Mercer served as a Second Lieutenant & Navigator on B-17G "Shadie Sadie" #43-38639, 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces
He resided in Texas prior to the war.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Mercer was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 33561885
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Texas prior to the war.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Mercer was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 33561885
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mercer served as a Second Lieutenant & Navigator on B-17G "Shadie Sadie" #43-38639, 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces
He resided in Texas prior to the war.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Mercer was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 33561885
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Texas prior to the war.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Mercer was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 33561885
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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