Henry Grady Way
1942
Dairying
Wesley Foundation Council 2, 3, Secretary 4; Glee Club 4; Williamsburg County Club 1, 2; Dairy Club 1, 2, 3, President 4; Young Democrats' Club 3, 4; Marksman, ROTC Camp, Clemson, SC.
Ridgeland, South Carolina
Parents - Julian M. Way and Ellen Athena Mellette Way. Brothers - Robert Bradford Way
Army Air Force, First Lieutenant
358th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group
Purple Heart, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Aug 12, 1921
Jun 21, 1944
Killed in Action
Memorialized at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands; also memorialized at Holly Cemetery, Holly Hill, SC
SE
Additional Information
MARC #: 6540; Aircraft Model: B-17G; S/N#: 42-32037 Organization: Location: Molesworth, England Command or AAF/ AF: 8th AF Group: 303rd Bomb Gr. (H) Squadron: 358th; Place of departure: Molesworth, England Target: Berlin, Germany; Type of Mission: Bombardment Date: 21 June 1944 Time: 1017; Location of Crash: Berlin Germany Number of Person Aboard Aircraft- Crew: 9 Passengers: 0 Total: 9List of Crew (crew positions, name, rank, status) 1st Lt. Way, Henry G. (Pilot) 2nd Lt. Raese, Warren G. (Co-pilot) 2nd Lt. Sigurdson, Elden A. (Navigator) 2nd Lt. Bell, Julian P. (Bombardier) S/Sgt. Paoloino, Vincent C. ( Top Turret Gunner) T/Sgt. May, James G. (Radio Gunner) S/Sgt. Meredith, Garland T. (Ball Turrent Gunner) T/Sgt. Lynam, Stanley A. (Waist Gunner) S/Sgt. Parks, Robert E. (Tail Gunner) Narrative or eye witness statements
Flak from a German antiaircraft struck Lt. Way’s plan 4 times, twice in the nose and twice in the bomb bay, causing the plane to explode. Three parachutes were seen, however due to extremely poor visibility it was not possible to determine which aircraft of the 5 in the formation they were from.
Last mission of the 1Lt Henry G. Way Crew:
21 June 1944, Mission 187, to Berlin, Germany. Received a direct flak hit just after “bombs away.” The B-17 crashed in Berlin, Germany (5 KIA and 4 POW) – Missing Air Crew Report 6540. Regular 1Lt Way crewmen Sgt Manning (RWG) and Sgt LaFleur (BTG) did not fly on mission 187. Replacement crewman was S/Sgt Garland T. Meredith (RWG). Two other crews were also lost after being downed by flak hits at about the same time as the 1Lt Way crew. The three crews were flying in the Low Squadron of the 41st CBW-B Low Group. 1Lt Charles R. Allen (P) in 427BS B-17G 42-97096 (No name) (427BS) GN-T (1 KIA and 8 POW) – crashed at Schielowsee, Germany; 2Lt Thomas H. Morningstar (P) in B-17G 42-107002 Mairzy Doats (358BS) VK-A (9 POW) – crashed near Techin, Germany.
1Lt Henry G. Way (P)(KIA) – First five missions flown as CoPilot with 2Lt Walter A. Ames as Pilot. All of the other missions flown as First Pilot. Completed 26 credited combat missions on 21 June 1944 (Mission 187).
[Researched by 303rdBGA Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]Related Images Click to Enlarge
(Back L-R) 1Lt Henry G. Way (P)(KIA), 2Lt Warren G. Raese (CP)(KIA), 2Lt Eldon A. Sigurdson (N)(POW), 2Lt Julian P. Bell (B)(KIA) (Front L-R) T/Sgt Stanley A. Lynam (E)(KIA), T/Sgt James G. May (R)(POW), Sgt Robert L. Manning (RWG), Sgt Paul L. LaFleur (BTG), S/Sgt Vincent C. Paolino (TT)(KIA), S/Sgt Robert E. Parks (TG)(POW) [photo from the 303rdBGA Archives]
