Anthony Carras
Military
Object Number - UPL 23589 - 1LT Anthony Carras 466th BG Co-Pilot - Harry Merritt Crew
Co-Pilot of the Harry C. Merritt Crew - Crew 671
Competed 36 missions.
Post war he was a well known television and film editor and producer. His credits include:
The Bob Hope Christmas Special (TV Special)
1967 Tarzan and the Great River
1963 The Comedy of Terrors
1963 X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
1963 Operation Bikini
1962 Tales of Terror
1961 Pit and the Pendulum
1961 Master of the World
1960 Last Woman on Earth
1960 House of Usher
1960 Ski Troop Attack
1959 Blood and Steel
1959 Beast from Haunted Cave
He married Catherine M Davis on March 13,1944 and had five children, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Carras recalled an incident that occured 12 December 1944 in "Attlebridge Arsenal": ' As we were approaching our base after an all out mission, the oil pressure suddenly dropped on our #3 engine. I feathered #3 and we shot two red flares indicating a mechanical failure. The tower told us to come straight in. Landing a bomber with only three engines is a nightmare. Harry (Merritt, Pilot) and I stood on our left rudder pedals and I adjusted the trim to keep the right wing up. On final approach, Harry brought her in pretty hot because he did not want to land short. On flare out I had to readjust the trim because there was less power.
On landing we could here the tower screaming "get off the runway!" to the ship that landed in front of us. We were traveling at a high speed and catching up to that aircraft ahead, but we had no brakes; #3 engine provides power for the brakes. I said "we have to get off the runway." Harry replied, "We will get court martialed." I said "That's fine, I'd rather be court martialed than dead!" I took over the controls and headed for the right side of the field traveling over the grass and sand. I hoped the brussel sprout field next the base would stop us, but before that happened, fate stepped in. We hit a pothole in the ground with the left main gear, which then collapsed. The left wing dug into the ground. On the runway the ship that had been ahead of us was now parallel to us. One of our props came off and took off the nose of that ship. I now had destroyed TWO B-24's, but thank God, no one was hurt'
Connections
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Units served with

- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment

- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People

- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2000240
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Missions

- Date: 24 December 1944
- Date: 29 November 1944

- Date: 5 November 1944

- Date: 19 October 1944

- Date: 14 October 1944
Places

- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Detroit, MI, USA | 23 November 1920 | |
Other Married |
13 March 1944 | Married Catherine M Davis | |
Died |
Laguna Beach, CA, USA | 15 August 2007 | |
Buried |
Riverside, CA, USA | 19 August 2007 | Riverside National Cemetery Riverside Riverside County California, USA Plot: 57B 0 50 |
New York, NY, USA | 5626 Broadway |
Revisions
NARA files verified AM with four Oak Leaf Clusters. His picture shows the EAME Campaign Medal with 2 bronze service stars.
466th BG Historian
Information provided by Cathy Carras Cwiok, Carras' Daughter.
"Attlebridge Arsenal" - Brassfield & Wassom
Letter from Anthony Carras dated 25 December 2003
466th BG Historian
466th BG Historian
Officers of Attlebridge booklet - 1944
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL by Wassom and Brassfield, page 344