William Maloney
| Date and Place of Birth: | May 25, 1921 Hartford, CT |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 7, 1944 Normandy, France |
| Baseball Experience: | Amateur |
| Position: | Unknown |
| Rank: | Corporal |
| Military Unit: | B Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
William F. Maloney was born in Hartford, Connecticut on May 25, 1921. He
entered military service on December 14, 1942 and served with the 508th
Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division.
In March 1944, as part of the invasion build-up, the 508th PIR was
posted overseas. They were based in Nottingham, England, where Maloney
had the chance to play baseball before going into combat. On Sunday, May
28, 1944, an enthusiastic crowd of 7,000 fans gathered at Meadow Lane
soccer ground to see the 508th Red Devils play an exhibition game
against the locally based 505th PIR Panthers. The Red Devils were far
superior to the Panthers, winning 18-0.
Eight days later, as night fell on June 5, Maloney and the men of the
508th - faces blackened and hearts racing - boarded transport planes for
the flight across the English Channel. That night over France, 24,000
Allied paratroopers ascended through the darkness into chaos and
confusion. Corporal Maloney was killed in action the following day. He
is buried at the American Military Cemetery in Normandy, France, but
also has a marker at Soldier's Field, Northwood Cemetery in Hartford.
Willaim Maloney's marker in Northwood Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut
Thanks to Dave Berry at www.pathfinderhistoricalconsultants.com for help with this biography. Thanks also to William Maloney's nephew, Keith Claffey for supplying the correct date of birth and the photo of his uncle's marker at Soldier Field.
Date Added February 7, 2013 Updated July 29, 2013
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