Robert Elmer Nelson
MilitaryCo-pilot, Painter crew. Group Operations officer flying as the Deputy Group lead. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-30140 'King Malfunction II'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 379. Evaded (EVD).
Gresham, OR.
EE Report 170. After 1Lt Nelson landed, he met up with S/Sgt Genz (RWG). They encountered S/Sgt Whitman in a tree who fell and broke some ribs while attempting to get out of his harness. They were soon joined by S/Sgt Kellogg who was wounded in the leg inside the aircraft. S/Sgts Whitman and Kellogg were both too injured to move on. They all agreed that the two injured Sgts were going to give themselves up the next day. 1Lt Nelson and S/Sgt Genz evaded with assistance from the underground. Through Madrid and Gibraltar they eventually made it back to England on 30 October 1943.
Connections
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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: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34129005
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-734658
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37268430
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-736866
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37198577
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: King Malfunction II
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 17 August 1943
- Official Description:
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Gresham, Oregon | 8 April 1917 | |
Died |
1 February 1994 | ||
Other Evaded (EVD) |
Germany | 17 August 1943 |
Revisions
Removed the "Possible DUPLICATE" flag in the Nickname field and then removed the duplicate person.
Updated the location of the EVD event to “Germany” per info in the "Summary biography".
Flagged as a "Possible DUPLICATE" in the Nickname field so an Admin can check out this person.
381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 379 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia