William Billingsley

William Devotie Billingsley
William Devotie Billingsley (24 April 1887  20 June 1913) was an early aviator in the United States Navy.
Born(1887-04-24)April 24, 1887
Winona, Mississippi
DiedJune 20, 1913(1913-06-20) (aged 26)
Chesapeake Bay
Place of burial
United States Naval Academy Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1905–1913
RankEnsign

Biography

Born in Winona, Mississippi, William Billingsley graduated from the Naval Academy in 1909. On December 2, 1912, he reported for duty at the Aviation Camp, Annapolis, Maryland, and was assigned to the Navy-Wright B-2 for instruction.

Billingsley, designated as Naval Aviator No. 9, was the first naval aviator killed in an airplane crash. On June 20, 1913, while piloting the B-2 at 1,600 feet over water near Annapolis, Maryland, he was thrown from the plane and fell to his death. Admiral John Henry Towers, also unseated in the turbulence, was nearly killed in the same accident as he clung to the plane and fell with it into the water.

Namesake

The Clemson-class destroyer USS Billingsley (DD-293) was named in his honor.

See also

Attribution

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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