Ralph C Ernst
MilitaryOn 3 January 1943 in B-24D 41-23371 while serving as Radio Operator the aircraft made a crash-landing near the crossroads south of Puncheston, Pembrokeshire returning from target U/B yards (submarine) at St. Nazaire, France. Fuel shortage caused the crash. Ernst was injured and hospitalized until 6 January 1943. Copilot Canfield was killed and the only fatality.
On 14-May-43 in B-24D 41-23819 'Rugged Buggy' 44BG/68BS while serving as Radio Operator the aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft on a mission to Kiel, Germany. He baled out and was captured. Prisoner of War (POW).
NOTE: This entry COMBINES data from an entry from Paul Andrews Project Bits and Pieces.
POW
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 14 May 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Pathway
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Returned to Duty (RTD) |
Puncheston, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62, UK | 3 January 1943 - 6 January 1943 | Aboard B24D 41-23771 when it made a crash-landing, out of fuel, upon return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. He was injured in the crash and in hospital until 6-Jan-43. |
Born |
Enderlin, North Dakota | ||
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Krems an der Donau, Austria | Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Genikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 26-Jul-45. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2015. Added NOTE of combination of data from Paul Andrews Project Bits and Pieces.
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2015. Added decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; confirmed SN per MACR 15509; Added RTD event, edited biography for chronological order, added crew position, corrected A/C nickname per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections to Place, 2 AIrcraft and 2 Missions within existing website data; .
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15509, 44th BG/ 66th BS Shipdam 115 Losses of the 8th and 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 61, p. 119 with picture of plane on 118, MACR 3301, 44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Lundy p. 38, p. 70,The 44th BG in WWII by MacKay and Ad