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name
SCHMOLKE, Robert Henry - Date of
birth
4 October 1920 -
Age
24 -
Place of birth
Buckman, Morrison County, Minnesota -
Hometown
Trafford, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-823711 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
334th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
30 November 1944 - Place of
death
Arnstadt, south of Erfurt, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 9 | 7 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Frank J. Schmolke (father)
May R. (LaMartin) Schmolke (mother)
Raymond L. Schmolke (brother)
Joseph D. Schmolke (brother)
Helen Schmolke (sister)
Lorraine W. Schmolke (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-97383 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: N-Nan
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 10839
More information
1st Lt Robert H. Schmolke enlisted in Miami Beach, Florida on 7 February 1943.A/C was hit by flak just before bombs away at 1321 hours. The number 1 engine was smoking, the bombs were then dropped, and the aircraft went into a steep and controlled dive.
Surviving crew member reports indicate the pilot was hit, and Robert H. Schmolke took over controls, allowing the other crew members to bail out. Except for T/Sgt Hershel Gresham (Top Turret Gunner), who, for unknown reasons, did not bail out, all the remaining seven crew members bailed out safely. They ended up POW. The plane exploded and went into a nosedive just after the last man bailed. Robert Schmolke and Hershel Gresham were killed in the crash.
Source of information: Luc van der Sterren, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com – MACR, www.ancestry.com – Five Oaks Family Tree
Photo source: www.95thbg.org, Peter Schouteten