Rollin P Ball

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-22603.jpeg UPL 22603 Navigator 2LT Rollin P. Ball, 324th Bomb Sq, 91st BG, survived the ditching of his ship, B-17F 41-24464 "Excalibur" (coded OR-J, borrowed from the 323rd Bomb Sq) returning from the 4 March 1943 mission to Hamm.
Less than three months later he would be declared MIA; returning from the 21 May trip to Wilhelmshaven aboard B-17F 41-24515 "Jersey Bounce" with LT Phillip S. Fischer & crew, they would disappear over the North Sea; no trace was ever found.

Image taken from http://www.findagrave.com.
Photo:Footnote.com
Added by: Michel Beckers 2/27/2011

Object Number - UPL 22603 - Navigator 2LT Rollin P. Ball, 324th Bomb Sq, 91st BG, survived the ditching of his ship, B-17F 41-24464 "Excalibur" (coded OR-J, borrowed from the...

2LT Rollin P. Ball was Navigator on two differentt B-17s that were lost.



On 4-Mar-43 in B-17F #41-24464 "Exbalibur" 91BG/324BS while serving as Navigator the aircraft sustained damage from fighter attacks and was forced to ditch 40 miles west of Texel Island, Holland. He was rescued by a Royal Navy destroyer after spending seven hours in a life raft and Returned to Duty (RTD) He was incorrectly listed on the report as 'Roland P. Ball'



Killed in Action (KIA) on 21 May 1943 in B-17F #41-24515 'Marie Jane', 91BG/324BS while serving as Navigator. The aircraft sustained damage from AA fire and crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3458



Air Medal, Purple Heart w/ OLC

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Excalibur
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (JJ-F, serial number 41-24515) nicknamed "Target for Tonite", of the 422nd Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group . Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Target for Tonite'. 422BS.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Marie Jane, Jersey Bounce
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Talbot City, Maryland 3 April 1905

Other

Rescued

Texel, Netherlands 4 March 1943 Rescued from the North Sea by a Royal Navy destroyer when his aircraft B-17F 41-24464 was forced to ditch because of battle damage from fighter attacks.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

North Sea 21 May 1943 Killed when his aircraft B-17F 41-24515 sustained damage from AA fire and crashed into the North Sea.

Other

Commemorated

Netherlands American Cemetery, AM Begraafplaats 1, 6269 NA Margraten Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Removed some punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
Changes
Sources

Associated media from http://www.findagrave.com

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added note to Summary Biography concerning service on two aricraft.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added Decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monumnet Commission (ABMC) records; made connections to Place and both Aircraft and both Missions within existing website data and MACR 3458; Added Rescued event and edited Summary Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3458 / MACR 3458, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I p.87, p. 128 by Bishop and Hey / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Rollin P Ball: Gallery (8 items)