Second Lieutenant Ruby (or Rubie) R. Mass, Army serial number O-814932, was born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on May 29, 1920. His Hebrew name is Reuven, and the 1940 U.S. Census lists him as Reuben. His name is Rubie R. Mass in military records, and Ruby Mass on his grave marker. His parents were Sam Mass (abt 1883 – 8 Dec 1945), who was born at Berdichev, Ukraine, Russia; and Rose (Cohen) Mass (abt 1894 – 27 Apr 1957), who was born in Russia. He had a brother, Max Mass (18 Jul 1918 – 5 May 1982), who was born at Chicago, Illinois and died at Los Angeles County, California. The family home was at 3328 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. In 1940 Sam Mass was a self-employed painter, and Max Mass was an errand boy for a jewelry manufacturing company. Ruby Mass graduated from Manley High School in 1939 and completed one year of college. He worked as a stock and shipping clerk and was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Chicago, Illinois on May 5, 1942.
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on November 3, 1943. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt William J. Mowat in the 837th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group. The Mowat crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Here is the crew roster when they deployed from Alamogordo:
B-24 #41-29523 – Crew #87-7-10
• Mowat, William J – 2/Lt – Pilot
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot
• Moke, Francis E – 2/Lt – Navigator
• Theriault, Franklyn R – 2/Lt – Bombardier
• Cunningham, James P – S/Sgt – Engineer
• Gassman, Henry D – Sgt – Radio Operator
• Frederick, Robert L – Sgt – Armorer/Gunner
• Reed, Carl W – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Misiaszek, Ralph A – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Young, Frederick R – M/Sgt – Passenger
According to a nephew of Lt Mowat, during the 487th Bomb Group's first stop at Herington, Kansas, Lt Mowat had a physical exam which revealed a condition that required surgery before he could go overseas. So the rest of the crew flew on to England without him. It is unknown who took Lt Mowat's place in B-24 41-29523 during the remainder of the deployment via the southern Atlantic ferry route.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After arrival in England Lt Mass was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Arthur D. Erwin, in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. Here is Lt Erwin's crew roster on June 20, 1944:
B-24H 42-95217 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• Erwin, Arthur D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Mackie, Thomas S – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Musser, Elmer G – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Boyd, Leslie L – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Lumpkin, Claude L – S/Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Kussy Jr, Leroy S – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Rosenberger, Jearold F – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – POW
Lt Mass and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on June 20, 1944 when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg near Hannover, Germany. Just after bombs away the aircraft received a direct flak hit which tore off the tail. The aircraft spun to the ground in flames and crashed five kilometers north of Hannover. The bodies of eight crew members were found in the wreckage. The dead were buried initially at the military cemetery in Hannover-Limmer. S/Sgt Ross, the tail gunner, was able to bail out and landed at Mecklenheide near Hannover. He was captured there and became a prisoner of war.
The remains of Lt Mass were returned to the United States and interred at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois in 1949. He is buried in the Roumanian Jewish Section in the family plot, Section 474, Lot 202, Row 14B, Grave 5. His parents are buried next to him in graves 4 and 6.
His crewmate S/Sgt Albert Louis Ross survived captivity and returned to Chico, Butte County, California after the war. He was lost at sea in 1979 while working as a commercial fisherman off the Mendocino coast near Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California.
Lt William J. Mowat, his original pilot, deployed overseas on June 28, 1944, and arrived in England on July 5, 1944. He was assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, at Tibenham, England. He was killed in action during a mission to Kassel, Germany on September 27, 1944 (MACR 9572).
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1930 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago. Mass, Sam. Apr 1930 (his father)
3. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 24; 3328 West Roosevelt Road. Mass, Sam. 9 Apr 1940 (his father)
4. American Jewish Historical Society. WWII Jewish Servicemen Cards, 1942-1947 (two cards for Rubie R. Mass, 3328 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illlinois on file at ancestry.com)
5. California Death Index, 1940–1997: Max Mass died at Los Angeles County, California on 5 May 1982; date of birth: 18 Jul 1918; mother's maiden name: Cohen
6. Cemetery records of Waldheim Cemetery, 1400 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60131. His name is recorded as Ruby R. Mass in cemetery records.
7. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
8. Enlistment record of Rubie R. Mass
9. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
10. Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1938
• Rueben Mass [sic] born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 29 May 1920; father: Sam Mass; mother: Rose Cohen
• Max Mass born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 18 Jul 1918; father Sam Mass; mother Rose Cohen (his brother)
11. JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry. This source records his name as 2nd Lt. Ruby Mass. It gives his Hebrew name as Reuven, and his father's Hebrew name as Sholom Ha'cohen.
12. Mowat, Ronald W. Personal Communication. 2010–2013 (nephew of William J. Mowat)
13. Social Security Death Index
14. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 5935
15. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 9572
16. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
17. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
18. World War II Draft Registration of Sam Mass. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 3 Feb 2024
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on November 3, 1943. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt William J. Mowat in the 837th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group. The Mowat crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Here is the crew roster when they deployed from Alamogordo:
B-24 #41-29523 – Crew #87-7-10
• Mowat, William J – 2/Lt – Pilot
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot
• Moke, Francis E – 2/Lt – Navigator
• Theriault, Franklyn R – 2/Lt – Bombardier
• Cunningham, James P – S/Sgt – Engineer
• Gassman, Henry D – Sgt – Radio Operator
• Frederick, Robert L – Sgt – Armorer/Gunner
• Reed, Carl W – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Misiaszek, Ralph A – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Young, Frederick R – M/Sgt – Passenger
According to a nephew of Lt Mowat, during the 487th Bomb Group's first stop at Herington, Kansas, Lt Mowat had a physical exam which revealed a condition that required surgery before he could go overseas. So the rest of the crew flew on to England without him. It is unknown who took Lt Mowat's place in B-24 41-29523 during the remainder of the deployment via the southern Atlantic ferry route.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After arrival in England Lt Mass was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Arthur D. Erwin, in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. Here is Lt Erwin's crew roster on June 20, 1944:
B-24H 42-95217 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• Erwin, Arthur D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Mackie, Thomas S – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Musser, Elmer G – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Boyd, Leslie L – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Lumpkin, Claude L – S/Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Kussy Jr, Leroy S – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Rosenberger, Jearold F – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – POW
Lt Mass and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on June 20, 1944 when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg near Hannover, Germany. Just after bombs away the aircraft received a direct flak hit which tore off the tail. The aircraft spun to the ground in flames and crashed five kilometers north of Hannover. The bodies of eight crew members were found in the wreckage. The dead were buried initially at the military cemetery in Hannover-Limmer. S/Sgt Ross, the tail gunner, was able to bail out and landed at Mecklenheide near Hannover. He was captured there and became a prisoner of war.
The remains of Lt Mass were returned to the United States and interred at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois in 1949. He is buried in the Roumanian Jewish Section in the family plot, Section 474, Lot 202, Row 14B, Grave 5. His parents are buried next to him in graves 4 and 6.
His crewmate S/Sgt Albert Louis Ross survived captivity and returned to Chico, Butte County, California after the war. He was lost at sea in 1979 while working as a commercial fisherman off the Mendocino coast near Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California.
Lt William J. Mowat, his original pilot, deployed overseas on June 28, 1944, and arrived in England on July 5, 1944. He was assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, at Tibenham, England. He was killed in action during a mission to Kassel, Germany on September 27, 1944 (MACR 9572).
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1930 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago. Mass, Sam. Apr 1930 (his father)
3. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 24; 3328 West Roosevelt Road. Mass, Sam. 9 Apr 1940 (his father)
4. American Jewish Historical Society. WWII Jewish Servicemen Cards, 1942-1947 (two cards for Rubie R. Mass, 3328 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illlinois on file at ancestry.com)
5. California Death Index, 1940–1997: Max Mass died at Los Angeles County, California on 5 May 1982; date of birth: 18 Jul 1918; mother's maiden name: Cohen
6. Cemetery records of Waldheim Cemetery, 1400 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60131. His name is recorded as Ruby R. Mass in cemetery records.
7. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
8. Enlistment record of Rubie R. Mass
9. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
10. Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1938
• Rueben Mass [sic] born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 29 May 1920; father: Sam Mass; mother: Rose Cohen
• Max Mass born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 18 Jul 1918; father Sam Mass; mother Rose Cohen (his brother)
11. JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry. This source records his name as 2nd Lt. Ruby Mass. It gives his Hebrew name as Reuven, and his father's Hebrew name as Sholom Ha'cohen.
12. Mowat, Ronald W. Personal Communication. 2010–2013 (nephew of William J. Mowat)
13. Social Security Death Index
14. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 5935
15. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 9572
16. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
17. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
18. World War II Draft Registration of Sam Mass. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 3 Feb 2024
Second Lieutenant Ruby (or Rubie) R. Mass, Army serial number O-814932, was born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on May 29, 1920. His Hebrew name is Reuven, and the 1940 U.S. Census lists him as Reuben. His name is Rubie R. Mass in military records, and Ruby Mass on his grave marker. His parents were Sam Mass (abt 1883 – 8 Dec 1945), who was born at Berdichev, Ukraine, Russia; and Rose (Cohen) Mass (abt 1894 – 27 Apr 1957), who was born in Russia. He had a brother, Max Mass (18 Jul 1918 – 5 May 1982), who was born at Chicago, Illinois and died at Los Angeles County, California. The family home was at 3328 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. In 1940 Sam Mass was a self-employed painter, and Max Mass was an errand boy for a jewelry manufacturing company. Ruby Mass graduated from Manley High School in 1939 and completed one year of college. He worked as a stock and shipping clerk and was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Chicago, Illinois on May 5, 1942.
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on November 3, 1943. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt William J. Mowat in the 837th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group. The Mowat crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Here is the crew roster when they deployed from Alamogordo:
B-24 #41-29523 – Crew #87-7-10
• Mowat, William J – 2/Lt – Pilot
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot
• Moke, Francis E – 2/Lt – Navigator
• Theriault, Franklyn R – 2/Lt – Bombardier
• Cunningham, James P – S/Sgt – Engineer
• Gassman, Henry D – Sgt – Radio Operator
• Frederick, Robert L – Sgt – Armorer/Gunner
• Reed, Carl W – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Misiaszek, Ralph A – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Young, Frederick R – M/Sgt – Passenger
According to a nephew of Lt Mowat, during the 487th Bomb Group's first stop at Herington, Kansas, Lt Mowat had a physical exam which revealed a condition that required surgery before he could go overseas. So the rest of the crew flew on to England without him. It is unknown who took Lt Mowat's place in B-24 41-29523 during the remainder of the deployment via the southern Atlantic ferry route.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After arrival in England Lt Mass was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Arthur D. Erwin, in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. Here is Lt Erwin's crew roster on June 20, 1944:
B-24H 42-95217 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• Erwin, Arthur D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Mackie, Thomas S – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Musser, Elmer G – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Boyd, Leslie L – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Lumpkin, Claude L – S/Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Kussy Jr, Leroy S – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Rosenberger, Jearold F – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – POW
Lt Mass and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on June 20, 1944 when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg near Hannover, Germany. Just after bombs away the aircraft received a direct flak hit which tore off the tail. The aircraft spun to the ground in flames and crashed five kilometers north of Hannover. The bodies of eight crew members were found in the wreckage. The dead were buried initially at the military cemetery in Hannover-Limmer. S/Sgt Ross, the tail gunner, was able to bail out and landed at Mecklenheide near Hannover. He was captured there and became a prisoner of war.
The remains of Lt Mass were returned to the United States and interred at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois in 1949. He is buried in the Roumanian Jewish Section in the family plot, Section 474, Lot 202, Row 14B, Grave 5. His parents are buried next to him in graves 4 and 6.
His crewmate S/Sgt Albert Louis Ross survived captivity and returned to Chico, Butte County, California after the war. He was lost at sea in 1979 while working as a commercial fisherman off the Mendocino coast near Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California.
Lt William J. Mowat, his original pilot, deployed overseas on June 28, 1944, and arrived in England on July 5, 1944. He was assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, at Tibenham, England. He was killed in action during a mission to Kassel, Germany on September 27, 1944 (MACR 9572).
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1930 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago. Mass, Sam. Apr 1930 (his father)
3. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 24; 3328 West Roosevelt Road. Mass, Sam. 9 Apr 1940 (his father)
4. American Jewish Historical Society. WWII Jewish Servicemen Cards, 1942-1947 (two cards for Rubie R. Mass, 3328 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illlinois on file at ancestry.com)
5. California Death Index, 1940–1997: Max Mass died at Los Angeles County, California on 5 May 1982; date of birth: 18 Jul 1918; mother's maiden name: Cohen
6. Cemetery records of Waldheim Cemetery, 1400 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60131. His name is recorded as Ruby R. Mass in cemetery records.
7. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
8. Enlistment record of Rubie R. Mass
9. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
10. Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1938
• Rueben Mass [sic] born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 29 May 1920; father: Sam Mass; mother: Rose Cohen
• Max Mass born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 18 Jul 1918; father Sam Mass; mother Rose Cohen (his brother)
11. JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry. This source records his name as 2nd Lt. Ruby Mass. It gives his Hebrew name as Reuven, and his father's Hebrew name as Sholom Ha'cohen.
12. Mowat, Ronald W. Personal Communication. 2010–2013 (nephew of William J. Mowat)
13. Social Security Death Index
14. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 5935
15. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 9572
16. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
17. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
18. World War II Draft Registration of Sam Mass. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 3 Feb 2024
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training in Class 43-J and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on November 3, 1943. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt William J. Mowat in the 837th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group. The Mowat crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Here is the crew roster when they deployed from Alamogordo:
B-24 #41-29523 – Crew #87-7-10
• Mowat, William J – 2/Lt – Pilot
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot
• Moke, Francis E – 2/Lt – Navigator
• Theriault, Franklyn R – 2/Lt – Bombardier
• Cunningham, James P – S/Sgt – Engineer
• Gassman, Henry D – Sgt – Radio Operator
• Frederick, Robert L – Sgt – Armorer/Gunner
• Reed, Carl W – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Misiaszek, Ralph A – Sgt – Engineer/Gunner
• Young, Frederick R – M/Sgt – Passenger
According to a nephew of Lt Mowat, during the 487th Bomb Group's first stop at Herington, Kansas, Lt Mowat had a physical exam which revealed a condition that required surgery before he could go overseas. So the rest of the crew flew on to England without him. It is unknown who took Lt Mowat's place in B-24 41-29523 during the remainder of the deployment via the southern Atlantic ferry route.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After arrival in England Lt Mass was assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Arthur D. Erwin, in the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. Here is Lt Erwin's crew roster on June 20, 1944:
B-24H 42-95217 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• Erwin, Arthur D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Mass, Rubie R – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Mackie, Thomas S – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Musser, Elmer G – S/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Boyd, Leslie L – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Lumpkin, Claude L – S/Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Kussy Jr, Leroy S – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Rosenberger, Jearold F – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – POW
Lt Mass and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on June 20, 1944 when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg near Hannover, Germany. Just after bombs away the aircraft received a direct flak hit which tore off the tail. The aircraft spun to the ground in flames and crashed five kilometers north of Hannover. The bodies of eight crew members were found in the wreckage. The dead were buried initially at the military cemetery in Hannover-Limmer. S/Sgt Ross, the tail gunner, was able to bail out and landed at Mecklenheide near Hannover. He was captured there and became a prisoner of war.
The remains of Lt Mass were returned to the United States and interred at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois in 1949. He is buried in the Roumanian Jewish Section in the family plot, Section 474, Lot 202, Row 14B, Grave 5. His parents are buried next to him in graves 4 and 6.
His crewmate S/Sgt Albert Louis Ross survived captivity and returned to Chico, Butte County, California after the war. He was lost at sea in 1979 while working as a commercial fisherman off the Mendocino coast near Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California.
Lt William J. Mowat, his original pilot, deployed overseas on June 28, 1944, and arrived in England on July 5, 1944. He was assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, at Tibenham, England. He was killed in action during a mission to Kassel, Germany on September 27, 1944 (MACR 9572).
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1930 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago. Mass, Sam. Apr 1930 (his father)
3. 1940 US Census; Illinois; Cook County; Chicago; Ward 24; 3328 West Roosevelt Road. Mass, Sam. 9 Apr 1940 (his father)
4. American Jewish Historical Society. WWII Jewish Servicemen Cards, 1942-1947 (two cards for Rubie R. Mass, 3328 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illlinois on file at ancestry.com)
5. California Death Index, 1940–1997: Max Mass died at Los Angeles County, California on 5 May 1982; date of birth: 18 Jul 1918; mother's maiden name: Cohen
6. Cemetery records of Waldheim Cemetery, 1400 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL 60131. His name is recorded as Ruby R. Mass in cemetery records.
7. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
8. Enlistment record of Rubie R. Mass
9. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
10. Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1938
• Rueben Mass [sic] born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 29 May 1920; father: Sam Mass; mother: Rose Cohen
• Max Mass born at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on 18 Jul 1918; father Sam Mass; mother Rose Cohen (his brother)
11. JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry. This source records his name as 2nd Lt. Ruby Mass. It gives his Hebrew name as Reuven, and his father's Hebrew name as Sholom Ha'cohen.
12. Mowat, Ronald W. Personal Communication. 2010–2013 (nephew of William J. Mowat)
13. Social Security Death Index
14. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 5935
15. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 9572
16. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
17. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
18. World War II Draft Registration of Sam Mass. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 3 Feb 2024
Inscription
SON
2ND LT RUBY MASS
BORN MAY 29, 1920
DIED JUNE 20, 1944
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