This timeline reconstructs William's World War II service from
his grave marker, the records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Morning Reports held by the National Archives, searched
by service number. Each entry cites its source; items marked
Newly discovered were recovered from the records.
New Yorkport of embarkation · Company G sailed Oct 1943
Castle Cary, SomersetCo. G · from 20 Oct 1943
Liskeard, CornwallDet. B · 1–9 Nov 1943
Wellington, Somerset3rd Platoon · 17 Nov – 14 Dec 1943
Goonhavern, Cornwallredesignated 3627th QM Truck Co · 25 Dec 1943
Bovey Tracey, Devon3627th QM Truck Co · Mar 1944
Milton Abbas, Dorsetthe 3627th · Apr–Jul 1944
St. Pierre-du-Montthe 3627th lands · 4 Aug 1944
Le Mansthe 3627th · Aug 1944
Versaillesthe 3627th · Sep 1944
Rouenthe 3627th · Oct–Dec 1944
Route notes
1 → 2Ordnance school, Aug 1943
2 → 1
1 → 3578 miles round trip, Sep 1943
3 → 1
1 → 4Company G to the port, Oct 1943
4 → 5Company G overseas; at Castle Cary by 20 Oct 1943
5 → 6Det. B, Nov 1943
6 → 73rd Platoon, Nov–Dec 1943
7 → 8Dec 1943
8 → 9by Mar 1944
9 → 10the company, Apr 1944
10 → 11the company crosses by LST, 2–4 Aug 1944
11 → 12Aug 1944
12 → 13Sep 1944
13 → 1431 Oct 1944
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How to read this service timeline
This page brings together records created for different purposes. The labels below tell you what kind of evidence supports each entry; open either guide when a record or military term is unfamiliar.
?
Confirmed — Service record
A personal military record supports the entry.
Confirmed — Unit record
A record created by his unit names him or documents the unit’s activity.
Context
Helpful background, clearly separated from personal evidence.
Newly discovered
Information recovered during this research, rather than supplied at the start.
How to read a Morning Report
Morning Reports were daily administrative records prepared by individual Army and Army Air Forces units. They generally recorded changes—such as arrivals, transfers, promotions, illness, or return to duty—not a complete list of everyone present.
MORNING REPORT · SAMPLE
1Organization Company A, 123rd Infantry
2Station or location Camp Example, Virginia
3Date 14 September 1944
4Section Personnel changes
5Pvt Smith, John A., 35123456 6asgd fr Hq Co per SO 187, Hq 123d Inf
In plain English
Private John A. Smith, identified by Army Serial Number 35123456, was assigned to Company A from Headquarters Company under Special Orders No. 187.
1Organization: the company, hospital, squadron, or other unit filing the report.
2Station or location: where that unit reported from on that date.
3Report date: the date of the report, which may differ from the effective date of a change.
4Section: the part of the form containing personnel changes or the unit’s record of events.
5Soldier entry: usually rank, name, and Army Serial Number.
6Change and authority: what happened and the order authorizing it.
asgd
assigned
atchd
attached
trfd
transferred
fr
from
aptd
appointed
EM
enlisted men
SO
Special Orders
GO
General Orders
orgn
organization
sta
station
Common military and research terms
Army Serial Number (ASN)
The unique service number used to distinguish one soldier from others with similar names.
Discharge or separation paper
The document issued when a service member left active service. For many WWII Army enlisted soldiers, this is WD AGO Form 53-55. It summarizes service but is not a day-by-day history.
Morning Report
An Army unit’s daily administrative report. It usually lists people whose status changed, not every person in the unit.
Unit record
A document created by a military organization. It may name the soldier directly or provide context about his unit; the timeline states which applies.
OMPF or “201 file”
The service member’s Official Military Personnel File. Many Army and Air Force files were damaged or destroyed in the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire.
Unit and final unit
A unit is the organization in which someone served. The final unit is the organization shown at separation; it may not be the only unit in the service history.
Rank or grade
The service member’s level in the military hierarchy. A timeline may show changes in rank over time.
MOS
Military Occupational Specialty—the Army’s classification for a soldier’s primary military job.
Assigned and attached
Assigned means formally placed in a unit. Attached usually means serving with a unit temporarily while belonging administratively elsewhere.
Special Orders and General Orders
Official directives used to authorize personnel actions, awards, organizational changes, and other decisions.
Campaign credit
Official recognition for service connected with a named campaign. It does not, by itself, describe a service member’s individual actions.
Station or location
The place from which a unit filed a report. It does not automatically prove that every member was physically present there.
Source citation
The note beneath a timeline entry identifying the record or records that support it.
Service Timeline
12 min
Confirmed — Record
March 20, 1920
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
William Raymond Lynch was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Daniel Raymond Lynch and Daisy Grace (Thomas) Lynch. His Social Security application confirms the names of both parents.
Source: Social Security application (SS-5), National Archives Numerical Identification Files, Record Group 47; Find A Grave memorial #109150927; his government-issued grave marker
Confirmed — Record
July 1, 1941
Registers for the draft while attending college
At age 21, William registered with Selective Service, the system that recorded men who might be called into military service. He was living with his father, D. R. Lynch, at 800 Young Street in Longview, Texas, and studying business at the University of Texas in Austin. The numbers on this card belong to the draft system; they are not his Army service number.
Fold3 registration card, front: his name, Tulsa birth, Longview address, father, and University of Texas study.Fold3 registration card, reverse: physical description and the July 1, 1941 Local Board No. 1 registration.
Source: Fold3, US WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1940, registration card for William Raymond Lynch, Selective Service Local Board No. 1, Longview, Gregg County, Texas, July 1, 1941, front and reverse
Confirmed — Service record
January 16, 1942
Begins his first period of Army service
A Department of Veterans Affairs record shows that William began his first period of Army service on this date. The index gives the date, but not where he served or what work he did during this period.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiary index (BIRLS), matched to him by name, date of birth and Social Security record
Confirmed — Service record
October 16, 1942
Begins his second period of Army service
His first period of service ended on October 15, 1942, and a second began the next day with no break between them. This second period continued through February 1946. By the next surviving record, in August 1943, he was a Second Lieutenant—the Army's starting rank for a commissioned officer.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiary index (BIRLS), matched to him by name, date of birth and Social Security record
Confirmed — Unit record
August 7, 1943
Serving with an Army truck unit at Camp McCoy
A daily Army report identifies William as a Second Lieutenant in Company G, 467th Quartermaster Truck Regiment. Quartermaster truck units moved troops and supplies. That day, the Army temporarily sent him from Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, to Fort Crook, Nebraska. Newly discovered.
William's entry gives his officer service number and rank, then says he was sent on a temporary assignment to Fort Crook, Nebraska. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.The Medical Detachment's meal record also identifies William by service number and shows that it stopped counting him for meals when he left Camp McCoy. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — Company G and Medical Detachment, 467th QM Truck Regiment — NARA Roll 238 (NAID 444080229), images 00330 and 00523 (Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 7 August 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
August 8, 1943
Attends an Army vehicle school at Fort Crook
The Ordnance Automotive School listed William as a student temporarily attached from Camp McCoy. On August 18, after about ten days at the school, the Army returned him and five other officers to their regular units. Newly discovered.
August 8, 1943: the school lists Second Lieutenant William R. Lynch as a student temporarily attached from Camp McCoy. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.August 18, 1943: the school returns William and five other student officers to their regular units. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — Staff & Faculty and Officers' Course, Ordnance Automotive School — NARA Roll 242, part 20 (NAID 444099670), pages 118 and 12 (Fort Crook, Nebraska, 8 and 18 August 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
August 16–22, 1943
Back at Camp McCoy
Company G recorded William back at Camp McCoy after his temporary assignment at Fort Crook. He took one day of leave on August 21 and returned to duty the following day. Newly discovered.
August 16, 1943: Company G records William's return from temporary assignment to regular duty. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.August 16, 1943: the Medical Detachment again counts William among the officers receiving meals at Camp McCoy. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.August 21, 1943: Company G grants William one day of leave. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.August 21, 1943: the meal record stops counting William while he is on leave. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.August 22, 1943: the meal record counts William again after his return. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.Company G's next report records William's return from leave to regular duty. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — Company G and Medical Detachment, 467th QM Truck Regiment — NARA Roll 238 (NAID 444080229), images 00339, 00533, 00344, 00538, 00539 and 00345 (Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 16–22 August 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
September 17–19, 1943
Helps deliver Army vehicles to Camp Ellis
William was one of two officers who accompanied 60 enlisted soldiers from Camp McCoy to Camp Ellis, Illinois, to deliver Army vehicles. They traveled in a group of military vehicles, called a motor convoy, and returned at 1:00 a.m. on September 19 after a 578-mile round trip. Newly discovered.
September 17, 1943: Company G sends two officers and 60 enlisted soldiers to Camp Ellis, Illinois, on temporary assignment.The accompanying roster identifies William by his officer service number and rank. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.The Medical Detachment's meal record stops counting William while he is away from Camp McCoy. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.September 19, 1943: the two officers and 60 enlisted soldiers return by truck at 1:00 a.m. after traveling 578 miles.The return roster again identifies William by his service number and rank. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.The Medical Detachment records that ten returning officers will again receive meals at Camp McCoy.William appears sixth on the list of ten returning officers. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — Company G and Medical Detachment, 467th QM Truck Regiment — NARA Roll 172 (NAID 449810456), images 02055, 02056, 02259, 02058, 02059, 02262 and 02263 (Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 17–19 September 1943)
Context
October 11–20, 1943
His company sails to England
Company G reported that it was aboard a ship on October 11 and had reached Castle Cary in southwestern England by October 20. These records follow the company as a whole; they do not name William, so they do not prove that he made this particular journey with it.
October 11, 1943: Company G reports that it is aboard a ship. William is not named on this page.October 20, 1943: Company G reports arriving at Castle Cary, England, at 3:15 p.m. William is not named on this page.
Source: Morning Reports — Company G, 467th QM Truck Regiment — NARA Roll 694 (NAID 454727171), images 02635 (11 October 1943) and 02644 (Castle Cary, Somerset, 20 October 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
November 1–9, 1943
Temporary assignment in Liskeard, Cornwall
William was the only officer listed with a temporary group of 19 enlisted soldiers sent from Company G to an Army supply depot in Liskeard, Cornwall. The group arrived at 5:00 p.m. on November 1 and left on the morning of November 9 to rejoin Company G. Newly discovered.
Movement Order 414 sends a temporary group from Castle Cary to Liskeard. William is the first person named on its roster. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.The Liskeard depot records one officer and 19 enlisted soldiers from Company G arriving at 5:00 p.m. on November 1.The depot identifies William as the officer with the group. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.November 9, 1943: the depot records the group leaving at 9:00 a.m. to return to Company G.The departure roster identifies William by name, rank, and service number. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.A nearby ammunition unit lists William among the visiting officers eating meals with it. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.A later meal record again lists William with the visiting officers. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.Another meal record again identifies William by name, rank, and service number. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Movement Order roster, Company G, 467th QM Truck Regiment — NARA Roll 653 (NAID 457149084), image 04306; Morning Reports — Depot O-655, APO 552, and 689th Ordnance Ammunition Company, Liskeard, Cornwall — NARA Roll 674 (NAID 457232767), images 01226, 01227, 01234, 01235, 01357, 01359 and 01364 (1–9 November 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
November 17–19, 1943
Takes the 3rd Platoon to Wellington, England
The Army sent William and 33 enlisted soldiers from Company G to Wellington, Somerset, on a temporary assignment. This smaller part of the company was called the 3rd Platoon. They traveled 34 miles by motor convoy, and William signed the group's first daily report himself. Newly discovered.
William signed the group's first daily report as a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.Movement Order 515 sends the 3rd Platoon from Marston Magna to Wellington for a temporary assignment expected to last about 90 days. William is the only officer listed. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.Company G records one officer and 33 enlisted soldiers on temporary assignment in Wellington beginning November 17.Company G's meal record identifies William as the officer who left for Wellington on November 17. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports and Movement Order roster — Detachment "A", Company G, 467th QM Regiment, APO 511 (Wellington, Somerset, 19 November 1943) and Company G, 467th QM Truck Regiment, APO 578 (Castle Cary, Somerset, 22 and 25 November 1943) — NARA Roll 653 (NAID 457149084), images 04334, 04324, 04323 and 04327
Confirmed — Unit record
November 20 – December 13, 1943
In charge of the platoon's daily reports
For nearly four weeks at Wellington, William signed every daily report filed by the 3rd Platoon. One roster identifies him as Commanding, showing that he was the officer responsible for the group. Most reports say that no personnel had arrived, left, or changed status; that does not mean the platoon was inactive. Newly discovered.
20 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.21 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.22 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.23 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.24 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.25 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.26 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.27 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.28 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.29 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.30 November 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.1 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.2 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.3 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.4 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.5 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.6 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.7 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.8 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.9 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.10 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.11 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.12 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.13 December 1943 The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — Detachment "A" / 3rd Platoon, Company G, 467th QM Regiment, APO 511, Wellington, Somerset — NARA Roll 653 (NAID 457149084), images 04335–04345 (20–30 November 1943), and Roll 721 (NAID 460062420), images 00606–00618 (1–13 December 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
December 14, 1943
Returns with the platoon to Company G
The platoon left Wellington by truck at 9:50 a.m. and rejoined Company G at Castle Cary at 11:30 a.m. The company recorded William and 32 enlisted soldiers returning from the temporary assignment.
December 14, 1943: the 3rd Platoon leaves Wellington by truck at 9:50 a.m. and rejoins Company G at Castle Cary at 11:30 a.m.William signed the platoon's roster as its commanding officer. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.Company G's meal record confirms William's return to the company. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — 3rd Platoon and Company G, 467th QM Truck Regiment, APO 578 — NARA Roll 721 (NAID 460062420), images 00619, 00620 and 00635 (Castle Cary, Somerset, 14 December 1943)
Context
December 15–25, 1943
Company G receives a new name
On December 15, the company moved to a temporary field camp at Goonhavern, Cornwall. Ten days later, the Army renamed Company G of the 467th Quartermaster Truck Regiment as the 3627th Quartermaster Truck Company. This was the same group of people under a new organizational name, not a transfer to a different company.
December 15, 1943: Company G leaves Castle Cary by truck at 7:00 a.m. for Goonhavern, Cornwall.December 24, 1943: the unit's last daily report under the name Company G.December 25, 1943: the same unit files its first report under the new name 3627th Quartermaster Truck Company.
Source: Morning Reports — Company G, 467th QM Truck Regiment, and 3627th QM Truck Company, APO 578 — NARA Roll 721 (NAID 460062420), images 00636, 00645 and 00646 (Goonhavern, Cornwall, 15–25 December 1943)
Confirmed — Unit record
March 8, 1944
Admitted to an Army hospital in Devon
While the 3627th was living in a temporary field camp at Bovey Tracey, William was admitted to the 316th Station Hospital at nearby Newton Abbot. The Army marked the hospitalization as in the line of duty, but the records do not say whether he was ill or injured. Newly discovered.
March 8, 1944: the 3627th records William going from regular duty to the hospital in the line of duty. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.The 316th Station Hospital records three officers arriving for meals and medical treatment.The hospital roster identifies William by name and service number and gives his unit as the 3627th. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company, APO 578 (Bovey Tracey, Devonshire) and Detachment of Patients, 316th Station Hospital, APO 649 (Newton Abbot, Devon) — NARA Roll 679 (NAID 466959511), image 00401, and Roll 669 (NAID 466922346), images 02592 and 02593 (8 March 1944); HQ ETOUSA station list, 30 April 1944 (RG 498), which places the 3627th QM Truck Company at Bovey Tracey on 10 March 1944, https://backtonormandy.org/en/support-troops/quartermaster/support12793.html
Confirmed — Unit record
March 11, 1944
Returns to duty after three days
The hospital released William on March 11, and the 3627th recorded him back on duty the same day. This is the last surviving daily report found so far that names him personally. Newly discovered.
March 11, 1944: the 3627th records William's return from the hospital to regular duty. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.The hospital reports releasing four officers and returning them to duty.William is the first officer on the release list and is returned to duty with the 3627th. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company, APO 578 (Bovey Tracey, Devonshire) and Detachment of Patients, 316th Station Hospital, APO 649 (Newton Abbot, Devon) — NARA Roll 679 (NAID 466959511), image 00404, and Roll 669 (NAID 466922346), images 02605 and 02606 (11 March 1944)
Context
April 13–19, 1944
His company moves to Dorset before the invasion
From this point forward, the surviving records follow the 3627th Quartermaster Truck Company, not William personally. These movements show his company's route but do not prove that he was present. The company left Bovey Tracey on April 13, stopped at Sherborne and Charminster, and reached Milton Abbas on April 19. It remained there through at least mid-June while Army support units practiced loading vehicles and supplies for the invasion of France.
April 13, 1944: the 3627th leaves Bovey Tracey at 2:00 p.m. and travels by motor convoy to Sherborne, Dorset. William is not named on this page.April 19, 1944: the 3627th arrives at Milton Abbas at 11:00 a.m. William is not named on this page.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company — NARA Roll 628 (NAID 469380791), images 03557 (Sherborne, Dorset, 13 April 1944) and 03563 (Milton Abbas, Dorset, 19 April 1944); HQ ETOUSA station lists, 30 April and 7 September 1944 (RG 498), which place the company at Bovey Tracey on 13 April and at Milton Abbas on 12 May and 16 June 1944, https://backtonormandy.org/en/support-troops/quartermaster/support12793.html; William F. Ross and Charles F. Romanus, The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War Against Germany (Center of Military History, 1965), p. 355 and note 125, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-D114-PURL-gpo77874/pdf/GOVPUB-D114-PURL-gpo77874.pdf
Context
August 2–4, 1944
His company lands in Normandy
The 3627th moved to a staging camp near Dorchester on July 30. Early on August 2, it drove to the port and boarded an LST, a large landing ship built to carry vehicles and troops. The company landed in Normandy early on August 4 and reached St. Pierre-du-Mont that afternoon. This is a company movement; the report does not name William.
July 30, 1944: the 3627th leaves Milton Abbas at 3:00 p.m. for a staging camp near Dorchester. William is not named on this page.August 2, 1944: the 3627th boards a landing ship at 10:00 a.m. William is not named on this page.August 4, 1944: the 3627th leaves the ship at 2:30 a.m. and reaches St. Pierre-du-Mont at 1:00 p.m. William is not named on this page.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company — NARA Roll 484 (NAID 480431468), image 02429 (Dorchester, Dorset, 30 July 1944), and Roll 626 (NAID 566996554), images 03299 (2 August 1944) and 03301 (St. Pierre-du-Mont, France, 4 August 1944)
Context
August 14–31, 1944
His company moves east across France
During August, the 3627th followed the advancing armies eastward across France. It moved from the Normandy coast to temporary field camps near Romagne, Le Mans, Villaines, and finally Mamers. These are company locations; the reports do not name William.
August 15, 1944: the 3627th reaches Romagne at 5:00 p.m. and sets up a temporary field camp. William is not named on this page.August 18, 1944: the 3627th leaves Romagne at 1:00 p.m. and reaches Le Mans at 8:00 p.m. William is not named on this page.August 31, 1944: the 3627th moves its temporary field camp from Villaines to Mamers. William is not named on this page.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company — NARA Roll 626 (NAID 566996554), images 03312, 03315 and 03328 (France, 15–31 August 1944)
Context
September 1944
His company reaches the area west of Paris
On September 11, the 3627th drove from Mamers to a temporary field camp 12 miles west of Versailles. By September 23, its reports placed it farther west near La Queue. These are company locations; the reports do not name William.
September 11, 1944: the 3627th leaves Mamers at 9:00 a.m. and reaches the Versailles area at 4:30 p.m. William is not named on this page.September 23, 1944: the 3627th reports from a field camp 18 miles west of La Queue. William is not named on this page.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company — NARA Roll 530 (NAID 569521671), images 02541 (12 Mi W of Versailles, 11 September 1944) and 02553 (18 Mi W of La Queue, 23 September 1944)
Context
October 31 – December 31, 1944
His company settles near Rouen
On October 31, the 3627th drove 70 miles to St. Étienne-du-Rouvray, on the southern edge of Rouen, and set up a temporary field camp. The company was still reporting from there on December 31, 1944. The reports do not name William.
October 31, 1944: the 3627th travels 70 miles from La Queue to St. Étienne-du-Rouvray, arriving at 6:00 p.m. William is not named on this page.December 31, 1944: the 3627th is still living in a temporary field camp at St. Étienne-du-Rouvray. William is not named on this page.
Source: Morning Reports — 3627th QM Truck Company — NARA Roll 682 (NAID 573469422), image 00401 (31 October 1944), and Roll 702 (NAID 579561443), image 00566 (31 December 1944), St. Etienne du Rouvray, France
Context
1944 – 1945
Campaigns officially credited to his company
The Army officially credited the 3627th Quartermaster Truck Company with supporting three major campaigns: Northern France, Rhineland, and Ardennes-Alsace. These honors belong to the company as a whole; by themselves, they do not prove which campaigns William personally took part in. The company did not receive Normandy campaign credit because it landed after that campaign's official closing date.
Source: Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1, Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register (1961), p. 45, entry for the 3627th Quartermaster Truck Company (campaign codes 25, 32 and 34), official U.S. Army Human Resources Command copy, https://www.hrc.army.mil/wcmt-api/sites/default/wcmtfiles/files/16302_0.pdf
Confirmed — Service record
February 22, 1946
Released from active service
A Department of Veterans Affairs record shows that William's active Army service ended on this date, a little more than four years after his first period of service began.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiary index (BIRLS), matched to him by name, date of birth and Social Security record
Confirmed — Record
1942 – 1946
Later records identify him as a captain
Every wartime report found through March 1944 identifies William as a Second Lieutenant. His government-issued grave marker records his later rank as Captain, U.S. Army, two officer ranks higher. No promotion orders have been found, so the dates of those promotions remain unknown.
Source: Government-issued grave marker, Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas (photographed on Find A Grave memorial #109150927)
Confirmed — Record
April 12, 1991
William Raymond Lynch dies in Dallas, Texas
William died in Dallas at age 71. He was buried in the Garden of the Gospel section of Restland Memorial Park. His wife, Mary Jeannette Carruthers Lynch (1924–1995), is buried in the same section. His bronze military grave marker also bears the Masonic square and compasses.
His grave marker at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas. Photograph contributed to Find A Grave by Helperkw.
