William Wallace White was born on 3 May 1914 in Knoxville, Tennessee to William Hampton White and Eliza Adeline Lakin.
Died non Battle on 23 June 1943
Buried at Knoxville National Cemetery, B, 6764
Private
Field Artillery
Pvt White was returned from Oran, Algeria
The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 8 August 1943
Mr. and Mrs. W.H. White, 1013 Tulip Avenue, have seen three sons off to the Army. One, Pvt. Alex White, a Ranger, was taken prisoner by the Germans in North Africa. Now word has come that another, Pvt. William (Woggie) White died May 23, possibly of injuries suffered in the African invasion. The third, Pvt. Charles O. (Shag) White, is home on furlough from Camp Rucker, Ala., and the parents wonder if he’ll be sent to a battle area, too. Pvt. William White’s last letter to the family was written May 23, the day he died, according to the War Department telegram received July 26.
The fact that words were omitted from several sentences in the letter indicates that the soldier may have already been injured or stricken at the time he wrote, but the spirit with which he wrote betrayed no premonition of death. On the contrary, it was one of the most cheerful letters he had written. “I’m still o.,. and in good health,” he wrote. “I am now allowed to tell you that we were in on big invasion, and that was something to see.”
The soldier, 29 years old, was well known here as an amateur softball player. He was employed at the TVA pumphouse at Jefferson City before joining the Army 19 months ago. Pvt. Alex White, 24, the German prisoner, was a Stair School football star in 1937, 1938 and 1939, and was also well known in softball circles. It was March 27 that the parents learned he had been missing in action since Feb. 17, and not until July 14 that they learned he was still alive and interned at Dulag, Germany. Originally, Alex joined the paratroopers. A leg injury suffered in the first jump caused him to transfer to the Rangers. In all he has been in the Army three years.
The soldiers are brothers of Sheeney White, whose exploits on 1924 and ’25 are still remembered in Knoxville High School football history. There are two other brothers, R.L. and Paul Con White.
The Knoxville Journal, 23 June 1948
Pvt. William Wallace (Woggie) White, 28, of 1013 Tulip Street, was killed in action June 23, 1943 in North Africa. He had attended Rule Junior High School and had worked for TVA at Cherokee Dam. Survivors; parents, Mr. and Mrs. William H. White; brothers, Robert L., Eugene R., Charles O., Paul C. and Alex White; sisters, Mrs. Idella Warwick, Miss Irene White, Mrs. Helen Graves, all of Knoxville.
- Rank: Private
- Date of birth: 3 May 1914
- Date of death: 23 June 1943
- County: Knox
- Hometown: Knoxville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: Field Artillery
- Theater: North Africa
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: Knoxville National Cemetery, Knoxville, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor William W. White
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