World War II Heroes
By James VanBever
E
dward Ellsworth Beebe was born to Louise and Walter Orrin Beebe in the Graniteville section of Westford on September 5, 1924. He was the middle child of five children and was said to be the “studious one” of the family. Shortly after graduating from Westford Academy, Ed joined the United States Army Air Corps to become a pilot. After receiving his pilot wings and completing Co-Pilot training, Lt. Beebe was assigned to the 705th Squadron, 446th Bomber Group in Bungay, England. Lt. Beebe would then join the B-24 bomber crew commanded by Lt. Robert Lajoie. The aircraft was nicknamed “The Pin Up Girl.”
On April 5, 1945, “The Pin Up Girl” took off from Bungay, England, on a bombing mission over Germany. The aircraft was piloted by Commander Lt. Robert Lajoie and co-piloted by Lt. Edward Beebe. Of the 23 American aircraft that left Bungay on the morning of April 5th, 22 returned safely, the one that did not return was “The Pin Up Girl.”
The “Pin Up Girl” had been blown off course by strong winds over a part of Holland that was still occupied by German forces and had been shot down by enemy ground fire. Before the crash, Commander Lajoie had ordered his crew to bail out of the aircraft. The plane was on fire, but two crew members were gravely injured and could not bail out. Lt. Lajoie had parachuted out of the aircraft and was killed as he exited out of the plane.
After realizing that two of his crew members could not parachute out of the burning plane, Lt. Beebe took control of the aircraft and successfully crash-landed “The Pin Up Girl.” Lt. Beebe did a fantastic job taking over the aircraft after the pilot had exited the plane and his actions were responsible for saving the lives of two of his crew members. Unfortunately, four members of “The Pin Up Girl” were killed that day.
Severely injured by the enemy fire and the crash of their aircraft, Ed Beebe and the remainder of his crew were taken prisoner by German forces. Fortunately, the Germans did take Lt. Beebe and his crew to a hospital in Rotterdam where they received medical care.
Lt. Edward Ellsworth Beebe and the surviving crew of “The Pin Up Girl” were liberated by the Canadian Army on May 8, 1945. For his heroics, the Graniteville native was awarded the Purple Heart, an Air Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry in action.
Beebe returned to the United States in July 1945 and was transferred to the Ft. Devens Hospital in Ayer, Massachusetts. Still needing medical treatment for his broken leg and other injuries suffered in the crash, Ed began physical rehabilitation. While undergoing rehabilitation for his injuries, Ed met the “radiant and witty” Virginia Schill. Virginia was working as a volunteer at the hospital at the time.
Virginia Schill was born to Frederick and Marion Schill in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1925. At the age of ten, Virginia and her family moved to Westford where she attended Westford Schools. At Westford Academy, she was elected class president as a freshman and was involved in music and theatre arts. Virginia helped in the war effort as a WA student by standing watch at the Westford Town Hall tower. She graduated from WA in 1943.
After graduating from WA, Virginia enrolled in an automobile mechanics course at Ft. Devens where she became a certified jeep mechanic and was one of the first women to graduate from this program. During the war, Virginia worked in the Ft. Devens motor pool repairing motor vehicles for the U.S. Army to assist in the war effort.
Ed and Virginia fell in love and married on March 9, 1946, and lived in housing just outside Ft. Devens. Upon completing his rehabilitation, Lt. Beebe was discharged from the Army in October 1946. After their first child was born in September 1947, the couple began looking for permanent housing and found their “forever” home at 81 Graniteville Road. They would raise four children, Tim, Candis, Karen, and Priscilla.
After being discharged from the military, Ed completed training as a jet engine mechanic and began working at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts. Through hard work and skill, he was able to remain in aviation, which was the vocation he loved best. Mr. Beebe would work at Hanscom Air Force Base for the next 35 years until he retired.
Years later, two of Beebe’s crew members Paul Grassey and Okla Edgell nominated him for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroics on April 5, 1945. The Medal of Honor is the highest award awarded given to a member of the military who has “distinguished themselves by acts of valor.” However, due to the inability to locate Lt. Beebe’s complete military records, his nomination was discontinued.
Edward Ellsworth Beebe died on June 3, 1994, at the age of sixty-nine. The injury from his broken leg bothered him throughout his life. Virginia died on August 19, 2009, at the age of 84. Throughout her life, she served the town of Westford as a volunteer. They are both buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westford.
Sources:
“Wows with instructors at Whittemore” Lowell Sun, November 4, 1943, p.15.
Ibid. “Two From Greater Lowell are Casualties”, April 26, 1945, p.55.
Ibid. “Four Greater Lowell Men are Liberated”, May 21, 1945, pg. 1 & 3.
“Edward Beebe” Westford Eagle, June 9, 1994.
Note: Much information for this article was gleaned from Beebe’s family memos.