George W. Ambrose was born in Springdale Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on 11 May 1920 to Adolph (1881-1940) and Katherine (nee Gabriel) Ambrose (1940). Adolph immigrated from Budapest and was a carpenter for a building contractor. George had five siblings, August, William, Mary, Henry, and Helen. By 1940 his father Adolph had passed away. The sons took to the work force, George and Henry were carpenters for a building contractor, Chester was employed by an aluminum company.

George completed 4 years of high school.

Military

George enlisted in the service on 4 June 1941 at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Assigned to the 36thBomb Squadron, 801st Bomb Group, 8thAir Force USAAF, he trained to pilot 'Carpetbagger Missions.

In 1943 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) -- the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency -- called upon the U.S. Army Air Forces to conduct special operations from the United Kingdom. Aircrews started flying leaflet-dropping missions in October 1943, but plans called for them to fly dangerous, clandestine missions deep into the heart of occupied Europe. The majority of these missions secretly airdropped supplies by night to partisan fighters, under the codename Operation CARPETBAGGER.

As directed by the Combined Chiefs of Staff in September 1943, the 8th Air Force formed the 801st Bombardment Group (Heavy) (Provisional) at Harrington Field, England, from elements of the inactivated AAF Antisubmarine Command. Re-designated the 492nd Bombardment Group in August 1944, this special unit became best known as the Carpetbaggers.

Mission

B-24 Liberator Screamin' Mimi departed RAF Harrington on the evening of 27 April 1944 on a dropping mission to the French Resistance. In unknown circumstances, it crashed in a field located in Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges, about 24 km southeast of Roanne. Two occupants were slightly injured and got away while a third was seriously injured and taken prisoner of war. All five other occupants were killed.

Failed to Return (FTR) Loire Department in B-24 42-40997 28-Apr-44; A/C Hit a hill near the Drop Zone, crashed (broke into four main parts), and caught fire at St-Cyr-de-Valorges, in the Loire Department, France. - courtesy American Air Museum in Britain

Death - 8th and Final Mission

1Lt. George W. Ambrose was killed in action when his B-24 Liberator crashed in St-Cyr-de-Valorges, in the Loire Department, France. He was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

Repatriation

1Lt. Ambrose, pilot, was repatriated to Long Island National Cemetery on 28 October 1948 from France with full military honors.

Ambrose Crew: B-24D Liberator Screamin' Mimi

36th Bomb Squadron, 801st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force

1st Lt George W. Ambrose, pilot

2nd Lt Robert H. Redhair, copilot

2nd Lt Arthur B. Pope, navigator

2nd Lt Peter Roccia, bomber

S/Sgt. Charles M. Wilson, mechanic

S/Sgt. James J. Heffleson, radio operator

Sgt. George W. Henderson, tail gunner

Sgt. James C. Mooney

Sources

American Air Museum in Britain - Screamin' Mimi - https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/7503

The Carpetbaggers - https://www.businessinsider.com/operation-carpetbagger-snuck-oss-secret-agents-into-france-during-wwii-2020-9

Honor States - https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=413715

Find A Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/655900/george-w-ambrose

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at (added by)

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