Ernest Joseph “Ernie” Haar was born on October 2, 1918, in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. He was the son of Joseph Haar and Christiane Holl Haar. He was the husband of Emilie Rimmer Haar. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in July 1941. He completed basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina, and was then stationed at Ft Barrancas, Florida, where he served in the Finance Department. After volunteering for the Army Air Corps Cadet Program, he completed flight training and became a pilot. In January 1944, Lt. Haar joined the 859th Squadron, 492nd Bomb Group at Alamogordo, New Mexico, training with his crew before deploying to England. He flew his first combat mission on May 12, 1944, and later completed his tour with the 467th Bomb Group at Rackheath, where he assisted in training replacement crews. By December 1944, Haar was reassigned to the 61st Troop Carrier Group in Grantham, England, instructing C-47 pilots to operate C-109 cargo variants of the B-24.

On December 18, 1944, the B-24 Liberator “Lazy Lou” (42-7609) of the 61st Troop Carrier Group, 14th Troop Carrier Squadron, took off from RAF Barkston Heath when it collided mid-air with a C-109 over Carlton Scroop. The collision destroyed its rear control surfaces and disabled engines on the left wing. Despite heavy damage, the crew managed to regain limited control and attempted to reach RAF Cranwell for an emergency landing. With only two engines functioning, the aircraft struggled to maintain altitude and crash-landed in a field between High Wood, North Rauceby, and the A17 road, just short of the airfield. Two of the crew were killed, three survived, and their Dalmatian mascot, “Major Jerry,” who had accompanied them throughout their missions, was mortally injured in the crash.

1st Lt. Haar survived the collision. After the war, he stayed active in veterans’ organizations, most notably the 492nd Bomb Group Association and the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia, where he helped preserve and record veterans’ stories. He later served as a Director of the association and a retired Vice President of the Lithonia Lighting Company. He passed away on February 7, 2018, and is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.americanairmuseum.com, www.loveden.org.uk