Robert Francis Applin
MilitaryRobert F. Applin Crew
466th BG - 787th BS
Standing Left to Right: Robert F. Applin (P), Richard Joyce (CP), Carl Herbst (B), Leon Appel (N), Earl Rau (FE)
Kneeling Left to Right: Barkev Hovesepian (R/O), Henry Ciocci (G), Donald Brooks (G), Arthur Huggins (TG), LaVern Young (G)
This crew completed a 33 combat mission tour
5 October 1944 - 24 March 1945
Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom
Our pilot, Bob Applin, was a natural leader and an excellent pilot. - Barky Hovsepian, R/O
Complete a 35 mission tour
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 698839
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Peggy Ann
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: The Joker
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Lady
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Big Fat Mama
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 492nd Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron 856th Bomb Squadron 93rd Bomb Group 579th Bomb Squadron 328th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Abel Mabel
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 24 March 1945
- Date: 18 March 1945
- Date: 4 March 1945
- Date: 30 November 1944
- Date: 16 November 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Marlboro, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA | 27 April 1919 | |
Other 466th BG Combat Tour |
Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK | 5 October 1944 - 24 March 1945 | |
Other Mission |
Manston, Ramsgate, Kent CT12, UK | 21 February 1945 | Received a flak hit on #2 engine. Landed at an emergency field in France. Ground personnel there would only allow them a small amount of fuel and then made them take off. Flying at 1200 feet at the Channel coast small arms fire knocked out #1 engine and the prop couldn't be feathered. Too low to bail out, being trailed by an RAF crash boat across the Channel, the crew cranked down the landing gear by hand and the pilots crash landed successfully at RAF Manston. Found out later we had overflown Dunkirk at 1200 feet, thus the huge amount of small arms fire. |
Died |
Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA | 27 June 1971 | (aged 52) |
Keene, NH, USA | 114 Marlboro Street |
Revisions
Updated Middle Name and Died event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 193166302.
Added a Born event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 193166302.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193166302/robert-francis-applin
466th BG Archives - Report on Mission No 135 Castrop, Germany 2 November 1944
NARA research by Brad Sullivan
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book 'Attlebridge Arsenal' by Wassom & Brassford, page 343