Merritt E Derr

Military

35 missions. 3 'crash' landings. 4 enemy aircraft destroyed by crew of B-24 'Shack Rat. ' One crew member captured by Luftwaffe. B-24H 42-95209 'Sabrina III'.



Lt Col Derr's 24th mission on 27th June 1944 was to a railroad bridge in France; flying time an estimated 5 hours 45 minutes. As they approached the target the flak became intense and the plane just ahead of them went down on fire. Their plane received numerous hits, No 3 engine was on fire and a fuel line was cut, fuel streaming everywhere. Two of the crew stuffed clothing into the hole and managed to stop the flow. They were losing altitude and had dropped behind the squadron when the waist gunner reported that one of the crew had bailed out. Their pilot had called for assistance and they were escorted home by a P-51. They did make it back to Shipdham - with only vapour for fuel - and landed on the grass. That night they all rode into town and got thoroughly 'soused', several casualties occurring from the guys who rode their bicycles into the ditch.



DFC/ Air Medal w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Sabrina III
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Emmaus, Pennsylvania 16 January 1920

Other

Returned (RTD)

France 27 June 1944

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

Biography completed by historian Helen Millgate. Information sourced from newsletters of the 44th Bomb Group related to the service of Merritt Derr.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

MACR 6743 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

NARA enlistment record: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&tf=F&q=Mer…

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces vol 3 pg 662 & Page 246 in the book SECOND AIR DIVISIONby Turner Publishing Company, 1998, D790.A2S45