CLARK E B Sgt 414th Bomb Sqn

SGT ERNEST BEATTY CLARK
414th BOMB SQN
b. 22/12/1916 d. 29/7/1959, Washington County, Mississippi

Ernest was born in Morgan City, Leflore County, Mississippi. He was a graduate of Mississippi State College and starred in the Greenwood baseball team for the Cotton States League.
His nickname was “Tucker” and from written accounts he was a very charismatic guy. He was sent to Polebrook, England and joined 414th Bomb Squadron (97th Bombardment Group). He was a crew member with Yankee Doodle 11; flying the first
American bombing raid over enemy territory targeting a marshalling yard at Rouen, France on the 17th August 1942.
General Eaker was a crew member on the Yankee Doodle during this historic raid.
The squadron was transferred to Tunisia in late October 1942 under the command of Major General James H Doolittle.
A newspaper article in the Greenwood Commonwealth dated 30th Sept 1943 documented the squadrons celebration of their 100th bombing mission (27th April 1943); the destination of Villacidro Aerodrome in Southern Sardinia.
On that particular raid, Ernest flew as a ball turret gunner in Yankee Doodle with Sgt Raymond C Lewis (tail gunner) of Freeport Michigan, Lt James W (Dynamite) Dunn
(navigator) of Riverside California and First Lt J H Holmes of Selma Alabama. Nineteen other B17s took part in the operation,
On their return Sgt Lewis was first to jump down from the plane exclaiming “ that was a honey of a raid”
Sgt Ernest (Tucker) Clark was next down yelling “ The flak was all behind us. Jeepers”
Although the Yankee Doodle 11 had had a few problems recently, all the crew agreed that this was “ one hell of a plane”
The crew then clambered onto a jeep but not until the Red Cross gals had served them coffee and doughnuts or should that be donuts. First Lt Holmes said before they left that the P-38 (escorting fighter planes) had been a great comfort.
Ernest married Ruth Wilson in 1944. She worked as a teacher. She died on 29th July 2012 aged 93.Together they had a son called Ernest Beatty Clark 111 born 5/7/1949 and he died 24/8/1984

Photo shows the 414th Bomb Sqn crew at Polebrook in front of Yankee Doodle B-17E (41-9023) that took part in the historic first All American USAAF bombing mission over Sotteville Marshalling Yards in German occupied Rouen, France on 17th August 1942 escorted by RAF Spitfires.

BACK ROW Left to Right: 2nd Lt James W Dunn (Navigator), 2nd Lt Carl E Schultz (Bombardier) Captain Rudolph E Flack (414th Sqn Mission Commander/Flight Leader) (Pilot)
2nd Lt John R Dowswell (Co-pilot), 2nd Lt Will A Hadden (Did not fly on this mission; replaced by Brigadier General Ira C Eaker)

FRONT ROW Left to Right: Sgt Schiller Cohen (Did not fly on the Yankee Doodle but with Big Punk) Staff/Sgt Edwin N Breedlove (Radio Operator), Sgt Ernest B Clark (Ball Turret Gunner), Staff/Sgt Paul W Haygreen (Top Turret Gunner), Sgt Raymond C Lewis (Tail Gunner), Sgt Frank Hayes (Waist Gunner)