Charles Edward Merritt and his brother Elmer A. Merritt are the sons of Chester Arthur and Mary A. Merritt.
He died during bomb raids on the Marshalling yards at Bucharest, Romania.
Norris High School Alumnus. Commemorated on Plaque at Norris Town Center, Norris, TN.
449th Bomber Group, 717th Bomber Squadron, Heavy, 15th Air Force.
Aircraft B-24, serial number 42-52172, was downed by a fighter. All ten crewmembers died.
Crewmembers:
2nd Lt Everett F. Tyler
2nd Lt Wilson C. Patros
2nd Lt Joseph C. Weisbrod
2nd Lt Charles E. Merritt
S/Sgt Eldon W. Sweeney
S/Sgt George I. Parker
S/Sgt Harold W. Norris
T/Sgt Fred McCollough
S/Sgt Ballard C. Lewis
S/Sgt Donald H. Harrington
Clinton Courier News, January 18, 1945:
A recent Army ruling that families who have lost two sons in service may have a third son removed from combat areas does not apply unless the third son is a sole survivor. Mr. and Mrs. Merritt have lost two sons in service, Lt. Charles E. Merritt, who was shot down and killed in action over Romania on April 4, 1944 and Pfc. Elmer A. Merritt, who was killed fighting with the Second Marines at Saipan on July 1, 1944. Mrs. Merritt recently wrote the War Department and asked that a third son, Pfc. Theodore C. Merritt, be brought back from the Netherlands East Indies, where he has been fighting for 21 months without a furlough. A fourth son, Thomas Adrian Merritt, received a medical discharge from the Navy, after serving six months at San Diego. He now works at Oak Ridge. There are two other sons, Walter Merritt, who is married and also works at Clinton Engineer Works, and Billy Merritt, 13, at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Merritt went to Smyrna Air Base last Saturday, where Mr. Merritt was awarded the Air Medal for Lt. Merritt. The award was made by Major West.
- Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 4 December 1922
- Date of death: 4 April 1944
- County: Anderson
- Hometown: Norris
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 449th Bomber Group, 717th Bomber Squadron, Heavy
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Battles: Air War in Europe
- Awards: Purple Heart, Air Medal
- Burial/Memorial Location: Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Norris, Anderson County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VI, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Charles E. Merritt
Image Gallery
Click a thumbnail below to view at full size.
