Robert served as a Technical Sergeant & Engineer / Gunner on B-24J #44-40955, 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 20, 1942 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40955 took off, with a crew of 10, from Kornasoren Airport (APO 719), Schouten Islands, Indonesia on a combat mission over Balikpapan, Indonesia.
They were hit by intense ground anti-aircraft fire and almost the entire B-24 was in flames when they crashed near Balikpapan during the war.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13095229.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40955:
Bialas, Henry ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MI
Cameron, James E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Ginter, Robert H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA
Kates, Richard F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Lombardi, Oswald ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Mara, William M ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Reading, Lawrence G ~ S/Sgt, Radar Observer, IL
Ryan, Michael R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NJ
1st Lt. George J. Schenck (Co-Pilot) and S/Sgt. Gene D. Birdwell (Gunner) both became POW's of the Japanese from his flight and both survived the war.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 20, 1942 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40955 took off, with a crew of 10, from Kornasoren Airport (APO 719), Schouten Islands, Indonesia on a combat mission over Balikpapan, Indonesia.
They were hit by intense ground anti-aircraft fire and almost the entire B-24 was in flames when they crashed near Balikpapan during the war.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13095229.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40955:
Bialas, Henry ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MI
Cameron, James E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Ginter, Robert H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA
Kates, Richard F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Lombardi, Oswald ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Mara, William M ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Reading, Lawrence G ~ S/Sgt, Radar Observer, IL
Ryan, Michael R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NJ
1st Lt. George J. Schenck (Co-Pilot) and S/Sgt. Gene D. Birdwell (Gunner) both became POW's of the Japanese from his flight and both survived the war.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
Robert served as a Technical Sergeant & Engineer / Gunner on B-24J #44-40955, 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 20, 1942 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40955 took off, with a crew of 10, from Kornasoren Airport (APO 719), Schouten Islands, Indonesia on a combat mission over Balikpapan, Indonesia.
They were hit by intense ground anti-aircraft fire and almost the entire B-24 was in flames when they crashed near Balikpapan during the war.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13095229.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40955:
Bialas, Henry ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MI
Cameron, James E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Ginter, Robert H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA
Kates, Richard F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Lombardi, Oswald ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Mara, William M ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Reading, Lawrence G ~ S/Sgt, Radar Observer, IL
Ryan, Michael R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NJ
1st Lt. George J. Schenck (Co-Pilot) and S/Sgt. Gene D. Birdwell (Gunner) both became POW's of the Japanese from his flight and both survived the war.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 20, 1942 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40955 took off, with a crew of 10, from Kornasoren Airport (APO 719), Schouten Islands, Indonesia on a combat mission over Balikpapan, Indonesia.
They were hit by intense ground anti-aircraft fire and almost the entire B-24 was in flames when they crashed near Balikpapan during the war.
Robert was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13095229.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40955:
Bialas, Henry ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MI
Cameron, James E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Ginter, Robert H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA
Kates, Richard F ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Lombardi, Oswald ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Mara, William M ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Reading, Lawrence G ~ S/Sgt, Radar Observer, IL
Ryan, Michael R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NJ
1st Lt. George J. Schenck (Co-Pilot) and S/Sgt. Gene D. Birdwell (Gunner) both became POW's of the Japanese from his flight and both survived the war.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
Inscription
TSGT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
