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Military Serial - # 16073245
Served during World War II in the European Theatre.
Enlisted at the age of 20 years and 9 months in E. St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois.
at Scott Field on August 12, 1942
He served in the United States Army Air Force.
As a PFC, on April 8, 1944 was sent to Mountain Home, Idaho at the Mountain Home Army Air Field
for Combat Crew Training School
[ SO # 99 Hq 213 CCTS MHAAF Mt. Home Ida ]
Deployed overseas to England in April of 1944, being stationed at Eye, UK
but the squadron was quickly transferred to Harrington, and then was transferred to Bassingbourne.
Transferred to Ordance in mid-June of 1944
Trained in ordinance at Santa Anita, California. Rated S in all training,
Stationed in the infantry with Platoon 1 Co. 172, Depot 12.
Needs glasses.
Transferred on August 13, 1944 (without change of station) from 850th to
857th Bomb Squadron of the 492nd Bombardment Group
[SO # 117 Hq AAF Sta. 179 ]
Was on Temporary Duty with Station 101 for one day in October of 1944.
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Scarlet Pimpernel
Leroy's first wife, Dora, said that during WWII he flew some missions over Europe with a group that called itself the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Named for a French wildflower, the Scarlet Pimpernel was a character in a novel of the same name written by Countess Emma Orczy.
This fictional hero went undercover into France during the French Revolution to rescue people. An article in Skyways, published
November 1945, p. 60, is titled "Scarlet Pimpernels of the Air" by Allan A. Michie. It details how bases in Tempsford, Bedforshire, and
Harrington, Northamptonshire, were used for top secret forays into Europe during World War II. Two RAF units and an American
Bomber Group were involved. They dropped 4,500 tons of arms, radios, supplies, and equipment. They also dropped or landed
hundreds of agents (even carrier pigeons) into France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and Denmark from early 1942 through the end
of the war. These agents kept the Allies informed during their actions in Europe after D Day.
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Was promoted to Corporal on December 1, 1944.
[SO # 226 Hq AAF Sta. 179 -- 857 Bomb Sq (H) ]
He served as a Sergeant in the Air Corps
as a member of the 857 Bombardment Squadron & 492 Bombardment Group
Being sent to Amarillo and Dalhart Tex, Stillwater, OK, Santa Anita, California,
then to Mt. Home, ID, with the 490th Bombardment Group.
Deployed overseas to England, and arrived in Glasgow, Scotland on April 26, 1944
He was then sent to Germany on June 13, 1945, and went to Marsailles, France, 2 Sep 1945,
and then back to Boston, Mass., on September 12, 1945.
There are references to these units:
696 Ordinance, 857 Bomb Squad 13 Aug 1944,
28 Feb 1945 847th Bomb Squadron Gp H to 856th Bomb Squad H
Comment:
Character is Excellent; Efficiency is Very Satisfactory.
(typical entries on each transfer until discharge which reads: Unknown)
856 Bomb Squad 11 Mar 1945,
1330 Ordinance 4 Jul 1945
Separated from Service at Ft. Douglas, UT, with pay to Peoria, IL.
Decorations:
Bronze Stars: "Air Off Europe" and "Normandy" and "Northern France, "Con Europe" "Rhineland"
Good Conduct Medal: 31 Aug 1945.
Lots of campaign ribbons
He was discharged on December 15, 1945
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Second Enlistment [no date]
Berlin Crisis
Units not listed.
Rank PFC 14 Jun 1950
25 Jun 1950 left NY for Bremenhaven, Germany.
Discharged 19 Aug 1952 due to disability.
Evidently hospitalized at Ft. Knox, KY, Ft. Dix, NJ, Ft. Bragg, NC at some point in time.
Decorations:
EAME Camp Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Am Camp Medal,
WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation (Ger) Medal
A request for military records does not tell where he was injured nor with which unit.
The family said that it was a mined bridge that blew up somewhere in Germany.
According to the story, two survived:
Leroy lost the use of his legs, and the other survivor was left blind.
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