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Personal info

Full name
POWLEDGE, Robert Berry
Date of birth
10 December 1918
Age
24
Place of birth
Fulton County, Georgia
Hometown
Tift County, Georgia

Military service

Service number
O-665336
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
333rd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
17 July 1943
Place of death
Near Helgoland, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Robert L. Powledge (father)
Nova C. (Culpepper) Powledge (mother)
Jamie M. Powledge (sister)
Clarence B. Powledge (brother)
Marjorie L. Powledge (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3219
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Dear Mom
Destination: Hamburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft industry
MACR: 93

More information

1st Lt Robert B. Powledge was orphaned at 10 years old and lived with his aunt and uncle.

He graduated from Tifton High School in 1937 where he was co-captain of the football team. He attended Georgia Tech. Lt Powledge worked as a clerk.

He joined the Coast Guard Corps of the National Guard as a private in Atlanta, Georgia on 10 February 1941.

He is remembered at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Tifton, Tift County, Georgia.

The element originally designated to attack Hamburg was a combined force of 125 B-17's, but weather caused a recall of this formation. However 84 B-17's from 94BG (18), 95BG (23), 96BG (21) and 100BG (22) sighted a German ship convoy on the return. Only one B-17 from BG96 managed to drop on the convoy. Another segment of this formation, 385BG (21) and 388BG (20) attempted to bomb the Fokker aircraft factory at Amsterdam. Ao total of 22 aircraft attempted the bombing, but the results were highly scattered and 150 civilians were killed. 1 B-17 from 94BG, aircraft 42-3219, was shot down by enemy aircraft (2 engines were hit) near Helgoland, Germany.

The entire crew was killed. Every crew member, with the exception of waist gunner Everett A. Quimby is remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. We have no information why he isn't mentioned.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten,Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.8thafhs.com, The Tifton Gazette- 26 October 2014, The Atlanta Constitution 36 July 1943.

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Ray Harris, Georgia Tech yearbook 1938, Arie-Jan van Hees - PIlot 42-I Waco Texas