1LT. Edward Gardner "ED" Betts, Jr. was a Pilot with the 12th Air Force; 57th Bombardment Wing; 310th Bombardment Group; 380th Bombardment Squadron; stationed in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO).

His Hometown was Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California.

380th Bomb Squadron War Diary
Date: 13 March 1944
Depart: Ghisonaccia, Corsica
Target: San Stefano, Italy

B-25C; Serial No. 41-13079; MACR: 3300;
P: Betts, Edward G., 1LT; Rescued by ASR; EUS; Los Angeles Co. CA
CP: Stockdale, Glenn William, 2LT~KIA~Dauphin Co., PA
B: Shaffer, Earl J.; 2LT; MIA~POW~RTD~EUS~Allegheny Co. PA
N: Negle, Robert S., 2LT~KIA~Allegheny Co. PA
R: Pinto, Frank L., SSGT; Rescued by ASR~EUS; Bronx Co. NY
G: Wilson, Leo W., PVT.~KIA~Kingsbury County, SD
TG: Turner, George W., Jr., SGT.~KIA~Potter County, TX

Summary:
Crews felt that a good job was done today when dock and installations were hit at San Stefano harbor. Strings of bombs hit many places along the docks, and a direct hit was scored on a warehouse NW of the main quay. Dense gray and black smoke was observed over the target.

One of our ships was lost during this operation. Two survivors of the crew were rescued by ASR.

Very heavy, accurate flak was felt over the target area.

13 March 1944
On the above date while participating in an operational mission to Porto San Stefano Harbor, the following men are reported as Missing and Killed in Action

MISSING IN ACTION
Second Lieutenant Earl J. Shaffer, Bombardier, who, believing the aircraft in which he was flying, was going down as a result of damage by enemy anti-aircraft fire, bailed out over the target asnd was seen to land safely in the southeast area of Orbetello Penninsular. He is presumably, a Prisoner of War at the present time.

KILLED IN ACTION
Second Lieutenant Robert S. Negle, Navigator
Second Lieutenant Glenn W. Stockdale, Co-Pilot
Sergeant George W. Turner, Tail Gunner
Private Leo W. Wilson, Turret Gunner

Lt. Stockdale, the Co-Pilot of the aircraft, parachuted out of the plane approximately thirty miles northwest of the Sardinian Coast before the Pilot crash landed. he was never found, and is now carried on records as Killed In Action.

The other three members listed above died from drowning and exposure in the water after the aircraft crash landed. Records READ Killed In Action

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His Enlistment Record:

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 10024320 10024320
NAME BETTS#EDWA#D#G#/######## BETTS#EDWA#D#G#/########
RESIDENCE: STATE #0 Undefined Code
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 187 Undefined Code
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 9130 HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 23 23
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 10 10
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 02 02
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION A##+ Undefined Code
GRADE: CODE # Undefined Code
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION A+# Undefined Code
BRANCH: CODE 20 Air Corps
FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 0 Undefined Code
LONGEVITY ### ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
NATIVITY #1 Undefined Code
YEAR OF BIRTH 20 20
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
EDUCATION 7 3 years of college
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 002 Actors and actresses
MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 6 Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of the United States under Army Regulations 605-10
CARD NUMBER # #
BOX NUMBER 0301 0301
FILM REEL NUMBER 3.23# 3.23#

Edward G Betts