The 447th Bombardment Squadron

Edward Ennis, Page 2
Info provided by his daughter, Barbara Ennis Connolly



"The Club" at Boca Raton, Florida.

Barbara Ennis Connolly provides the following information about her father:

Ed Ennis and Jack Best then went to "the Club" at Boca Raton in Florida to learn the new "secret" radar. Ed Ennis said "The English gave it to us and we learned how to use it, without yet knowing how it worked." Meeting back up with Brownie, Sergeant Ennis received his flying training at De Ridder Army Air Base, Louisiana, where he was selected for Officers Candidate School. He turned this down however, with the explanation that the work he was doing was so interesting that he did not want to give it up. At De Ridder, Walter Cantrell had been with Lt. Albert Duke and the crew for many months training and flying. Only days before departure from the States, Lt. Duke arrived with their "brand-spanking-new" B-25 (Trigger, #41-13171) that had been equipped with RADAR. This was to be a lead ship and Walter was replaced with Ed Ennis, newly graduated from radar school. Ennis said "there were only 5 radar men to each squadron." Walter Cantrell was assigned to Lt. R.Richardson's ship, the "Harp #41-31007", with whom he flew 49 of his 50 missions. Ed Ennis and Charles O. Brown, and his soon-to-be new friend Walter Cantrell were all members of the original crew of the 447th Bomb Squad...and the 321st Bomb Group ...who flew in the "now famous" HOP across the Atlantic with CO Col. Knapp leading the formation. The 321st, commanded by Col. Knapp was the first group to fly from the United States to an overseas base in a single mass. From reports and photo's generously given to Ed's daughter, Barbara, we now know that Ed flew many missions...not only the flight over with Lt. Albert Duke, but with Lt. Henry Stephenson, Lt. Robert Spikes, Lt. James Bugbee, Lt. Charles Grantham, Lt. Hamilton Brinkley (Huckelberry Duck crash 41-12925 4 Oct. '43), Lt. Wilton Brinkley, Lt.Dan Mc Duff, Lt. Davies.....and others.




The above panel, excised from the February 14, 1943 Operations Order #56 instructing the 321st Bombardment Group's flight from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida to their assignment overseas, shows Edward Ennis' crew on B-25 #41-13171 "Trigger."


1 2 3 4

I just happen to have photographs for four of the seven crew members on this historic flight. Please click on one of the images above to see a larger image. From left to right: 1. Pilot Lt. Albert Duke standing next to "Trigger." 2. Copilot Lt. Daniel McDuff. 3. Navigator, Lt. Douglas Orr. 4. Radio-gunner Sgt. Edward Ennis. (Photos 1-3 are from Dick Spingler and photo 4 is from Barbara Connolly.)

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