499TH BOMB GROUP (VH), 878TH BOMB SQUADRON

AIRCRAFT COMMANDER

AIRCRAFT SERIAL NUMBER

CAPT WILL F LATIMER, JR

42-24664

Tributes to Sgt Sutherland can be found at

Scott Muselin's 499th Bomb Group Virtual Cemetery

Honor States

Pacific Wrecks

The assistance of the following is appreciated

Jim Bowman
Michael Krehl

Ed Lawson
Bob Mann

Scott Muselin
Al Schutte

Roland Swank
Roy Wall

The Sutherland Family

Air Force Historical Research Agency

POW Research Network Japan

Within these pages are a few documents from

Case History 111

Additional information can be
found in its 123 pages
at the above link.

Throughout these pages you will find the abbreviation IDPF
Individual Deceased Personnel File

*********************

Sgt William Walter Sutherland, Jr's parents were
William Walter Sutherland, Sr ( 1890 - 1960 ) and Alberta Hope ( 1902 - 1990).

His father left his family farm in Luling, Texas, in
1918 to work on the railroad.

He married Alberta Hope on 15 January 1919.

Sgt Sutherland was the oldest of their five children.

He was born on 13 December 1919 in
Glidden, Colorado County, Texas.

Between 1920 and 1950 the family lived in:
Glidden, Colorado County, Texas
Luling, Caldwell County, Texas
and Rosenberg , Fort Bend County, Texas.

Below is a map with some of these locations.

*****************

On 16 November 1940 William Walter Sutherland, Jr,
married Delphine Ann Jakubik in Wharton, Texas.

He enlisted in the
US Army Air Force on 3 November 1942.

A detailed list of his stations is in the
Introduction
section.

Also in the Introduction section are a
few photos of Sgt Sutherland in uniform.

****************

He attended several Gunnery Schools prior to being assigned to
the 499th Bomb Group ( Very Heavy )
at Clovis AAF, New Mexico, in December 1943.

He possibly would have joined the
Capt Will Latimer, Jr, crew at this time.

The 499th moved to Smoky Hill AAF, Kansas, on 8 April 1944.

The Latimer crew departed Smoky Hill AAF for Saipan
in late October 1944
and arrived on 14 November 1944.
source : Bob Mann

Their B-29 crashed during the night mission of 13-14 April 1945 to
the Tokyo Arsenal.

Five of the crew survived the crash.

TSgt Vance was captured by a Japanese Navy unit and
transferred to the Omori POW Camp.
He was the only member of the crew to survive the war.

Sgt Sutherland and three other survivors were captured and taken prisoner.

They were taken to the Eastern District Kempei Tai Headquarters
located close to the Imperial Palace.

One of the crew died there and the other three were
transferred to the Tokyo Military Prison.

Sgt Sutherland was one of the 62 POWs
who died during night of 25-26 May 1945.

Additional information is available in the

Case History 111
and
Tokyo Military Prison

Sections.

Sgt Sutherland's Memorial Certificate from the
American Battle Monument Commission
follows the below map.

His name also appears in one of the panels at the

Court of the Missing
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu.

COLORADO COUNTY, TEXAS

source: Google Maps

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AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION
MEMORIAL CERTIFICATE

source: American Battle Monuments Commission

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COURTS OF THE MISSING
NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY OF THE PACIFIC
HONOLULU, HAWAII

source: Sherry Harysch

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