Robert C Ayrest
Military ROLL OF HONOURIf you require access to the full, unedited file please contact Bill Beigel via his website, www.ww2research.com, or the AAM Team at [email protected]
Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) researched and donated by Bill Beigel: www.ww2research.com
2nd Lt. Robert C. Ayrest was born on April 21, 1921. His hometown was Inglewood, California. His wife was Mary L. Ayrest, two sons Robert Claud and Howard Donald, and a brother Alan. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity at UCLA.
2nd Lt. Ayrest was the pilot of Crew 5 of the 712th Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group. He flew B-24H-5-FO (42-7733) “LAKI-NUKI” via the southern route from Florida to Seething, England in December 1943. On the flight from Marrakech, North Africa to England bad weather and Germans jamming radio communications led to an attempt to land at a German-held airfield in the Brest Peninsula of France. The aircraft received severe damage from enemy flak and Co-pilot 2nd Lt. Litman was wounded. Pilot 2nd Lt. Ayrest and the crew were able to land the aircraft at Preddannack, Cornwall. “LAKI-NUKI” caught fire after landing and was destroyed.
On 10 Feb 1944 Crew 11 of the 712th Bomb Squadron was the scheduled to fly "Boomerang" (42-52132) when they told to stand down and that Crew 5 would be flying the mission to Gilz-Rijen, Holland. “Boomerang” crashed 2 miles west of Tibenham due to bad weather and violent maneuvering to avoid a mid-air collision. 2nd Lt. Ayrest was killed in the crash. He is buried in the American Cemetery at Cambridge, England.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Wing
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Inglewood, CA, USA | 21 April 1921 | |
Died |
Tibenham, Norwich, Norfolk NR16, UK | 10 February 1944 | |
Buried |
2ndLT Ayrest is buried in the American Cemetery at Cambridge, England. |
Revisions
IDPF and/or crash report researched by Bill Beigel. IDPF donated to American Air Museum by Bill Beigel. For more information about this flyer, you may contact http://ww2research.com.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / SO#150, 6th Heavy Bomb.Proc HQ, Herington, Kansas 5 Nov 43; Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I, p. 418