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name
BLACKBURN, Robert Medbury - Date of
birth
29 August 1920 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Kansas City, Missouri -
Hometown
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-727390 -
Rank
Major -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
509th Fighter Squadron,
405th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Silver Star,
Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
25 March 1945 - Place of
death
Near Wambel, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 4 | 40 |
Immediate family
-
Members
James C. Blackburn (father)
Margaret Blackburn (mother)
William Blackburn (brother)
Barbara J. (Miller) Blackburn (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-33291 -
Data
Type: P-47D-30 RA
Destination: Dortmund-Brackel Airfield, Germany
Mission: Armed reconnaissance
MACR: 13577
More information
Maj Robert M. Blackburn graduated from Drake University.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States as an aviation cadet at Fort De Moines, Iowa on 16 January 1942. He was sent overseas in December 1944.
After bombing and strafing an airfield east of Dortmund, Robert Blackburn strafed two Junkers 88 airplanes which were parked on the airfield and blew them up. Maj Blackburn continued on through or over the resulting blast. After climbing, he jettisoned his canopy and transmitted he would bail out. Maj Blackburn was out of sight and stopped transmitting. Nobody saw his plane or parachute.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Astrid van Erp, WWIIMemorial.com, Archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.newspapers.com - The Des Moines Register, www.ancestry.com - WWII Bonus Case File
Photo source: Findagrave.com, Timothe Loock, www.newspapers.com - The Des Moines Register, www.ancestry.com - Drake University Yearbook 1941