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name
ROBINSON, Richard E - Date of
birth
25 January 1925 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvnia -
Hometown
Blair County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-822813 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
495th Bombardment Squadron,
344th Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Died non-Battle - Date of
death
31 May 1945 - Place of
death
Oostburg, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 9 | 31 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Donald R. Robinson Sr. (father)
Olive V. (Johnson) Robinson (mother)
Donald R. Robinson (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-34395 -
Data
Type: B-26
Mission: Training
More information
Lt Robinson graduated from Altoona High School.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Altoona, Pennsylvania on 4 February 1943 and trained in Nashville, Tennessee, Maxwell Field, Alabama, and graduated in Greenwood, Mississippi where he was the youngest pilot to receive his wings. He was sent overseas in August 1944.
He was part of a B-26 crew that went down in a friendly fire accident on 31 May 1945 while conducting live fire practice in preparation for transfer to the Pacific theatre. The aircraft crashed when its tail was shot off by its own top turret gunner.
The crew had completed 35 combat missions.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.usaafdata.com, www.b26.com, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree, www.newspapers.com - Altoona Tribune
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, www.newspapers.com - Altoona Tribune