William Nunn was born in July 1922 in Willowbrook California, one of four children of Frederick and Audrey Nunn. He graduated from Compton College and on May 27, 1944 married Enid Weis, a graduate of Torrance High School whose family lived in Torrance. He enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Air Corps in February 1943 and served for nine months in the U.S. Army Air Forces after receiving his wings at the Marfa Army Air Field in Texas in December 1943. 

2nd Lt. Nunn left for overseas duty on June 15, 1944, less than a month after he was married.  He was the pilot of a B-24 “Liberator” bomber, 705th Bombardment Squadron, 446th Bombardment Group (Heavy), known as the “Bungay Buckaroos,” where they were stationed in eastern England to bomb enemy targets in occupied France, the Lowlands and Germany. On August 26, 1944, he was the lead pilot of B-24H tail number 42-95626 that attacked a German chemical plant in Ludwigshafen. 

Between 0915-0930 on the return over Woensdrecht, Holland, the plane reportedly took a direct hit in the bomb bay from heavy enemy flak. Nunn placed his hand on one of his crew’s shoulders and told him to hurry just as the crewman bailed out of the plane. 2nd Lt. Nunn was the last one who was prepared to jump but was killed by a shell hit, went down with the plane, and perished along with two other crew members. However, at least six of the ten crewmates were able to bail out, with five captured as POWs and one killed when his parachute failed to open.  

2nd Lt. William Nunn was initially reported as missing and his wife and friends held out hope, but shortly thereafter they were advised that he was killed in action. His remains were buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, Netherlands.