Son Completes a Mission at Father's WWII Molesworth Base

  • Published
  • By Peter G. Park, Commander's Action Group
  • JIOCEUR Analytic Center
ROYAL AIR FORCE MOLESWORTH, England --  As Jerry Ryan toured RAF Molesworth on Saturday April 12, 2008 his thoughts were with his late father, former Staff Sgt. Edward K. Carter who served as left waist gunner and engineer on "Fast Worker," a B-17F Flying Fortress of the 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy) flying off the now long gone main runway at the base that now is home to the JIOCEUR Analytic Center.

According to his son, Sgt. Carter always wanted to return to his old base at Molesworth. It was not to be; Sgt. Carter died 18 months ago. In his 80's he experienced flash backs to some of the tough missions that he had flown over Nazi occupied Europe some sixty years earlier.  In reliving his flights, Sgt. Carter told his son what it was like fighting in freezing and deadly skies during aerial combat in World War II.

On Saturday, Jerry Carter completed a mission of his own: to take soil from where the main runway had stood in October 1943 when his father flew his 28th and last mission. Mr. Carter plans to spread the soil of Molesworth on his father's grave on his return to the U.S.

Driving around the base Mr. Carter and his daughter Allison, who accompanied him, stood where his father had watched the Bob Hope USO show in July 1943 in front of one of the WWII hangers that still stands today. He was thrilled to find his father in an aircrew photo in the JAC's "Thunderbird Lounge" which commemorates a 303rd BG B17G featured in a painting in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

A special moment for Mr. Carter was visiting the nearby White Swan pub and sitting on the fireplace hearth where his father said he had often sat to warm up on a cold night, and where the 303rd Bomb Group's band "The Rhythm Pilots" had played during the war.

Jerry Carter and his daughter completed his "mission" by signing the guest book at the 303rd Bomb Group (Heavy) memorial.