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Personal info

Full name
MC CALLUM, Robert
Date of birth
8 March 1921
Age
22
Place of birth
Paisley, Scotland
Hometown
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska

Military service

Service number
O-885904
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
423rd Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
14 October 1943
Place of death
Wegnez-Bilstain, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
A 36 6

Immediate family

Members
Archibald D. Mc Callum (father)
Agnes W. Mc Callum (mother)
John W. Mc Callum (brother)
Nancy M. Mc Callum (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-30813
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Queen Jeannie
Destination: Schweinfurt, Germany
Bombing of the ball bearing plants
MACR: 820

More information

Robert McCallum attended Doane College and signed up with the RAF in 1942 because he was a native of Scotland. His parents and brother John were all born in Scotland and immigrated to the United States, arriving in New York with the SS Columbia on 10 April 1923.

The airplane was attacked by German fighters. Controle cables were destroyed which made flying the airplane very hard. According to surviving crew members, Lt McCallum was keeping the airplane as level as possible so the other crew members could bail out and thus gave his life to safe others.

Five crew members survived and were taken prisoner, five men were killed.

Source of information: Terry Hirsch, Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Records / Naturalization Record of father, www.americanairmuseum.com, 306th Newsletter April 1981 - Clark Fay, www.fold3.com, www.newspapers.com - Lincoln Journal Star

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, 306bg.us newsletter 1990