1st and 7th Emergency Rescue Squadrons

1943 – 1945

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B-17 with Life Boat [and] OA-10

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Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 5, 2010

1. 1st and 7th Emergency Rescue Squadrons Marker

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The 1st ERS was formed at Hunter Field, Savannah, GA in late summer of 1943,

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.

2. NMUSAF Memorial Wall #2

comprised of nine PBY5A’s (Army designation OA10) and 7-man flight crews---pilot, co-pilot, navigator, 1st engineer, 2nd engineer and radar and radio operator/gunners. An EM medic was added later. It was activated in compliance with Gen. H. H. Arnold’s order that such a unit be organized and sent to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations with the least possible delay.

The squadron was transferred to Boca Raton, FL for transition training, where it was joined by ground crew specialists and headquarters personnel. The pilots and engineers had previously been trained by the Navy at Pensacola, FL. Simulated rescue flights were flown, cross country, navigation and practice water landing missions on the Atlantic and Lake Okeechobee. After several months the squadron, consisting of 3 operational flights was shipped out to Camp Patrick Henry, VA. After final check of equipment and personnel, the squadron, comprised of 46 officers and 159 enlisted men, proceeded overseas from there in late January 1944 on the S.S. General Billy Mitchell.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.

3. NMUSAF Memorial Wall #2

Without convoy, the Mitchell left Hampton Roads, VA in March 1944 and made the crossing without mishap, arriving at Camp Don Passage, Casablanca, French Morocco. Ground crews were transported in the infamous 40x8 rail cars, from Casablanca to Bizerte’s Sidi Ahmed Air Base, and on to Corsica by LST. Flight crews, however proceeded by rail as far as Port Lyautey, Naval Air Station, where new PBY aircraft were picked up and flown to bases at Ajaccio, Corsica, (C Flight) Foggia, Italy (B Flight) and Grottaglie, Italy, (A Flight). The 3 flights made up of 3 planes and approximately 70 men each were commanded by Lt. Col. Pardue. Flight C conducted the first operational mission and A & B Squadrons began coverage of the Adriatic Sea for survivors of ditched bombers from Balkan raids.

In the following year approximately 300-350 survivors of the USAF, RAF, France, other allies and even German crews were rescued, often under extreme weather conditions and frequent fighter enemy action and shore battery shelling. One Catalina, disabled from

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.

4. NMUSAF Memorial Park Sign

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shore gunfire after the rescue of a downed aircrew, then joined their “recent pick-ups” in rubber dinghys until rescued by a British Patrol boat.

In 1944, with bomber bases moving north and minimum over water flights, the 1st ERS was split with half staying in the Mediterranean while the other half transferred to China-Burma-India under the 10th AF. Our new commander was Lt. Col. Prim. Leaving Europe, Flights A & C ground personnel left Bari, Italy by Liberty Ship for India, docking in Oran, Algeria, Port Said and Suez. Prevented from traversing the Suez Canal, trucks transported them to Cairo, Egypt for a week stay, then back to Suez and aboard the same ship, enroute to Bombay, India. Boarding a train to Calcutta, a river boat and again a train, they finally arrived at Agartala, India about a week or so after the flight crews.

Meanwhile flight crews were flown to India via an Egyptian stopover and a week’s delay in Karachi, India. Operating from a British base at Agartala, India, the redesignated 7th ERS effected additional rescues

via Wikipedia, unknown

5. Canadian-built Catalina (PBV-1A) in USAAF service (OA-10); 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron

Also used by both the 1st and 7th Emergency Rescue Squadrons. Similar to the PBY-5A.

for about 6 months. In India, we were joined by B-17’s with life boats slung beneath their fuselage. After 9 months, the entire squadron was again transferred, this time to Okinawa, near Japan by troopship via Colombo, Ceylon, Australia, New Guinea and Leyte, Philippines where official rescue missions were discontinued with the dropping of the atom bomb. The squadron was deactivated at Biloxi, MS in 1946 or 1947. The squadron insignia was officially accepted after the war and the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for our 1944 efforts.

In 1994, nearly 50 years after the war, a 1st/7th ERS reunion was organized in Peoria, IL. Included were both squadrons since many served in both the 1st and 7th, but new personnel joined the new squadron in India and thus were only 7th ERS members.

From the collection of Susan Harris, circa 1944

6. Staff Sargent Kenneth Risedorf at his PBY

From the Susan Harris collection, circa 1944

7. Squadron members at their PBY

From the collection of Susan Harris

8. 1st Emergency Rescue Squadron in Egypt