ALEXANDER, William Joseph

Name: William Joseph ALEXANDER

Born 15 January 1916

Birthplace: New York, New York

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 28

Died 9 March 1990 in New York, age 74

Service: USAAF

Service ID: 32884032

Service Rank: Staff Sergeant

Duties: Gunner

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 489th Bomb Group, 845th Bomb Squadron

Airbase: Station 365, Halesworth, Suffolk UK

Aircraft: B-24 43-95249

Date shot down: 25 June 1944

Fate of crew: 1 captured immediately, 7 evaded with FFI help but captured later (Alexander, COFFMAN, CARR, CHESSHIR, FIX, MAUK, and PECUS)

Evasion summary: Desoubrie picked up Alexander, COFFMAN, and CARR  in Etrepagny atfer they left the place they were hiding. MAUK may have been with them.

Date captured: 5 August 1944

Capture summary: Betrayed by Desoubrie, arrested with CARR and COFFMAN, and perhaps MAUK.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78287

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, Center Compound

Kriege ID: 8161

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag VIIA, Moosburg, by train from Spremberg after forced winter march, 27-30 January, arriving 4 February 1945.

Notes on SVIIA internment: Forced labor, Munich Work Camps 3324 and 3368

Liberation: 29 April 1945 by units from Patton’s Third Army.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

VA status:

Notes on Post-War period: Not having had his fill of adventure, he joined the New York City Police Department.