US Army Air Corps Flight Officer Alfred Pearson Wilson Jr. was born in Loyall, Kentucky on December 7, 1922, the son of Alfred Pearson Wilson Sr. (1899-1972) and Laura Seale (1902-1971). His father was a career fireman on a railroad working for the most part in Loyall, KY. Their son, Alfred Jr. finished high school c1940 then enrolled in the East Kentucky State Teacher's College in Richmond, KY.
Then came WWII and young Alfred enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in November 1942 before entering pilot training in June 1943. He attended flight schools in Jackson, Mississippi and Montgomery, Alabama before completing the advanced school in Columbus, Mississippi. He was a member of the 22nd Class of aviation cadets to receive their silver wings in February 1944. Along the way, he married Nell Elizabeth Oakley on November 13, 1943 in Montgomery, Alabama while he was in training there. She was the daughter of John Walter Oakley (1897-1966) and Vella Martin (1896-1981) and was born in Paris, Bourbon, KY on 5-26-1923. Her father was retired from the L&N Railroad as a master mechanic where he was employed as early as 1918. Oddly enough, Alfred's father was also a career employee of the L&N railroad company in Kentucky.
But for whatever reason Alfred Jr. and Nell took up residence in Pensacola at 1300 East Jackson Street before moving to 750 North 11th Avenue. Upon completion of his advance training, he was assigned as a bombardier to the 748 Bombardment Squadron of the 457th Bomb Group that was stationed at the Gratton Airfield in the parish of Connington, England. The squadron was flying B-17 bombers on missions against German aircraft bases, factories, and assembly plants. As the invasion of Normandy approached on June 6, 1944, the squadron's missions was shifted to coastal defenses along the Cherbourg peninsula. Their targets were then expanded to enemy airfields, railroads, highways, and train depots behind enemy lines.
In September 1944, the Allied forces began operations into the Netherlands that would become known at Operation Market Garden. Alfred and his squadron provided valuable service to the troops on the ground by eliminating targets of opportunity aligned against them. Then on September 28, Alfred embarked on a bombing mission against Magdeburg, Germany. Their mission was to bomb the steel works and aircraft engine plant and any other target of opportunity that was available. Unfortunately, enemy fighters arrived and shot them down near Hornburg, south of Brunswick, Germany. Only one crewman survived, Dick Houten who was able to get out and parachute to safety. However, he was captured and made a prisoner of war.
After the war, a military headstone was sent to Harlan, Kentucky for transport to the Resthaven Cemetery in Emerling therefore it is assumed his body was recovered. As for Nell, it is unknown what became of her after the war.
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