William Gerard Rees was born November 16, 1915, in Rome, New York, the first child of William Jacob (1887-1959) and Mary Ellen Meehan (1889-1925) Rees. According to U.S. Census records, both parents were born in New York. William J. worked as a butcher and Mary Ellen was a housewife. U.S. Census records show he had three brothers, John Edward (1918-1957), Arthur F. (1921-1986), and Thomas Paul (1925-2007). Mary Ellen Rees died seven days after the birth of Thomas Paul. William J. later married Cornelia Ellinger (1898-1985). Stepsisters, Joanne (1929-2011) and Dorothea, and stepbrother, Robert (1933-2014), were added to the Rees family.

Two of Williams’ brothers also served in WWII. John Edward was a Major in the USAAF in F363 Air Base Group and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Thomas Paul enlisted in the Merchant Marines in 1943. After WWII, he played professional baseball for Watertown, New York, in the Border League.

William Rees graduated from St. Aloysuis Academy, Rome, New York, in 1934, and was president of his senior class. In 1939, he graduated from Clarkson College of Technology with the degree of Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He was president of his fraternity, Lambda Iota, in his senior year, and was manager of the college tennis team.

After graduating, William was employed by the Central New York Power Corporation in Utica and Oswego. He lived in a rooming house in Utica, New York. He was a member of St. Peter’s Church, its Holy Name Society, the Knights of Columbus, and a junior member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

William registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, in Oswego, New York. Age 24 with brown hair, brown eyes, ruddy complexion, 155 pounds, and 5’11 ½” tall.

After induction, William was stationed at Ft. Eustis, Virginia, (later joined to Langley AFB), Camp Langdon, New Hampshire (decommissioned), Ft. Stark, New Hampshire (decommissioned), and Chanute Field, Illinois (decommissioned). William received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces, in August 1942, while at Chanute Field.

William then reported to Presque Isle, Maine. According to WikipediA, Presque Isle Air Force Base (sold and now a regional airport) was in operation there from 1941 to 1961. It was a major departure point for U.S. fighter planes during World War II due to its proximity to Europe.

William Rees, however, was on board a ship, USAT Dorchester (U.S. Army Transport), to reach the European Theater of Operations of WWII. He and 671 others were lost at sea when the Dorchester was hit by torpedoes from a German U-Boat on February 3, 1943.

Sources 

American Battle Monuments Commission Tablets of the Missing, accessed at https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/rees%3Dwilliam-0  

Chanute Air Force Base, accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanute_Air_Force_Base, Feb. 6, 2024.

Clarkson College Clarksonian (yearbook) 1939, accessed on Feb. 6, 2024  at the following: https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/clarkson/id/2036/rec/14

https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/clarkson/id/2076/rec/14

https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/clarkson/id/2082/rec/14 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100542307/william-g-rees: accessed 06 February 2024), memorial page for Lieut William G. Rees (1915–1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 100542307, citing Saint Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Rome, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by John Dowdy (contributor 47791572). 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84462737/william-g-rees: accessed 06 February 2024), memorial page for 2LT William G Rees (16 Nov 1915–3 Feb 1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 84462737, citing East Coast Memorial, Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA; Maintained by ShaneO (contributor 47009366). 

Fort Stark, New Hampshire, accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Stark, Feb. 6, 2024.

Helgason, U-Boat.net accessed at  https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2616.html, Feb. 6, 2024

History of Camp Langdon, accessed at https://www.northamericanforts.com/East/New_Hampshire/Camp_Langdon/history.html, Feb. 6, 2024. 

Honor States,  accessed at https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/363654/, Feb. 6, 2024. 

Joint Base Langley-Eustis website accessed on Feb. 6, 2024 at: https://www.jble.af.mil/Units/Army/

National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, accessed at https://thepurpleheart.com/roll-of-honor/profile/default?rID=df081ae7-9976-433a-8e82-fb4469d4ea69 , Feb. 6, 2024. 

Presque Isle, Maine, accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presque_Isle,_Maine, Feb. 6, 2024. 

End notes:

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project, a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3 web sites. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Carol Hillerson at hillerson@beyondbb.com.           

Date: 2/06/2024

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