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Personal info

Full name
BLAKELY, Robert Pierre
Date of birth
1 March 1919
Age
24
Place of birth
Santa Maria, Los Angeles County, California
Hometown
Josephine County, Oregon

Military service

Service number
O-677231
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
550th Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
28 July 1943
Place of death
North Sea, off Heligoland, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 15 17

Immediate family

Members
John W Blakely (father)
Adria Blakely (mother)
Morris Blakely (brother)
Donald Blakely (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3316
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Betty Boom
Destination: Oschersleben, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Focke Wulf aviation industry
MACR: 189-B

More information

2nd Lt Robert P. Blakely was a lumber man before he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Portland, Oregon, on 24 April 1942.

Airplane 42-30257, 42-3316 and 42-30285 were flying in an echelon on a combat mission. Off Heligoland, at a time when visibility was poor, ship 30257 was struck by flak at a point in the fuselage about where the Navigator sits. Part of the fuselage was blown away, and the plane was thrown up into ship 42-3316. These two planes locked together for probably 30 seconds and fell into ship 42-30285. All went down together and blew up.

The entire crew of 10 was killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Carla Mans, Terry Hirsch, WWIIMemorial.com, Archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 43-D, Goodfellow Field, Texas / Pilot Class Book 43-D, Lubbock, Texas