John Lynn Ellis
Military
Pilot
94th Bomb Group
Object Number - UPL 55127 - 1LT John Lynn Ellis Pilot 94th Bomb Group
Assigned to 332BS, 94BG, 8AF USAAF. 35 x combat missions. Damaged by flak and ditched in channel on 31-Jul-44; A/C was B-17 42-38007 'Hello Mr Maier'. BG records indicate picked up. RTD
Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hello Mr Maier
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Rougham
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Burns, Wyoming | 6 November 1922 | Son of Lawrence Neale and Ogal Nina [Hunnicutt] Ellis. |
| Chicago, Illinois | 30 June 1942 | 2744 Winnomac | |
|
Enlisted |
Chicago, IL | 29 August 1942 | Chicago, Illinois |
|
Other Overseas Combat Tour |
Rougham (Bury St. Edmunds) Airfield, UK | 1 April 1944 - 1 November 1944 | |
|
Died |
Pullman, Washington | 11 April 2014 | ELLIS, John L. 1922 - 2014 Born to L. Neale and Ogal Ellis on November 6, 1922 in Burns, Wyoming, John L. Ellis, a resident of Colfax, WA since 1952, passed away on Friday, April 11, 2014 at the Pullman Regional Hospital, at the age of 91. A memorial service will be held for John on Thursday, April 17th, at The Courtyard in Colfax, 300 S. Main, at 2:00 p.m. His burial will take place at the Colfax Cemetery, with military rights, prior to the memorial service. John migrated from Wyoming to Iowa, then to Chicago, Illinois where he graduated from Kelvin High in 1940. His father, who had an idea that war was pending, sent John to Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri. There he became interested in flying, and soon earned his private pilot's license. In the spring of 1942, when indeed America was at war, he signed up with the Army Air Corps and after basic training, spent nine months in Cadet School. John was married to Lorna Hinz from Anamosa, Iowa on December 19, 1942 in Kahoka, Missouri, graduating from Kemper in December of 1943. Based out of Rougham Air Field England, 21 year old Lt. John Ellis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for "extraordinary achievement", along with five other medals, while completing his thirty-five missions as a B-17 pilot during WWII. Proudly, his North Sea story has found its way into the Air Force National Archives and is a centerpiece of a museum in East Anglia, England. In 1944, he returned on a ship to rejoin his wife and daughter in Anamosa, Iowa. The family moved to Colfax in 1952, where John owned and operated a concrete plant for twenty years and raised one daughter, and two sons. During this span of time, John served on the Colfax City Council, and was appointed the position of City Police Commissioner. Following the sale of his business, he worked at several different jobs, including a men's clothing store on Main Street, Zimmer Motors in Moscow, ID, and then his final retirement in 1989, from the Washington State Highway Dept. John took advantage of this newfound freedom to more fully enjoy some of his favorite activities such as fishing, golfing, fishing, horseback riding, fishing, and traveling with Lorna. He also spent much quality time with family and friends. His hard-working ethic and honesty, his genuineness, and hi unforgettable sense of humor, will continue to live in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. |
|
Buried |
Colfax Cemetery Colfax, Whitman County, WA | 14 April 2014 | Colfax Cemetery Colfax, Whitman County, Washington, USA PLOT Block 6, Row 2, Gr 43 |
Revisions
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Contributorusxpat
Changes
Sources
Rougham Control Tower memorial plaques
Facebook group: 94th Bomb Group magazine
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR no #
