Name | Ralph, Robert Edward ‡ |
Rank | Staff Sergeant |
Serial Number | 35443176 ‡ |
Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #56 Dated 25 July 1943, effective 25 July 1943. |
Duty | Ball Turret Gunner |
MOS | 611 - Aerial Gunner |
Last Duty Date | 30 January 1944 |
Results |
Killed In Action Final Resting Place or Memorial: Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Saint Louis, Missouri |
Decorations | Presented Air Medal on 17 October 1943 (microfilm B0376-01630).
Presented Oak Leaf Cluster (to Air Medal) on 23 January 1944 (microfilm B0376-01669). |
Additional Information | 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⇗ |
CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
---|---|---|
2nd Lt. Sweningsen, Oliver (NMI), Jr⇗ | Pilot | POW |
2nd Lt. Stewart, Carlos Penfield⇗ | Co-pilot | POW |
2nd Lt. Cawley, Thomas Francis⇗ | Bombardier | POW |
T/SGT. Barta, Joseph Francis⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | POW |
T/SGT. Bartholomew, Everett Laverne⇗ | Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | POW |
S/SGT. Ralph, Robert Edward | Ball Turret Gunner | KIA |
S/SGT. Grover, Richard Stanley⇗ | Tail Gunner | KIA |
S/SGT. Dillingham, Desmond Quinton⇗ | Flexible Gunner | POW |
S/SGT. Weatherford, Louie Frank⇗ | Flexible Gunner | EV |
Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
15⇗ | 15 August 1943 |
Target: Poix-en-Picardie and Amiens-Glisy Airfields Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Poix-de-Picardie & Amiens, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑5852⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
16⇗ | 16 August 1943 |
Target: Le Bourget Airport & Air Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Paris, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑3459⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
21⇗ | 6 September 1943 |
Type: Industry Location: Stuttgart, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑3429⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Landed away near Dungeness, Kent, due to low fuel. Sortie Report⇗ |
23⇗ | 9 September 1943 |
Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Lille-Vendeville, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑5404⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron Deputy Sortie Report⇗ |
25⇗ | 23 September 1943 |
Target: Submarine Repair Ship Type: Submarine Facility Location: Nantes, France |
Ball Turret | 42‑5051⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
26⇗ | 27 September 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany |
Ball Turret | 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 |
Ball Turret | 42‑5051⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗ |
29⇗ | 8 October 1943 |
Target: Workshops Type: Submarine Facility Location: Bremen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑3216⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
31⇗ | 10 October 1943 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Münster, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑3216⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Sortie Report⇗ |
33⇗ | 20 October 1943 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Düren, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑5444⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
--⇗ | 30 October 1943 |
Target: Marshaling Yard Type: Transportation Location: Geilenkirchen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑3218⇗ | Sortie Report⇗ |
34⇗ | 3 November 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑5444⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
35⇗ | 5 November 1943 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑37816⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
36⇗ | 16 November 1943 |
Target: Knaben II Molybdenum Mine Type: Industry Location: Knaben, Norway |
Ball Turret | 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 |
Ball Turret | 42‑39888⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
41⇗ | 11 December 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑29828⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
42⇗ | 13 December 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑5404⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group, high Squadron deputy. Sortie Report⇗ |
43⇗ | 16 December 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑5444⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
45⇗ | 22 December 1943 |
Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Osnabrück, Germany |
Ball Turret | 42‑5444⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
46⇗ | 24 December 1943 |
Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Croisette, France |
Ball Turret | 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 |
Ball Turret | 42‑30026⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
51⇗ | 7 January 1944 |
Target: Powerhouse Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Ball Turret | 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 |
Ball Turret | 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 |
Ball Turret | 42‑5444⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗ |
56⇗ | 30 January 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany |
Ball Turret | 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⇗ |