William M. Heaton (Whippet Yellow 3)
Born to William Isadore Evans Heaton and Hattie Neal Heaton the 15 april 1920 at Pelzer, Anderson County, South Carolina, USA. He, along with his family moved to Henderson County, North Carolina, soon after his birth. He had had two older brothers and two older sisters including Virginia Heaton Hawthorne, George Benson Heaton and Haskell Woodrow Heaton.
William Heaton was a witness to Robert E. Jenkins crash on the 15th July 1944.
Marriage
He married Mittie Drama Gibbs Roderick on the 15th June 1941.
Enlistment and career
The 1st July 1941, whilst working as a paper machine operator at Ecusta Paper Company, he volunteered for the Army Air Force at Henderson, North Carolina. His service number is O-814686.
He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in October 1942.
Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.
Awards
Air medal
Air medal oak leaf cluster
Air medal second oak leaf cluster (posthumous)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross oak leaf cluster (approx) 14th July 1944
Aircraft flown
Thunderbolt P-47D-25-RE N° 42-26468 HV-Z. This was Benjamin E. Cather's Thunderbolt, William Heaton was killed in this aircraft.
Missing Air Crew Report 9805
On September 5, 1944, 1 Lt. Heaton, leading Whippet Red flight, on a bomber escort mission to targets around Mertzhausen, Germany, spotted a train south of Coblens airdrome The flight strafed the train and received heavy and accurate light flak. William Heaton made a second strafing pass and severely damaged the locomotive but as he pulled up climbing through very heavy flak. 1, William Blake flying Red 3 saw him receive a direct hit in the canopy. His plane flew normally for 15 to 20 seconds, then rolled over, dived into the ground, and exploded.
The American Press
The American press presented articles about William Heaton:
Greenville News, 1st July 1941 (wedding)
Greenville News, 4th July 1941 (wedding)
Asheville Citizen Times, 29th June 1941 (wedding)
Asheville Citizen Times, 18th March 1942 (call up)
Asheville Citizen Times, 14th July 1944
Asheville Citizen Times, 16th July 1944
Asheville Citizen Times, 14th September 1944 (OLC)
Asheville Citizen Times, 7th December 1944
Greenville News, 15th December 1944
Asheville Citizen Times, 20th March 1945 (2OLC AM)
Cemetary
William McNeal Heaton died at Limburg an der Lahn, Germany on the 15th September 1944 aged 24.
His final resting place is Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands. Plot B, Row 4, Grave 23.
He is also listed on a monument to the Fallen in Oakdale Cemetery, Hendersonville, Henderson County, North Carolina, USA.
