Robert J Yonkman
Military![A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their new B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Eight Ball II". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 23 Dec 1942.' [stamp] and '239808.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ''Photo shows:- Five members of the Fortress crew who each shot down a F.W.190 before having to bale out, photographed in front of their new 'plane "Eight Ball II". They are ( left to right):- Lieut. Robert L. Yonkman ( from Grand Rapids, Michigan)](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg_x2/public/freeman/media-378883.jpg.webp?itok=JF3kif8X)
Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 23 Dec 1942.' [stamp] and '239808.' [Censor no.]
Printed caption on reverse: ''Photo shows:- Five members of the Fortress crew who each shot down a F.W.190 before having to bale out, photographed in front of their new 'plane "Eight Ball II". They are ( left to right):- Lieut. Robert L. Yonkman ( from Grand Rapids, Michigan)., Lieut, Joseph Strickland ( from Liberty, Miss)., T.Sgt Roman Zaorski ( from Pittfield, Mass.), S.Sgt William C. Mulgrew ( from Brooklyn, N.Y.)., and S/Sgt W.W.Stephens ( from Spokan?, Washington G, December, 1942. PN-S.'
Press caption for image series: ‘FORTY FOUR FIGHTERS DESTROYED IN US AIR FORCE RAID ON ROMILLY-SUR-SEINE. Pilot and Co-pilot crash-land Fortress after remainder of crew bale out. Thrilling stories are now being revealed of the big raid on the air park at Romilly-sur-Seine, when Fortresses and Liberators fought their way to and from the target through swarms of enemy fighters. Forty Four of the Nazi planes were destroyed in the air for the loss of six bombers, in some of the fiercest air battles of the war. One of the Fortresses - named “Eight ball” piloted by Capt William R Calhoun, of Birmingham, Alabama, with co-pilot Eugene A. Romig - although badly damaged and riddled by flak managed to struggle back to England, where owing to the danger of an immediate crash the pilot ordered the crew to bale out. Eight men - five of whom are credited with each destroying one Focke Wulf during the return- baled out while Capt. Calhoun and Major Romig continued to earth, finally succeeding in making a crash landing. All the men escaped serious injury and will shortly form the crew of “Eight Ball II”. Blanket caption for Romilly-sur-Seine raid.’ Roger Freeman Collection
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 1015 - A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their new B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Eight Ball II". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet...
On 20-Dec-42 he bailed out of B-17F #41-24581 'The 8 Ball' over England while serving as Bombardier upon return of the aircraft from a mission to Romilly-sur-Seine, France. The Pilot and Co-Pilot crash-landed at Bovingdon. Uninjured - RTD. Mission participation (See Biography events - UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
On 17 October 1943. Master III DM127 assigned to HQ, 3rd Air Division. on a local flight crashed killing the Pilot Major Mokler, Yonkman was treated for major injuries at a hospital.
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
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Biggs Field, TX 79918, USA | 15 September 1942 | Tentatively assigned as a Bombardier on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball', 303BG/359BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. |
|
Other Mission #1, 1LT Robert. J. Younkman, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - BO/RTD |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as the Bombardier on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. The aircraft sustained battle damage, but Pilot MAJ Romig managed to fly it back to England. 1LT Yonkman was ordered to bale out over the English countryside and RTD. The Pilot MAJ Romig and CP CPT Calhoun stayed with the aircraft and made a crashlanding at USAAF Station Bovington. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair but MAJ Romig and CPT Calhoun wre not injured and returned to Molesworth the next day. |
|
Other Mission #2, 1LT Robert. J. Younkman, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as the Bombardier on B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS "The '8' Ball II" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, nut mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, 1LT Robert. J. Younkman, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as the Bombardier on B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS "The '8' Ball II" on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, 1LT Robert. J. Younkman, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as the Bombardier on B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS "The '8' Ball II" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat paens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 October 1943 | Believed to have arrived at Molesworth, UK as a passenger on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball". He was not at that time permanently assigned to any particular aircraft. |
Revisions
Added a "-" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of1 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 13-Decc-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Reprots of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 13-Dec-2015. Added Assigend to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Personnel Roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 6-De-2014 Added SN per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/ historian Gary Moncur; edited biography for 20-Dec-42 event, made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol.1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 55, 344
![A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their new B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Eight Ball II". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 23 Dec 1942.' [stamp] and '239808.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ''Photo shows:- Five members of the Fortress crew who each shot down a F.W.190 before having to bale out, photographed in front of their new 'plane "Eight Ball II". They are ( left to right):- Lieut. Robert L. Yonkman ( from Grand Rapids, Michigan)](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378883.jpg.webp?itok=b6TLxz2v)