Memorial

More information

Robert Sutton volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Peoria, Illinois on 6 October 1942.

He was married to Shirley Beard on 11 January 1943.

Just turning off the target area things went seriously wrong. 2nd Lt Herbert Young Jr., the navigator, remembered: On way into the target, large numbers of single-engine German ME-109's came slashing head-on through the formation, flipping over on their backs and curving down and away to escape the fire power of the bombers, then climbing to attack from the rear. During one of these attacks our tail gunner Robert Sutton was seriously wounded in the upper part of his leg. We were in the back of our group and our plane suffered from loss of power. In an effort to keep up with the formation, our bombs were released ahead of the target. Suddenly the oil pressure in one engine failed completely, causing the propeller to run-away until it froze in place. Immediately we fell behind the formation and as we lumbered on stricken, ME-109's, FW190's and a two engine ME-110 circled inward for the kill. As we sank from 21000 to 18000 feet, Tex, our pilot, still imperturbable, gave the order to bail out.
Eight crew members were taken prisoner, two men were killed. S/Sgt Sutton had already died of wounds in his stomach, head and leg before the bail out order was given.

S/Sgt Robert J. Sutton is remembered at Mason City Cemetery in Mason City, Mason County, Illinois with a memorial marker.