Bill Foxley was just 20 years old when he made a decision that would change his life forever.
In March 1944, during World War II, the young British airman was traveling in a Wellington bomber that crashed shortly after taking off from a base in England. He managed to escape, but when he learned that a crewmate was still trapped, he decided to return to the burning aircraft to try to rescue him.
His crewmate did not survive, and Bill suffered severe burns to his face and hands. He lost the sight in his right eye and sustained significant damage to his left. During his recovery, surgeon Archibald McIndoe and his team performed numerous reconstructive operations on him.
Years later, Foxley recounted that some people avoided sitting next to him on the train because of his scars. His response, delivered with humor, was: “It’s all right, I’m not going to bite you”.
Far from isolating himself, he rebuilt his life, returned to work, and devoted some of his efforts to supporting others who had suffered severe burns.
Bill died in December 2010, at the age of 87, leaving behind a story of courage that began when he decided to go back for a crewmate, even knowing that his own life was in danger. ❤️