Lieutenant William N. Fitzhugh

Lieutnant William Neal Fitzhugh was one of the 13 in Texas born Doolittle Raiders.

He was the son of John Golden Fitzhugh and Mary Ella Fitzhugh, born Meredith. He was born on 18 February 1915 at Temple, Texas.

William N. Fitzhugh's father

William N. Fitzhugh attended the Ball High School in Galveston, Texas. Later in 1938 graduated from University of Texas with Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Ball highschool during the years William N. Fitzhugh attended the school.

William Neal Fitzhugh married Dorothea Louise "Dot" Pursley in August 1944. They met each other at Brookley Field, Mobile. The couple had 3 sons. 

Dorothea Louise "Dot" Pursley

The family lived in Mobile, later they moved to Galveston, Texas but returned to Mobile, Texas.

Wiiliam and Dot named their second son Dean, after Dean Hallmark, one of the three by the Japanese executed Doolitte raiders. Their youngest son was born in 1961, he became an Episcopal priest.

During world war 2, Brookley became Mobile's largest employer, with about 17,000 skilled civilians capable of performing delicate work with fragile instruments and machinery. In 1944, the Army decided to take advantage of Brookley's large, skilled workforce for its top-secret "Ivory Soap" project to hasten victory in the Pacific. 

As the other Doolittle raiders  Lieutnant William Neal Fitzhughwas selected for the Doolittle raid in February 1942.

During the Doolittle raid plane 2/Crew 02 followed Doolittl'e's plane 1/Crew 01 over Japan to the coast of China but in the dark plane 2 lost plane 1 while flying. Left motor started to sputter above China and the crew did not bail out but Travis Hoover was able to land his plane (on wheel landing) in a paddy rice field near Ningbo @ about 29°44'04.3"N 121°50'33.5"E

Province :  Zhejian province - China

No injuries. Landed in occupied China but stayed out of Japanese hands.

Rainy, cloudy and misty weather during the first night.

Crew took several usefull things out of the plane with them. Putted the plane fire and walked away from it.

Crew 2 was guided into free China as after walking for 3 days they were found by Chinese resisitance.

Arrived in Chongqing, China on 14 may 1942.

After he left the army he adjusted insurance claims

William Neal Fitzhugh died on 31 August 1981 in a local hospital in Mobile. His wife Dorothea "Dot" was born in 1923, she died on 26 May 2012, later remarried.

Lieutnant William Neal Fitzhugh was inducted in the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame on 9 November 2001.

Group of members of the Doolittle Raiders to leave China after the Doolittle raid. (top, left to right) unknown Chinese, Edward J. Saylor of Crew 15, Eldred V. Scott of Crew 9, unknown, Richard E. Miller of Crew 2, unknown (probably Adam R. Williams of Crew 13), Thomas C. Griffin of Crew 9, unknown Chinese, Everett W. Holstrom of Crew 4, Douglas V. Radney of Crew 2, Carl Wildner of Crew 2, unknown (probably Clayton J. Campbell of Crew 13), Griffith P. Williams of Crew 15 and unknown Chinese (below, left to right) unknown Chinese, unknown, Travis Hoover of Crew 2, Harold F. Watson of Crew 9, David M. Jones of Crew 5, James Parker of Crew 9, William Fitzhugh of Crew 2, Howard Sessler of Crew 15, and unknown.