Robert served as a 1st Lieutenant & Pilot on B-17G "Angel's Sister" #43-38210, 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Clark County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on February 3, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Electrician and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38210 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155, for an unknown reason, they collided with B-17G 43-38639 and they both crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # O-777241
Robert also has a "Cenotaph" in the Park Hill Cemetery, Vancouver, Washington.
( See photo to the right and family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210:
Bernacchi, Adolph ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Chambers, Charles T. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MS
Fraser, Gordon S. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, ME
Fredericksen, Harold K ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ID
Koblitz, Alvin L. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Lynch, Leo T., Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, UT
Miller, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, VA
Ritchie, Robert G. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Simmons, William D. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G 43-38639 see:
Crimmins, Timothy E. J., Capt, Pilot, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Clark County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on February 3, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Electrician and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38210 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155, for an unknown reason, they collided with B-17G 43-38639 and they both crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # O-777241
Robert also has a "Cenotaph" in the Park Hill Cemetery, Vancouver, Washington.
( See photo to the right and family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210:
Bernacchi, Adolph ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Chambers, Charles T. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MS
Fraser, Gordon S. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, ME
Fredericksen, Harold K ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ID
Koblitz, Alvin L. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Lynch, Leo T., Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, UT
Miller, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, VA
Ritchie, Robert G. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Simmons, William D. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G 43-38639 see:
Crimmins, Timothy E. J., Capt, Pilot, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert served as a 1st Lieutenant & Pilot on B-17G "Angel's Sister" #43-38210, 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Clark County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on February 3, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Electrician and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38210 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155, for an unknown reason, they collided with B-17G 43-38639 and they both crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # O-777241
Robert also has a "Cenotaph" in the Park Hill Cemetery, Vancouver, Washington.
( See photo to the right and family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210:
Bernacchi, Adolph ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Chambers, Charles T. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MS
Fraser, Gordon S. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, ME
Fredericksen, Harold K ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ID
Koblitz, Alvin L. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Lynch, Leo T., Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, UT
Miller, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, VA
Ritchie, Robert G. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Simmons, William D. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G 43-38639 see:
Crimmins, Timothy E. J., Capt, Pilot, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Clark County, Washington prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on February 3, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Electrician and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38210 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155, for an unknown reason, they collided with B-17G 43-38639 and they both crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # O-777241
Robert also has a "Cenotaph" in the Park Hill Cemetery, Vancouver, Washington.
( See photo to the right and family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210:
Bernacchi, Adolph ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Chambers, Charles T. ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MS
Fraser, Gordon S. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, ME
Fredericksen, Harold K ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ID
Koblitz, Alvin L. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Lynch, Leo T., Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, UT
Miller, William H. ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, VA
Ritchie, Robert G. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Simmons, William D. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G 43-38639 see:
Crimmins, Timothy E. J., Capt, Pilot, GA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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