Lieutenant Griffith P. Williams

Griffith Paul Williams was born on 10 July 1916 in Chicago, Illinois.  His father Christian Bernard Williams  was married to Marguerite A “Maud” Franklin Williams who died at the age of 19 in 1899.  It is unknown to me who is the mother of Griffith Paul Williams as Griff was born in 1919. Griffith had one sister Phyllis Williams Boers born in 1923.

Phyllis Williams

Griffith Paul Williams graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA degree in 1939.

He married Barbara Joan Sunderhauf Williams in 1941. It was his wife's second marriage. The couple had 4 children. 3 daughters an one son.

After bombing Tokyo their plane crashed in the Zheijan province@ about 29°13'57.1"N 121°58'41.5"E near Shenchang beach.

The crew crash landed their bomber on the shoreline of an island in the East China Sea off the Chinese coast. It was a nice and good landing at sea. The crew was able to safely get out of the plane and paddle a raft to the beach of mainland China. They reached Tantou Island by raft and also by swimming. For days they were hunted by Japanese troops who were looking for them. They were in occupied China.

Finally, with the help of local people, they outsmarted the Japanese and were able to flee to the unoccupied part of China. They went to Chaozhou and from there to Chongqing.

Following the raid Griff Williams was assigned to the 12th Air Force in North Africa where he flew combat missions. In July 1943 Lieutenant Griffith P. Williams was shot down near Sicily and became a POW in Germany. Pow from 4 July 1943 till 29 April 1945. He was released as P.O.W. on 30 April 1945.  In picture 3 below his name and service number are/were not correct.

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