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name
JOBE, Robert Gehl - Date of
birth
23 November 1921 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Aurora, Du Page County, Illinois -
Hometown
Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-688048 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
368th Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 February 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Dermbach, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| K | 5 | 22 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Gehle E. Jobe (father)
Myrtle B. (Cooper) Jobe (mother)
Alma L. Jobe (sister)
Elizabeth E. (Schierbaum) Jobe (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31406 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Alexander
Destination: Bernberg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft production center
MACR: 2650
More information
Robert G. Jobe attended East Aurora High School with the class of 1939. He was a student in engineering at the University of Illinois when he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Chicago, Illinois on 26 June 1942. He was sent overseas in November of the same year.He was married to Betty Schierbaum on 26 November 1942 while both were students at the University of Illinois. In June 1944 a son was born.
The airplane was attacked by German fighters and broke into pieces at high altitude. Fragments were found in a circle about 2 km wide. the middle portion of the fuselage with the middle portion of the wings came down about 500 meters south of Dernbach.
Five crew members were killed and initially buried at the cemetery of Dernbach. Five men survived and were taken prisoner.
The bombardier witnessed that was slumped down and his oxygen mask was off. When another crew member tried to replace his mask he noticed that Lt Jobe was dead. He was hit in the chest by gun fire of the German fighters.
Lt Jobe had completed eleven missions.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemoral.com, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - Setz Family Tree / Edwardsville Intelligencer, Alton Evening Telegraph
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Phillippet, www.vigo.lib.in.us/archives, www.ancestry.com - East Aurora High School Yearbook 1939, www.newspapers.com - The St. Louis Star and Times