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Grimes, Robert Albert

Individual Personnel Data
Name Grimes, Robert Albert   ‡
⇗
Rank Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 6983789   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Special Orders #32 dated 1 February 1943, effective 1 February 1943.
Duty Tail Gunner
MOS612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date 30 January 1944
Results Prisoner Of War
POW Camp: Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 23 April 1924
  • Reclassified from Aerial Gunner Specialist (MOS) 611 to Armorer Gunner Specialist (MOS) 612 effective 13 April 1943 per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 13 April 1943.
  • Ordered to attend Gunnery School at Snettisham, Norfolk, for approximately 10 days beginning on or about 30 May 1943, on SO #21 dated 30 May 1943. Students are required to bring .50 cal. Ammunition, gas mask, steel helmet, mess equipment, blankets, clothing for ten days, and draw 'PX rations' in advance.
  • Promoted from Private to Corporal per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #36 dated 25 June 1943.
  • Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #40 dated 1 July 1943.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #60 dated 1 August 1943.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to the American Red Cross Club, Southport (A FLAK House) on or about 9 January 1944 per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #6 dated 8 January 1944.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 2263⇓ (3.481 MB)
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Original 384th Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Armstrong, Lloyd Rowland⇗PilotCT
2nd Lt. Van der Haeghen, Joseph Albert⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Wilson, Eugene Theodore⇗NavigatorMIA
2nd Lt. Kinney, William Brownie⇗BombardierCT
S/SGT. Carroll, George Henry⇗Radio Operator / GunnerCT
S/SGT. Estes, Lloyd Stack⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerWIA
S/SGT. Thurman, Fillman Clifton⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
SGT. Grimes, Robert AlbertTail GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Mason, Jack Leslie (#2)⇗Flexible GunnerCT
S/SGT. Renfro, Alvin Everette⇗Flexible GunnerCT

Crew History

The Armstrong Crew joined the 545th BS at Wendover on 1 February 1943. Identified as "Crew #5" on the assignment order, they became the first "Crew #53" in the squadron. They trained at Wendover, Sioux City, and Kearney, and then flew to England together.

They flew numerous missions together, with Wilson and Grimes not flying the first few missions, for unknown reasons. In September, Van der Haeghen was rated First Pilot and given his own crew; Mason and Grimes went with him, and were replaced by S/Sgt Michael Polito and S/Sgt Ralph Voorhees. Most of the members of this crew completed their combat tour, with only Wilson not surviving the war.
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 25 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
6⇗ 4 July 1943 Target: Gnome et Rhone Aircraft Engine Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Le Mans, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
7⇗ 10 July 1943 Target: Drucat Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Abbeville, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
9⇗ 24 July 1943 Target: Aluminum & Magnesium Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Herøya, Norway 		Waist (Flexible) Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
10⇗ 25 July 1943 Target: Blohm & Voss Aircraft Works and Shipyard
Type: Industry
Location: Hamburg, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
14⇗ 12 August 1943 Target: Synthetic Fuel Hydrogenation Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back at 0810 hrs because of supercharger failure on #3 & #4 engines.
Sortie Report⇗
15⇗ 15 August 1943 Target: Poix-en-Picardie and Amiens-Glisy Airfields
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Poix-de-Picardie & Amiens, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3074⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑3218. Turned back for unknown reasons.
Sortie Report⇗
16⇗ 16 August 1943 Target: Le Bourget Airport & Air Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Paris, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
17⇗ 17 August 1943 Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3216⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
18⇗ 27 August 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Watten, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
19⇗ 31 August 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Romilly-sur-Seine, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back with #2, #3, and #4 engines very rough.
Sortie Report⇗
23⇗ 9 September 1943 Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Lille-Vendeville, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
25⇗ 23 September 1943 Target: Submarine Repair Ship
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Nantes, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑5051⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
26⇗ 27 September 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3216⇗ Combat Mission Credit
One engine went out before the target, and a second was hit by flak. A third engine quit on the way home. The crew threw as much as possible overboard, and the pilot was able to bring it in on one engine.
Sortie Report⇗
27⇗ 2 October 1943 Target: Port Facilities
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5051⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
29⇗ 8 October 1943 Target: Workshops
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3216⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
31⇗ 10 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Münster, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3216⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Sortie Report⇗
33⇗ 20 October 1943 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Düren, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5444⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
--⇗ 30 October 1943 Target: Marshaling Yard
Type: Transportation
Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑3218⇗ Sortie Report⇗
34⇗ 3 November 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5444⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
36⇗ 16 November 1943 Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine
Type: Industry
Location: Knaben, Norway 		Tail Gunner 42‑37776⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
40⇗ 5 December 1943 Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
41⇗ 11 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Emden, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑29828⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
42⇗ 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5404⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group, high Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
43⇗ 16 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5444⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
45⇗ 22 December 1943 Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5444⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
46⇗ 24 December 1943 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Croisette, France 		Tail Gunner 41‑24525⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑29554.
Sortie Report⇗
47⇗ 30 December 1943 Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑30026⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
51⇗ 7 January 1944 Target: Powerhouse
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑29632⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Became separated from formation in dense clouds after group assembly; failed to make wing rendezvous.
Sortie Report⇗
54⇗ 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Tail Gunner 42‑31415⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41A Group, Low Squadron Deputy.
Sortie Report⇗
55⇗ 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5444⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
56⇗ 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Tail Gunner 42‑5444⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
Low group high Squadron. Last seen at 1146 hrs, six minutes before the IP, being attacked by FW 190s and began falling away from the formation where he burst into flames, but continued on and dropped bombs on target; three chutes seen to emerge; crashed near Oberkirchen, Germany. Casualties buried in Meinsen. MACR 2263
Sortie Report⇗

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