Father: Harry Earl Ballard, mother Caroline S [Evans] Ed. Highland Grammar School, Holyoke; Augusta Military Academy, Long Island, NY prev. 1933-34 US Army 62nd Coast Artillery, Private First Class; Operator, Valley Air Sales, Springfield, Mass.; Paper Maker. Purchasing Agent prev. exp. 470 hrs Address in 1941: Leahey Ave, South Hadley Center, Mass. Postings: 6FPP, 7FPP Reprimanded in Aug-42 for 'flying at low altitude', and suspended for 1 week in Feb-43 for 'taking off in Spitfire with hood open' 2 accidents, one his fault: - 12 Apr 1942, his Spitfire nosed over after taxying into an unmarked soft patch, and - 9 Feb 1944, when his Anson developed an engine problem and he did a precautionary landing, but then took off again even though there was a 200rpm mag. drop. Again, the engine misbehaved, so he had to do another forced landing. "It is considered that the pilot made an error of judgement in deciding to take off in the circumstances." "A capable and hard working pilot who makes a good officer if he watches his tongue" "His flying is good and his keenness to take on any work at any time cannot be considered anything but first rate" "He talks too much and too loudly and appears to have a profoundly irritant effect on many of his colleagues. He is, however, good natured and quick-witted." He sailed back to the US on the 11 Jun 1942 with fellow US pilots Marshall Milton, William Byrd Lee Milton, Eddie Grundstrom, Alexander Wilson, Manley Fairbrother, and Harry Kindberg. m. 1942 Ethel (Ruth) Lambton, also of the ATA and Edwin then spent September 1943 to January 1943 in the USA. In September 1944 Edwin, Ruth and her son Peter Lambton, age 9, sailed to the USA. In January, Ruth and Edwin were hauled before a disciplinary court for 'drinking during an unauthorised period in spite of a warning by a senior officer' and 'insubordination'. The Court was inclined Not to overlook the offences. "After considering the evidence, and after hearing verbal evidence given by Commander Whitehurst and Captain Rome the Court reached the conclusion that the charges were fully substantiated, and after reviewing the record of both these officers, who as pilots have undoubtedly done a good job, the Court nevertheless came to the conclusion that their disciplinary record throughout, as disclosed by the History Cards, has left a great deal to be desired, despite repeated warnings, and that this incident is so bad as to warrant their instant dismissal". Ruth and Edwin were duly dismissed on the 23rd January 1945. They sailed to the USA on the 21 Feb (to Edwin's home town of Hadley, MA), had 2 more children and then moved to Nassau, Bahamas in 1950 where Eddie took a job as a pilot for Bahama Airlines.
Ann Wood-Kelly, Lettice Curtis, Ruth Ballard and Winnie Fair, in the Bahamas in 1957 (ELC) d. 31 Mar 1978 - Nassau Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file):
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