Robert J Osborne

Military

BTG, Butler crew. Member of the Crozier crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Landed on 5 November 1943 in B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite' on mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The pilot ordered the crew to bail out. Three crewmembers stayed in the plane due to a wounded member being trapped. 6 bailed out.

The 533rd BS War Diary has the men who bailed out as landing near the airfield at West Malling in Kent.

BTG, Crozier crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by fighters on mission to Oscherleben on 11 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37730. Mission #59 to the aircraft factories at Oschersleben, Germany. MACR 1877. Prisoner of War at Stalag XVIIB.

South Carolina

The 1st Bomb Wing/381st BG did not hear the recall while over the continent. 180 out of 700 bombers continued the mission without fighter cover. The 533rd BS lost 6 out of 9 aircraft. The 381st BG earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation.



Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group.

381st Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

John K Anderson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-674540
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

George M Balmore

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32171030
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator / Gunner

Haden T Brown

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-769351
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

William D Butler

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-742958
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Gordon W Crozier

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-795709
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-29755

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: LITTLE CEASAR, Gremlins Delite, Last Straw
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group

42-37730

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Stalag XVII-B

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Prisoner of War

Wasserhofstraße, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria 11 January 1944 Stalag XVIIB

Died

8 January 1987

Born

Revisions

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorARowe95
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Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
Contributorjmchristel
Changes
Sources

http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=49132; https://www.fold3.com/page/87980387_robert_j%20osborne/details/; https://books.google.com/books?id=V4tebtIEujoC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=ro…

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 1877,Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 511 and in Vol. II p. 63 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1877 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database