Wilbert Abshire, the second child in the marriage of Jeneus Abshire and Alecia Simon, was born on May 23, 1920, and died in the prime of his life on May 27, 1944. He was an average student in school and graduated from Indian Bayou High School in 1938. He was active in school sports and was a good athlete. He was quiet, friendly, and easy going, yet very competitive. As he became a teenager, he enjoyed partying and was fairly popular with the girls. He liked his beer, and relatives said he took after his grandfather Simon in this regard.
Several incidents that occurred during Wilbert’s growing years are worthy of mention. While assisting his little friends build a fort using old corn stalks, he was stung by a poisonous spider. He was sick for several weeks, even though he was treated by the best “traiteur” in the area.
One dark night Wilbert and [his brother] Allison were returning from their Grandpa Simon’s store. They were both scared and were each carrying a stick for protection. As they passed by some bushes near their uncle’s house, a white ghost-like figure jumped out of the bushes. Wilbert threw his stick and hit the “ghost” in the head. It turned out to be their Uncle Maurice under a white sheet. He never tried to scare them after that.
A few years later, Wilbert was hit I the face by a baseball bat that slipped out of the hands of a batter while the batter was swinging at a pitched ball. He was knocked unconscious and bled profusely, but he soon recovered.
In another incident, Wilbert came close to drowning. He, Allison, and a couple of young friend were on their way home after delivering the “Grit” newspaper in the countryside. It had been raining and water was rising in all drainage ditches. When they arrived at a canal draining into the Bayou Queue de Tortue, the water was high and the current was swift. Not wanting to walk upstream a half mile or so where the water would not be so deep, Wilbert decided to attempt swimming across the approximately twenty-foot width of the canal. When he got half-way across, the current was so strong that it started pushing him into the bayou. Luckily, he was able to grab the branch of a Willow tree growing in the ditch on the opposite side and pull him to safety.
After finishing high school, Wilbert enrolled in Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now the University of Southwestern Louisiana. After a few months he became discouraged due to lack of sufficient work and student aid to meet his college expenses, and he dropped out. He returned home to help on the family farm where he was considered a good worker.
On January 5, 1940, Wilbert enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was a federal program which provided training and temporary employment for young men from poor families who could not afford the cost of training nor find employment due to the lingering national depression. The program was usually referred to as the “C C Camps,” and the participants lived in army type barracks or camps. Members performed conservation type work such as planting trees.
On the day of his enlistments at the camps in Abbeville, records show that Wilbert was 19 years of age, had brown hair and eyes, Fair Complexion, Five feet nine inches in height, and his previous work experience was listed as farm laborer.
After orientation at the Abbeville camp, he was transferred to the camp in Farmerville, Louisiana, for training as a radio operator. This training consisted of learning to type and to send and receive the Morse Code. Upon completion of this training he was sent to the camp in Leesville, Louisiana, as the radio operator. After two months there, he was able to get transferred back to the Abbeville camp where he operated the camp canteen and was the pitcher on the camp’s softball team. He was honorably discharged from the Civilian Conservation Corps on June 14, 1942, and returned home to help harvest the farm crops for that year.
World War II had started and young men were enlisted or being drafted for military services. Wilbert tried to enlist in the Army Air Force, but he was underweight. He was told to get plenty of rest, eat well, drink plenty of milk and try again in a few weeks. This he did and was able to pass the physical examination.
Wilbert and his cousin Loveless Simon joined the Army Air Force together in early 1943. They reported to the U.S Army Air Force Field in Lake Charles, Louisiana, for basic training. After completion of basic training, Wilbert was sent to Keesler Field near Biloxi, Mississippi, for further training.
Wilbert Abshire and cousin L.J. Simon pictured at Horsham St Faith April 1944. Loveless Simon eventually was assigned to the 458th as an aerial gunner on the Lt John Floyd crew and even flew a mission on "Briney Marlin", the Liberator on which Abshire took his final flight. (Photo: Eve Abshire Doucet)
At Keesler he received training in the service and maintenance of B-24 Liberator bombers. One weekend while at Keesler he attempted to come home. This was a distance further from base than he was permitted to travel. He was stopped by the military police and returned to his base. This infraction of a military rule cased him to lose the one stripe he had earned upon completion of basic training.
After completing the training at Keesler in July 1943, Wilbert was sent to the Laredo Army Air Field Flexible Gunnery School near Laredo, Texas. He was stationed at this school through September 1943. Upon completion of this training he made Sergeant. He next completed two short-term training assignments at Gowen Army Air Filed in Boise, Idaho, for special flight training and ground school for assistant engineers.
Upon completion of these two assignments in November 1943, he was given several days leave, and went to San Francisco to enjoy the city. While there he visited Claire, Milton’s wife, and Susan, their baby daughter. He was Susan’s Godfather. At Claire’s urging, he had his picture taken in military uniform.
Upon completing his furlough, Wilbert reported to the Army Air Force Bombing and Gunnery Range near Tonopah, Nevada. He became a crew member of a B-24 Liberator bomber assigned to the 755th Squadron, 458th Group, and 96th Wing of the 8th U.S Air Force. At this bombing and gunnery range in Nevada, he received intensive practical training through January 1944.
Their training completed in the United States, the members of the 458th Bomb Group, prepared for departure to England for combat duty. The ground echelon traveled by rail and then by ship. The aircrews flew to Hamilton Field, California, to pick up new B-24s. They flew their “Liberators” to England via Brazil and West Africa, joining the group’s support elements at what was to become their home base on February 18, 1944.
Their new base of operation was Army Air Force Station 123, Horsham St. Faith, Norfolk County, England. Additional personnel training and aircraft modifications began immediately as the group prepared for its coming aerial battles. The Allied invasion of Europe was fast approaching, and Germany and the occupied countries of Europe were being bombed night and day. The Americans were making day-time raids which were particularly dangerous.
On March 6, 1944, the 458th Group took part in the first bombing mission the 8th Air Force completed on Berlin. This was Wilbert’s first combat mission. In addition to this mission on March 6, his individual flight record shows that he participated in bombing missions on the following dates: March 8, 15, 23, 24, 27, and 28; April 5, 8, 10, 13, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29; and May 1,7 8, 19, 21, 23, 24, and 25.
From March 6 through May 25, a few days more than two and one-half months, Wilbert completed 25 bombing missions. During this period of time he also spent a week on furlough in London, was promoted to Staff Sergeant, and observed his 24th Birthday.
On May 27, 1944, Wilbert set out on his 26th bombing mission heading for Neunkirchen, Germany. As the planes were getting into their assigned positions in their flight formation, another plane collided with the plane Wilbert was in, and it appeared his plane would go down. The order to bail out was given, and two parachutes left the plane immediately. It was Wilbert and another crew member [S/Sgt Chester R. Carlstrum from Crew 74]. A few seconds later, their plane was brought under control, and the order to stop bailing out was given, thus preventing others from leaving the plane.
The damaged plane returned to its base and made a successful landing without further injury to the crew members. The other plane involved in the collision received minor damage and continued on the mission. [This other plane, piloted by 2Lt Howard Lobo, was actually lost with all ten crewmembers]. The tragedy occurred at 9:42 a.m. on May 27, 1944, over English Channel five miles north of Cromer, England.
S/Sgt Wilbert Abshire MIA Telegram
War Department Letter - Finding Of Death (FOD)
(Courtesy: Eve Abshire Doucet)
Wilbert was classified as Missing In Action for a year and then declared dead. He was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart Medal posthumously. His untimely death was a shock to his family, friends, and his sweetheart. His parents grieved over his death for the rest of their lives.
The base Wilbert was flying from was near Norwich, England. In 1963 a Memorial Room was dedicated in the Central Library there in memory of the American stationed in the area who lost their lives during the war. A Book of Remembrance containing the names of the deceased servicemen is kept in the library. In 1965 Wilbert’s brother Allison and two of Allison’s children, Gail and Alan, visited the library and found Wilbert’s name in the book.
At the American Military Cemetery in Cambridge, England, is the Wall of the Missing containing the names of over 5,000 service men declared as Missing In Action during World War II. Gail visited this cemetery in 1993 and saw her Uncle Wilbert’s name in this wall.
From the Abshire Family history (Section XI) -- Eve Abshire Doucet
