Ernest F Witham

Military
media-26114.jpeg UPL 26114 First Lieutenant Ernest F. Witham--flew 18 missions in the B-24 "Bit-o-Lace" and switched to B-17 "Problem Child" and flew 16 more trips into Germany with the last flight on September 22, 1944. Lt. Witham was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three oak clusters as a veteran of aerial bombardment missions to Nazi industrial targets. 487th Bomb Group collection

Lt. Witham flew missions on B-24 42-94969 from May 7, 1944 through July 20, 1944 in Europe, switching to
B-17 43-37918 August 3, 1944 through September 22, 1944
He flew B-17 43-38882 for 14 missions while serving in the 4th Squadron Air Sea Rescue in the Pacific May 5, 1945 through June 26, 1945.

Object Number - UPL 26114 - First Lieutenant Ernest F. Witham--flew 18 missions in the B-24 "Bit-o-Lace" and switched to B-17 "Problem Child" and flew 16 more trips into Germany...

Lt. Ernest F. Witham entered active service on August 30, 1943. Stationed in Lavenham with the 487th BG, 839th Squadron he was a pilot on 34 missions in the ETO, half on a B-24 (42-94969) and half on a B-17 (43-37918). He taught new pilots inLockbourne Army Air Base in December of 1944 and went on to fly 14 missions with the 4th Squadron Air Sea Rescue, May 5, 1945 - June 26, 1945. He was awarded the Air Medal, DFC and Bronze Star. He ended his career with the Army Air Force on January 14, 1946.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 487th Bomb Group.

487th Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

42-94969

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 330th Bomb Squadron

Places

Officers of the 487th Bomb Group outside the 838th Bomb Squadron operations room.

Lavenham

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Lavenham/Alpheton Airfield

Revisions

Date
ContributorChristine Keller
Changes
Sources

Christine Keller

Date
ContributorChristine Keller
Changes
Sources

Daughter, Christine A. Keller

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit Roster / http://www.487thbg.org/Photos/ErnestWitham.shtml , http://www.487thbg.org/Photos/WithamCrew.shtml

Ernest F Witham: Gallery (4 items)

Object number: UPL 26114 - First Lieutenant Ernest F. Witham--flew 18...

Object number: UPL 26184 - Lt. Ernest F. Witham beside B-17 43-37918 at...

Object number: UPL 26186 - Pictured above in front of B-17 43-37918: First...

Object number: UPL 26187 - I am pretty sure this is my father's B-24 at...