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name
HUNTER, Robert Warner - Date of
birth
22 August 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Akron, Summit County, Ohio -
Hometown
Morgan county, Alabama
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
34334614 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
525th Bombardment Squadron,
379th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
29 November 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, near Petten, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
William S. Hunter Sr. (father)
Victoria A. (Amundson) Hunter (mother)
WIlliam S. Hunter Jr. (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-29787 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Wilder Nell II
Destination: Bremen, Germany
MACR: 1332
More information
Robert Hunter attended college for one year.He enlisted at Fort McClellan, Alabama on 17 July 1942.
Sgt Schooley Jr. (Tail Gunner), the only survivor, states that the plane was not hit over Germany while on their bombing mission but was but shot down over the Netherlands by ground fire. In accordance with an eye witness, the plane was followed by two German fighters and the bomber crew threw some things out. The bomber made a crash-landing at sea with the nose to the south. The German fighters circle above the bomber but didn't fire. At least four crew members climbed into a dinghy and a few others were floating with their life jackets on in the sea. It was tidal and the sea was rough. Suddenly, a machine gun opened fire. Sgt Schooley reached a pier and was picked up by the Germans after a German officer stopped the shooting. The other crew members were killed by the fire or drowned.
Although most likely the airplane was hit by ground fire, Erich Bucholz in a Bf109 claimed the victory.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR / WWII Draft Card, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census
Photo source: Piet Glas, The Decatur Daily Sun 19 December 1943