late February, 1944. Billy had graduated from his B25 advanced flight training course in Florida, and was slated to catch a ship to England to join a B25 unit there. He travelled back to Marion county to attend his mother's funeral, and thus missed departing with his squadron mates. He was placed in "casual status" to await the departure of the next round of pilots and aircrew to depart for England. To maintain his flying proficiency, he was scheduled to fly a night training sortie with a senior pilot and crew chief. Right after takeoff, the bomber lost power in both engines and crashed off the end of the runway. No survivors. A promising young man cut down in his prime. I would love to have known him." (From William's Findagrave Page)

Please note that the above description says B-25, but the news accounts list their plane as a B-24 liberator.

Burial and Legacy:

William was buried alongside his relatives at the Martin Cemetery in Fairmont, West Virginia, off Industrial Park Road (on Manuel Drive). William's younger brother, John, named his son after William when he was born in 1949.

Sources and More Information:

• 2LT William Fay Davis: Findagrave Profile
• B-24: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Ludlow, MA. – May 4, 1944: New England Aviation History

Note about William's early life: 

I left this out of the main body of the biography because it does not pertain to William's character or valor. In 1910, the census marks Marcene Davis as the owner of a confectionary. In September of 1918, Marcene was arrested for murdering Doyle Everson by shooting him four times over a game of cards. He was sentenced that November to 12 years at the Moundsville Penitentiary, where he appears on the 1920 census record. However, he must have been released after January 22, 1920 (when the census data was recorded), as William was born in 1922. City directories show Marcene living in Clarksburg in 1923, and Marcene and Willa living in Clarksburg together in 1925. Willa and the children lived with Marcene's parents during his incarceration.