Edward Forrest Latham

Military

Edward Latham enlisted in the Air Corps in October 1942 and followed aerial gunnery training. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 94th Bomb Group / 332nd Bomb Squadron in England as a Right Waist gunner. On his sixth mission, the 4 March 1944 one to Berlin, he had to bail out of B-17 # 42-39801 and landed in Belgium. Helped by Belgian patriots and members of the COMET evasion network, he was lodged in many different places in Belgium and finally ended up in a secret camp in the Belgian Ardennes, together with tens of other Allied airmen. A page with details about Ed Latham’s evasion is at http://www.evasioncomete.org/flathamef.html - His (short) Escape & Evasion Report is available on-line at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5556534

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33353745
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Alabama, United States 30 May 1922

Enlisted

Craig Field, Selma, Alabama, United States 31 October 1942 as a Private in the Air Corps

Other

Bailed out

4 March 1944 of B-17 # 42-39801 over Belgium

Other

Landed in parachute

near Menin, Belgium 4 March 1944

Other

Evaded capture

Villance, Belgium 4 March 1944 - 7 September 1944 Evaded capture with the help of Belgian patriots. Led through Belgium, hiding in many safe houses before reaching a secret camp in the Belgian Ardennes. Liberated 7 September 1944 by US troops near Villance, Belgium.

Died

Selma, Alabama, United States 9 January 1997
Lawley, Bibb County, Alabama, United States

Buried

Pineview Memory Gardens, Selma, Alabama, United States

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 2978
NARA WWII Enlistment records
Escape & Evasion report E&E 1904

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2978 / MACR 2978, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database