User:SMC317/sandbox
William Randall Crecelius
[edit]William Randall Crecelius | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Randy |
| Born | November 21, 1918 Gibson County, Indiana |
| Died | December 19, 1943 Queensland, Australia |
| Buried | Princeton, Indiana |
| Service | United States Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | 1940-1943 |
| Service number | 0-888625 |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross (two Oak Leaf Clusters) Air Medal (two Oak Leaf Clusters) |
| Website | www.hoosiertraveler.com |
2nd Lieutenant William Randall "Randy" Crecelius (21 November 1918 – 19 December 1943) was a World War II Troop Carrier Squadron pilot who died in the Canal Creek air crash north of Rockhampton in Central Queensland, Australia.
Early life
[edit]Crecelius was the first of five children born to Henry Crecelius and Maude Miley Crecelius in Gibson County, Indiana. He graduated from Francisco High School in 1936.
World War II service
[edit]Crecelius enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on September 26, 1940. He was eventually assigned to the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group. This Squadron operated the Douglas C-47 Skytrain in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during the war.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on May 29, 1943. His citation included the following: "He took part in more than fifty missions, dropping supplies and transporting troops over territory that was continually patrolled by enemy fighter aircraft. Often landings were made on fields only a few miles from Japanese bases. These operations aided considerably in the recent success in this theatre."
Crew and Passengers
[edit]| Name | Country | City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | 2nd Lieutenant William R. Crecelius | USA | Indiana |
| Co-Pilot | 2nd Lieutenant John B. Rowell | USA | Michigan |
| Engineer | Technical Sergeant John L. Shupe | USA | Virginia |
| Radio Operator | Seargeant Robert S. Fazio | USA | New York |
| Passenger | Technical Sergeant Carlos M. Bane | USA | Pennsylvania |
| Passenger | Seargeant Charles F. Dolan | USA | New York |
| Passenger | 2nd Lieutenant Harry Gillies | USA | New York |
| Passenger | 2nd Lieutenant William B. Graham | USA | Pennsylvania |
| Passenger | Captain Orlen N. Loverin | USA | California |
| Passenger | Warrant Officer Herbert R. Johnson | USA | New York |
| Passenger | Private Herbert J. Mathias | USA | Indiana |
| Passenger | Major Hoyt A. Ross | USA | Minnesota |
| Passenger | Captain Robert J. Simmons | USA | Florida |
| Passenger | Chief Warrant Officer Thomas W. Smith | USA | Georgia |
| Passenger | Captain George K. Snyder | USA | Pennsylvania |
| Passenger | Gunner’s Mate Frank J. Carline | USA | Massachusetts |
| Passenger | Lieutenant William W. Samuelsen | USA | New York |
| Passenger | Gunner’s Mate Jack H. Staggs | USA | California |
| Passenger | 2nd Lieutenant Ernestine M. Koranda | USA | Minnesota |
| Passenger | 2nd Lieutenant Rebecca M. Williams | USA | Pennsylvania |
| Passenger | LAC Donald C. Cameron | Australia | Texas, Queensland |
| Passenger | Captain Alexander W.R. Geddes | Australia | Waratah, New South Wales |
| Passenger | Captain Crawford D. Mollison | Australia | South Yarra, Victoria |
| Passenger | Leading Aircraftman Raymond K. Oster | Australia | Maitland, South Australia |
| Passenger | Private Benjamin Rasmussen | Australia | Merrick, Queensland |
| Passenger | Corporal Thomas W. Shard | Australia | Ipswich, Queensland |
| Passenger | Corporal William B. Sleep | Australia | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Passenger | Captain John H. Weir | Australia | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Passenger | Harold (Arnold George) Dick | Australia | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Passenger | Nigel James Bruce MacDonald | Australia | Neutral Bay, New South Wales |
| Passenger | William Bramwell Tibbs | Australia | Sydney, New South Wales |
Burial
[edit]It took more than four years to return Crecelius' body to the United States. He was buried on March 11, 1948 in the family plot of Warnock Cemetery in Princeton, Indiana.
Legacy
[edit]The Lt. William Randall Crecelius Scholarship was established at Oakland City University in 1983.