William B. Ault
| William Bowen Ault | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 6, 1898 |
| Died | May 8, 1942 (aged 43) Battle of the Coral Sea |
| Buried | Lost at sea |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1917 – 1942 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Service number | 0-057445 |
| Commands held | Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Kansas City, Kansas Carrier Lexington Air Group (CLAG) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross |
William Bowen Ault (6 October 1898 – 8 May 1942 in Enterprise, Oregon) was a commander in the United States Navy during World War II and a posthumous recipient of the Navy Cross.
Ault served briefly as an enlisted man in the Navy (19 April 1917 – 23 April 1918) before entering the Naval Academy as a midshipman. Graduating on 2 June 1922, Ault served at sea on the battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33) before reporting to the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, on 23 August 1924 for flight instruction.
After earning his wings, Ault served with Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet, before commencing a tour in the aviation unit of the light cruiser USS Cincinnati (CL-6) on 10 September 1925. Detached from that ship just over a year later, he served at the Naval Academy as an instructor before reporting for duty with Observation Squadron (VO) 3, Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet, on 15 June 1927.
Further duty at the Naval Academy, as an instructor in the Department of Ordnance and Gunnery, followed before he flew with Patrol Squadron (VP) 10-S, Scouting Fleet, based in aircraft tender USS Wright (AV-1). He then served on the staff of Capt. George W. Steele, Commander, Aircraft, Scouting Force, from June 1931 to June 1932 and alternated tours of duty afloat and ashore: in Torpedo Squadron (VT) 1-S, based on board USS Lexington (CV-2); at NAS Norfolk, Virginia; and in the observation unit of the battleship USS Mississippi (BB-41).
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