Harry C Merritt

Military

Object Number - UPL 6988 - Crew #671 Harry C. Merritt Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: William Estep (FE), William G. Ballantine (N), Harry C. Merritt...

Connections

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

Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'

466th Bomb Group

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

People

William Garrick Ballantine

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-125178
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Anthony Carras

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-767993
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

William E Estep

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39570731
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer

Michael Gelesh

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33764878
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Richard L Humphrey

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-2851
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Aircraft

42-52527

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Reliable Babe
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron

44-10558

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Ma's Lil Angel
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 491st Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron

44-40208

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-14 Liberator (serial number 44-40328) nicknamed "This Above All" of the 487th Bomb Group.

44-40328

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: This Above All
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 493rd Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron

Missions

729

  • Date: 29 November 1944

702

  • Date: 5 November 1944

683

  • Date: 19 October 1944

681

  • Date: 17 October 1944

Places

Aerial photograph of Attlebridge airfield, looking north, the fuel store and a T2 hangar are in the upper centre, 31 January 1946. Photograph taken by No. 90 Squadron, sortie number RAF/3G/TUD/UK/51. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Attlebridge

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Crash Landing

Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK 24 December 1944 "We arrived over the field in formation with #1 engine feathered. After peeling off, we circled the field and called for landing instructions. We made a normal approach to the field; while in the final approach the tower sent an aircraft in the landing pattern ahead of us, around again. We hit the prop wash of this aircraft as we were about to land. This caused our left wing to dip, therefore we added power to counteract the effect of the propwash and to bring the wing up. We were unable to gain enough airspeed to go around, so we cut our power and landed long. To avoid hitting an aircraft that had landed in front of us we swerved off to the right. In doing so the left landing gear collapsed, swinging us to the left. We then collided with the other aircraft, knocking the nose turret off in the process of the collision. No one was injured in either aircraft." Harry C. Merritt in reporting the reason for his crash.
Detroit, MI, USA 13107 Kercheval Avenue

Revisions

Date4 Apr 2020 03:42:09
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to aircraft associations
Sources

466th BG Formation plan for 19 October 1944 - NARA

Date12 Nov 2019 13:18:40
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date27 Dec 2017 01:07:22
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to aircraft associations
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date28 Nov 2015 02:39:45
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to service number and events
Sources

Official Crash Report

Date2 Apr 2015 00:43:50
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to events and mission associations
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date4 Dec 2014 00:04:23
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to highest rank, role, unit associations and place associations
Sources

Officers of Attlebridge - 1944

Date27 Sep 2014 18:12:19
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

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 & Brassfield, page 348

Harry C Merritt: Gallery (2 items)

Object number: UPL 6379 - B-24J-155-CO #44-40328 "This Above All" Code: U8-T...

Object number: UPL 6988 - Crew #671 Harry C. Merritt Crew 466th BG - 786th...