World War II Honoree

Leon R. Ferrell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Ithaca, New York

Honored By

Maureen Ferrell

Relationship

Niece

TRAINED AT AMARILLO, TEXAS TO WORK AS AN ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST ON AIRPLANE ENGINES. ASSIGNED TO THE 486TH BOMB GROUP OF THE 8TH AIR FORCE AND SHIPPED OUT OF NEW YORK CITY ON A CAPTURED ITALIAN LINER IN MARCH OF 1944. THE BOMB GROUP WAS STATIONED IN SUDBURY IN SUFFOLK COUNTY, ENGLAND AT AN AIRFIELD KNOWN AS GREAT WALDINGFIELD, OR STATION 174. THERE WERE ONLY 5 ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST TO WORK ON 22 PLANES WHICH WERE INITIALLY B-24 BOMBERS, BUT WITHIN A SHORT TIME WERE REPLACED BY B-17S. DISCHARGED IN DECEMBER OF 1945 AND RETURNED TO ITHACA, NEW YORK.