2LT William Lavelle Watson (WWII)


Remembering 2LT William Lavelle Watson (Fairmont)

June 6, 1917 - May 24, 1944

-----

2LT William Lavelle Watson was born June 6, 1917 in Elkins, WV, the son of Roy and Eunice (Kildow) Watson. Roy was a railroad conductor in Elkins, but unfortunately died on December 10, 1922 when he fell under a moving train. Eunice was left alone with their three sons- Robert (7), William (5), and George (2). Eunice married again in 1927, this time to George Raymond Smith. At that time, the family moved to Fairmont. Not much is known about Eunice's youngest son, George, but a family member of theirs on Ancestry speculates that he died around 1927 as well.* 

*Note: I haven't been able to find anything corroborating or denying the information about George's death, but he did not appear on any census records after 1920. An article about William does mention that George had died in Elkins ("Lieut. Watson Dies On Raid," The Elkins Inter-Mountain).

In the 1930 census, the Smith/Watson family was living in the Grant District of Fairmont, with George working as a laborer on a milk wagon.

Education and Marriage

William graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1935, where he was the vice-president of the Boy's Glee Club. He went on to attend one year of college at Fairmont State Teacher's College, now known as Fairmont State University. While attending Fairmont State, William was a member of the Tau Beta Iota (TBI) Fraternity with another WWII casualty, Frank Kinsey Evans, who died just weeks before William.

William married Mary Catherine McGee on February 19, 1938 in Fairmont. A 1939 Fairmont City Directory lists William as a boxmaker, living at 706 Maryland Avenue. During the 1940 census, they were living at "Peacock Park," while William worked as a production clerk for Owens-Illinois Glass, and Mary was a book-keeper for Fear & SM Wholesale Company. William also was a member of the Owens-Illinois basketball team and was a prolific local tennis player ("Watson Lost Over Germany," The Fairmont Times).

William entered the draft at age 23 on October 16, 1940. He is listed as being 6'1" and 165 lbs, with brown hair, brown eyes, and "sallow skin."

On October 20, 1942, William and Mary's first and only child, Marianne Patricia Watson, was born. Their family attended the First Methodist Church in Fairmont, where William sang in the choir ("Watson Lost Over Germany").

Military Service:

William entered the Air Force in January of 1943. He trained in Santa Ana (California), LaJunta (Colorado), Tampa (Florida), and Savannah (Georgia) before arriving in England on April 24, 1944 ("Watson Lost Over Germany").

William was a member of the 381st Bomber Group, Heavy, 535th Bomber Squadron. On May 24, 1944, he was the co-pilot on board the B-17 Flying Fortress 42-39890 "Return Ticket" when it crashed on the Wilhelmshof Estate near Gratze, Germany. Five crew members were killed in action, four survived the crash and became POWs. Six separate B-17s went down that day.

Missing Air Crew Report #5179 states: "Enemy aircraft shot off left wing and #1, crashed Wilhelmshof Estate, near Gratze, 19 miles NE of Berlin, Germany."

Legacy and Survivors:

2LT William Lavelle Watson is buried in a group grave at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri, along with five other Air Corps members. He is honored on the "Marion County Veterans Killed in Action" Memorial at Veterans Square in Fairmont, WV, and at the  West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV. 
  
After William's death, Mary Catherine McGee Watson and Marianne Patricia Watson moved in with Mary's parents at 336 Maple Avenue in Fairmont. Mary went back to working as a book keeper. In 1973, Mary married Paul K. "Red" Barret, who died in 1983. Marianne Patricia (Watson) Newbrough unfortunately died of cancer on June 1, 2014, at age 71. She was survived by her four children, one of whom was named after her father.

William was also survived by his mom, step-father, and one brother. William's brother, PFC Robert Watson (then a PVT), was stationed at Sheppard Field in Texas at the time of William's death ("Watson Killed," The Fairmont Times). 

On Board the "Return Ticket"

Killed in Action:
Prisoners of War:
  • 2LT Phillip J. Barkett: Navigator
  • SGT Chester Herron: Tail Gunner
  • SGT Marshall Rose: Waist Gunner
  • CPL Paul M. Williams: Ball Turret Gunner

Sources and More Information: 

Newspaper Articles (in Chronological Order)
  • "Watson Lost Over Germany." The Fairmont Times. 8 June 1944. Accessed with help from the West Virginia and Regional History Center at WVU.
  • "Missing in Action." The Warren Tribune Chronicle. 21 June 1944. Accessed through Newspapers.com
  • "Lieut. Watson Dies On Raid." The Elkins Inter-Mountain. 14 July 1944. Accessed with help from the West Virginia and Regional History Center at WVU.
  • "Watson Killed." The Fairmont Times. 14 July 1944. Accessed with help from the West Virginia and Regional History Center at WVU.


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