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name
COSGROVE, Robert Shannon - Date of
birth
17 March 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa -
Hometown
Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-683178 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
324th Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
27 September 1943 - Place of
death
Geefsweer, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| I | 21 | 15 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Frank H. Cosgrove (father)
Luella (Shannon) Cosgrove (mother)
Janet M. Cosgrove (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-3111 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Local Girl
Destination: Emden, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port
MACR: 667
More information
Robert S. Cosgrove graduated from Sacred Heart Grade school and attended Loras Academy in 1937. In his third year at Loras College, he was inducted into the United States Army Signal Corps ad sent to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey on 14 July 1941. After basic training at Monmouth, he was sent to San Jose, California, where he transferred to the Army Air Corps. Flight training at Santa Ana, California, and Ellington Field, Texas, preceeded advanced navigation study at the United States Army Air Force Navigation School at San Marcos, Texas, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded his navigator's wings on 24 June 1943. A month later, Lt Cosgrove was sent overseas.The airplane was attacked by a ME 109 shortly after bombs away. N° 3 engine caught fire and flames also seemed to come from from and fuselage. It crashed at 10:30 at Geefsweer Village, South of Delfzijl.
Four crew members were killed, six were taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / WWII Bonus Case File, www.newspaperarchive.com - Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Mike Youling www.newspaperarchive.com - Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Arie-Jan van Hees, Navigator Class Book 43-9 San Marcos, Texas