Jessie Ray Ellis
Military ROLL OF HONOURUploaded
Jessie Ellis enlisted in the Air Corps in February 1943 and followed training in Aerial Gunnery before being sent overseas. He served as a Left Waist Gunner in the 801st Bomb Group/ 36th Bomb Squadron in England. Killed in the loss of B-24D '"Star Spangled Hell", #42-72873. Took off from Harrington at 23:13hrs on 4 July 1944 on a secret Carpetbagger mission of weapons and supplies delivery to the French Underground in the Loir-et-Cher area, France. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 6990. After successful drop, shot down by ME110 over Orléans, France. A/c caught fire and crashed at 00:10hrs, 5 July, near Champgirault at Trancrainville (Eure and Loire). Co-Pilot Edward Tappan was the only survivor. Jessie Ellis and 6 other members of the 8-man crew were killed in the mid-air explosion and they are commemorated on a plaque on a wall at the entrance to the Trancrainville cemetery.
[ His first name is spelled Jesse in the 1940 US Census for Gregg County, Texas. The MACR and all other Army records have his first name as Jessie.]
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 801st Bomb Group 36th Bomb Squadron 492nd Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 34708160
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 801st Bomb Group 36th Bomb Squadron 492nd Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 39850000 and O-762019
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Texas, United States | 27 March 1924 | the son of John R. and Letha Ellis |
Enlisted |
Dallas, Texas, United States | 22 February 1943 | as a Private in the Air Corps |
Died |
near Trancrainville, Eure-et-Loir, France | 5 July 1944 | Killed In Action (KIA) in the crash of B-24 # 42-72873 |
Buried |
Grace Hill Cemetery, Longview, Gregg County, Texas, United States | Initially buried at the Les Aubrais cemetery in Orléans; reinterred at the temporary US Military Cemetery in Solers near Melun (Seine-et-Marne), France. His remains were repatriated to the United States. | |
Longview, Gregg County, Texas, United States |
Revisions
MACR 6990
NARA WWII Enlistment records
www.801492.org
Research for Edward Tappan’s page at http://www.evasioncomete.org/ftappaned.html
801st BG Roster, http://www.801492.org/MainMenu.htm; Losses of the 8th AF, vol.4, Combat Chronology, USAAF SN Website,
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia