He was the son of Harry D and Bessye Ruben.
T/Sgt Ruben was the flight engineer / gunner on B-24L #44-49710, assigned to the 15th Air Force, 464th Bombardment Group, 779th Bombardment Squadron. The plane was named Stevenovich II, after the pilot's son.
They were flying from Pantanella Air Base on a bombing mission against Lugo Italy to support ground forces of the the British 8th Army. Right after releasing the bombs the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire on the left wing which caught fire and broke apart. The plane turned over and started tumbling. The radar operator was thrown clear and was able to parachute to the ground where he was taken prisoner. The other ten men aboard were killed.
T/Sgt Ruben died at Lugo, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
He received the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Presidential Citation, the Good Conduct Medal and the Purple Heart.
***
Member Notes:
USAAF B-24L ''Black Nan''of the 464th Bomber Group directly hit on engine №1 by flak, setting it on fire and ripping the left wing off between the 1st and 2nd engines over Northern Italy.
Only a single crew member of the crew of 10, 1st Lieutnant Edward F. Walsh, radar navigator, survived the crash 20 seconds after being hit an 88 mm shell.
RIP all of them:
- Lieutnant colonel James Gilson, pilot.
- Captain Charles Foote IV, co-pilot.
- 1st Lieutnant Robert O'Leary, navigator.
- Captain Lacey Morton, navigator.
- Captain George Wall, bombardier.
- Sergent Jerrold Ruben, engineer/gunner
- Sergent Charles Montegut jr, radio/gunner.
- Sergent Robert Rogers, gunner.
- Sergent Norman Cope, tail gunner.
- Sergent Melvin Thomason, gunner.
T/Sgt Ruben was the flight engineer / gunner on B-24L #44-49710, assigned to the 15th Air Force, 464th Bombardment Group, 779th Bombardment Squadron. The plane was named Stevenovich II, after the pilot's son.
They were flying from Pantanella Air Base on a bombing mission against Lugo Italy to support ground forces of the the British 8th Army. Right after releasing the bombs the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire on the left wing which caught fire and broke apart. The plane turned over and started tumbling. The radar operator was thrown clear and was able to parachute to the ground where he was taken prisoner. The other ten men aboard were killed.
T/Sgt Ruben died at Lugo, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
He received the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Presidential Citation, the Good Conduct Medal and the Purple Heart.
***
Member Notes:
USAAF B-24L ''Black Nan''of the 464th Bomber Group directly hit on engine №1 by flak, setting it on fire and ripping the left wing off between the 1st and 2nd engines over Northern Italy.
Only a single crew member of the crew of 10, 1st Lieutnant Edward F. Walsh, radar navigator, survived the crash 20 seconds after being hit an 88 mm shell.
RIP all of them:
- Lieutnant colonel James Gilson, pilot.
- Captain Charles Foote IV, co-pilot.
- 1st Lieutnant Robert O'Leary, navigator.
- Captain Lacey Morton, navigator.
- Captain George Wall, bombardier.
- Sergent Jerrold Ruben, engineer/gunner
- Sergent Charles Montegut jr, radio/gunner.
- Sergent Robert Rogers, gunner.
- Sergent Norman Cope, tail gunner.
- Sergent Melvin Thomason, gunner.
He was the son of Harry D and Bessye Ruben.
T/Sgt Ruben was the flight engineer / gunner on B-24L #44-49710, assigned to the 15th Air Force, 464th Bombardment Group, 779th Bombardment Squadron. The plane was named Stevenovich II, after the pilot's son.
They were flying from Pantanella Air Base on a bombing mission against Lugo Italy to support ground forces of the the British 8th Army. Right after releasing the bombs the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire on the left wing which caught fire and broke apart. The plane turned over and started tumbling. The radar operator was thrown clear and was able to parachute to the ground where he was taken prisoner. The other ten men aboard were killed.
T/Sgt Ruben died at Lugo, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
He received the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Presidential Citation, the Good Conduct Medal and the Purple Heart.
***
Member Notes:
USAAF B-24L ''Black Nan''of the 464th Bomber Group directly hit on engine №1 by flak, setting it on fire and ripping the left wing off between the 1st and 2nd engines over Northern Italy.
Only a single crew member of the crew of 10, 1st Lieutnant Edward F. Walsh, radar navigator, survived the crash 20 seconds after being hit an 88 mm shell.
RIP all of them:
- Lieutnant colonel James Gilson, pilot.
- Captain Charles Foote IV, co-pilot.
- 1st Lieutnant Robert O'Leary, navigator.
- Captain Lacey Morton, navigator.
- Captain George Wall, bombardier.
- Sergent Jerrold Ruben, engineer/gunner
- Sergent Charles Montegut jr, radio/gunner.
- Sergent Robert Rogers, gunner.
- Sergent Norman Cope, tail gunner.
- Sergent Melvin Thomason, gunner.
T/Sgt Ruben was the flight engineer / gunner on B-24L #44-49710, assigned to the 15th Air Force, 464th Bombardment Group, 779th Bombardment Squadron. The plane was named Stevenovich II, after the pilot's son.
They were flying from Pantanella Air Base on a bombing mission against Lugo Italy to support ground forces of the the British 8th Army. Right after releasing the bombs the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire on the left wing which caught fire and broke apart. The plane turned over and started tumbling. The radar operator was thrown clear and was able to parachute to the ground where he was taken prisoner. The other ten men aboard were killed.
T/Sgt Ruben died at Lugo, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
He received the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Presidential Citation, the Good Conduct Medal and the Purple Heart.
***
Member Notes:
USAAF B-24L ''Black Nan''of the 464th Bomber Group directly hit on engine №1 by flak, setting it on fire and ripping the left wing off between the 1st and 2nd engines over Northern Italy.
Only a single crew member of the crew of 10, 1st Lieutnant Edward F. Walsh, radar navigator, survived the crash 20 seconds after being hit an 88 mm shell.
RIP all of them:
- Lieutnant colonel James Gilson, pilot.
- Captain Charles Foote IV, co-pilot.
- 1st Lieutnant Robert O'Leary, navigator.
- Captain Lacey Morton, navigator.
- Captain George Wall, bombardier.
- Sergent Jerrold Ruben, engineer/gunner
- Sergent Charles Montegut jr, radio/gunner.
- Sergent Robert Rogers, gunner.
- Sergent Norman Cope, tail gunner.
- Sergent Melvin Thomason, gunner.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
