Warren Peter “Pete” Edris Jr. was born on February 26, 1921, in Mountain Lakes, Morris County, New Jersey. He was the son of Emmabelle K. Edris and Warren Peter Edris, Sr. He was first married to Doris Grey Cooke Edris and later to Bette Lees Edris. Pete graduated from Oak Ridge Military Academy as a Pilot. He enlisted in the service on August 29, 1941. He served in the 368th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-17F #41-24514 during World War II.

On March 8, 1943, the B-17F #41-24514 departed Station 111 at Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, at 11:45 on a mission against the Rennes marshalling yards in France. At 14:30, over Plouguenast (Côtes-d’Armor, France), the bomber was attacked and shot down by a German Fw 190 fighter. The crew bailed out by parachute; however, the pilot was killed when his chute failed to open at low altitude. The majority of the crew were captured and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners, while one evaded capture and made it back to the United Kingdom with assistance from the local resistance and a fishing boat escape.

1Lt Edris had been declared “dead” after being shot down but was later found alive at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan-Silesia, Bavaria. He went on to serve as a Major with the U.S. Air Force during World War II and the Korean War. After the war, he completed his college education at Duke University with a degree in Business Administration and later worked as a pilot for 28 years with American Airlines. Maj Edris died on October 29, 2016, and is now buried in the Mount Gur Cemetery, Kernersville, Forsyth County, North Carolina, USA.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net, www.legacy.com