Winona in Montgomery County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Ensign William Devotie Billingsley
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 2015
1. Ensign William Devotie Billingsley Marker
A graduate of Winona High School and the United States Naval Academy Class of 1909, Ensign Billingsley was one of the "Bird Men" the pioneers of naval aviation, the pioneers of the test pilot generation, and the grandfathers of the astronauts. He was the first U.S. naval and military aviator to die in the line of duty when he perished in an aircraft accident over the Chesapeake Bay on June 20, 1913. Ensign Billingsley is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Winona.
Erected 2011 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Disasters • Military. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 20, 1913.
Location. 33° 29.241′ N, 89° 44.741′ W. Marker is in Winona, Mississippi, in Montgomery County. It is at the intersection of Mission Road and Middleton Road (Mississippi Highway 182), on the right when traveling north on Mission Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 701 Middleton Road, Winona MS 38967, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Mississippi. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Mississippi Delta. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Winona Confederate Monument (approx. 0.3 miles away); Roebuck "Pops" Staples
this page online
Also see . . . William Devotie Billingsley. Early Aviators website entry (Submitted on October 24, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
via Early Aviators, unknown
2. Midshipman William Devotie Billingsley
First Naval aviator to die in line of duty
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 1951
3. Grave site of Ensign Billingsley
Located in the Oakwood Cemetery, on Summit Street, in Winona 0.3 miles south of marker.
Public Domain, 1913
4. Ensign William Devotie Billingsley (Far right, standing)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 2015
5. View of marker looking south on Mission Road.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 2015
6. View of marker looking east on MS-182
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 2015
7. The view west on Middleton Road.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 679 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 24, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 2. submitted on August 25, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on October 24, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
