Robert Hugh Clarkson Washburn
Military
Official USAAF photo – NARA
Object Number - UPL 44965 - Robert Washburn, Molesworth, 21 November 1943. (Official USAAF photo – NARA)
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39781. Prisoner of War (POW).
NARA WWII POW record : “Died as a Prisoner of War.”
From his page at https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemete… :
"Sgt Robert Washburn landed in an open area near Carvin. He noticed a crowd of Frenchmen running towards him. He ran the other way towards a German search party and then turned towards the Frenchmen. The German soldiers shouted for him to surrender, but he kept running and the Germans shot him."
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: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12051907 at enlistment, then O-671085
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37232879
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19082184 at enlistment, then O-678377
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18217123
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14101673 at enlistment, then O-679083
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Career Girl
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 December 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
New Brunswick, Canada | 15 October 1923 | |
|
Enlisted |
Hartford, Connecticut, USA | 1 December 1942 | |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Carvin, France | 1 December 1943 | NARA WWII POW record: “Died as a Prisoner of War.” In fact, he was shot while trying to escape capture. |
| Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA | |||
|
Buried |
Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial | Robert Washburn rests at Plot B, Row 26, Grave 9 |
Revisions
Updated the location of the "Born" event per info in the "BIOGRAPHY" section
MACR 1325
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft card
NARA WWII POW records
ABMC website
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemete…
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1325 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
