George Frank “Frankie” Wilson Jr. was born on November 13, 1921, in Ogden, Weber County, Utah. He was the son of George Frank Wilson Sr. and Harriet Retta McIntosh Wilson. He was married to Natalie Irene Bemis Christensen. He served in the 601st Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Pilot of B-17 #42-102445 during World War II.
On July 8, 1944, during a mission targeting bridges and tunnels at Humieres and Fresnoy in France, the aircraft was hit by intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire (flak) over the target area. The damage led to the loss of both the #1 and #2 engines, causing the bomber to crash near Monchy-Cayeux, approximately 8 kilometers northwest of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France. Of the nine crew members, seven were captured and became prisoners of war, one evaded capture, and the pilot, 1st Lt. George F. Wilson Jr., was the sole fatality.
1Lt Wilson was reported Missing in Action, and his remains were identified on November 21, 2024. He is interred in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, Departement du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, and will be buried in Bountiful, Utah, in July 2025. George F. Wilson’s name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 19, in the top right wing (section B).
Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, b17flyingfortress.de, www.398th.org