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name
DAVIDSON, Robert Phelps - Date of
birth
4 April 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Los Angeles County, California -
Hometown
Sutter, Sutter County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-731275 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
358th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 June 1943 - Place of
death
Berg Bossendorf, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 21 | 18 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Donald W. Davidson Sr. (father)
Marion A. Davidson (mother)
Donald W. Davidson Jr. (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-5432 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: The Hunting Club
Destination: Huls, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the chemical works and the synthetic rubber plants
MACR: 3077
More information
The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and attacked by enemy fighters. It went in a tight spiral, making the crew members in the rear helpless to move about.2nd Lt Davidson was killed by the flak burst.
Six crew members were killed. They were initialy all buried at the Prisoner of War Memorial Cemetery in Sythen, near Haltern, Germany. Four crew members were taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.303rdbg.com, www.wwiimemorial, www.footnote.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil / California Birth Index
Photo source: Michel Beckers, www.303rdbg.com, www.findagrave.com - patootie