William Davis

Birthplace: Scott City, KS

Branch of Service: Army

Unit: 462 Army Air Force Base Unit

Theater of Operation: European

Enlisted / Commissioned: Jun 10, 1942

Discharged: Jun 28, 1946

Highest Rank: First Lieutenant

Honored By: Wife, Maxine Davis

William Davis entered service on June 10, 1942. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corp; assigned to the Air Corps TDY to England as part of Electronic Training Group No. 13. Assigned to the American Embassy, London, England attached to the Royal Air Force. Duties included sector or area controller, filter officer, CGI controller, etc. He attended several Royal Air Force school, both technical and tactical. Bill was awarded European Theater Service Ribbon with battle star for the air offensive in Europe. Promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned to 3rd Air Force Headquarters in Tampa, Florida, from 1943-1944 as Senior GCI controller for 3rd Air Force. Planned and conducted operational training program for aircraft control and warning squadrons and signal battalions and night fighter and day fighter aircraft organizations. Assigned to the 4th Air Force, Fresno, California, and had the same general duties. He retired June 8, 1946 with the rank of Captain. During the war, the Queen Mary luxury liner was used as a troop transportation ship and Bill was one of many that went to Europe on the Queen Mary. Bill completed an electrical degree from Kansas State University and worked for many years at Wilson and Company Engineers and Architects in Salina, Kansas. He was selected to be the branch manager for Wilson and Company in Bellevue, Nebraska. He retired from there after losing his sight due to diabetes. Bill then volunteered with planning of Schilling Institute which is now known as K-State Salina. He was to become an instructor, but died before the school opened.