Sgt. William H. Deighan

Sgt. Deighan, bomber, missing over England

Sergeant William Deighan, U.S. Army Air Forces, 568th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, was the engineer/top turret gunner aboard the B-17 heavy bomber #232026, nicknamed "Tis a Mystery" piloted by 1st Lt. Duane G. H. Sweeny of Iowa.

All members of the Sweeny crew were killed in action on December 30, 1944.

The Missing Air Crew Report, #11247, consists of four pages - none of which give any detail as to the crash of the aircraft into the sea except as quoted below:

"A/C 026, flying #3 position of lead squadron took off as brief at 08:34 hours climbing in pattern and disappeared into the clouds over the base which were from 3,000 to 9,500 ft., with moderate to severe icing conditions reported at about 7,000 ft. A/C 026 was not seen nor heard from after entering clouds."

Nutley Flyer Is Declared Dead

Requiem Mass February 2 In St. Peter's, Belleville For Sgt. Deighan

(Jan. 25, 1946) -- A high mass of requiem for Sgt. William H. Deighan, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Deigham of Centre Street, Nutley, listed as missing over Kassel, Germany, since December 30, 1944, and now officially declared dead, will be held at 9 o'clock, Saturday morning, Feb. 2, in St. Peter's Church, Belleville.

Sgt. Deighan had been in service two years and had trained in Texas before going overseas where he served as gun crew chief on a B-17 with the 8th Air Force.

Born in Belleville, Sgt. Deighan attended Belleville High School and Bloomfield Vocational school and had been employed at the Viking Tool company, Belleville, before entering service.

William H. Deighan

BRANCH OF SERVICE U.S. Army Air Forces

HOMETOWN Belleville, NJ

HONORED BY Mr. & Mrs. John F. Mendes

ACTIVITY DURING WWII
HE WAS LOST OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

SGT William Deighan
ID: 12136696
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Essex County, NJ
Status: FOD (Finding of death)

William Deighan

ID: 12136696
Entered the Service From: New Jersey
Rank: Sergeant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 568th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, Heavy
Died: Saturday, December 30, 1944
Memorialized at: Cambridge American Cemetery
Location: Cambridge, England
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart