Robert Morris Stillman

Military

Robert Stillman from High School at Pueblo, Colorado in 1929 and attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs for 2 years. Graduating from the US Military Academy on 12 June 1935, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. He soon entered Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, texas and graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas in October 1936. He then served with the 50th Reconnaissance Squadron at Hickham Field, Hawaii from 10 January 1937 to August 1940, returning to the US Military Academy each fall during this period as a member of the football coaching staff. Moving to Bolling Field, Washington, DC, he was named officer in charge of the recruit detachment and assumed command of the First Staff Squadron on 6 January 1941. Appointed chief of the Overseas Section, Directorate of War Organization and Movements at AAF Headquarters on 20 May 1942, he became Executive Officer of the 387th Bomb Group at McDill Airfield on 20 January 1943. Leaving for England on 17 March 1943, Robert Stillman became Commander of the 322nd Bomb Group. He flew as Command Pilot of B26B 41-17982 on the 17 May 1943 mission to bomb a power station at Ijmuiden, Holland. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed right after making landfall in sand dunes at Rozenburg, Holland. Col. Stillman recovered consciousness in a hospital a few hours later. He met two of his crew members there : Radio Gunner T/Sgt Clyde Willis and Engineer/Gunner T/Sgt Morgan Freeman. The other three were killed : Co-Pilot 3 Killed in Action (KIA) and 3 st Lt Ellis J. Resweber, hit by Flak in the cockpit; Navigator/Bombardier Prisoner of st Lt William R. Betz and Tail Gunner S/Sgt Edward K. Hagetter. Robert Stillman was made a Prisoner of War (POW). Missing Air Crew Report : MACR 15539.

Robert Stillman stayed in the Air Force after the war and retired as a Major General on 1 August 1965.

Connections

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Units served with

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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 452nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-790934
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator; Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 452nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14058852
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 452nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19016978
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 452nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-791727
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 452nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14071397
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator/Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 352nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

30 November 1911

Other

Captured

17 May 1943 after the crash-landing of his B-26 Serial 41-17982

Other

Prisoner of War (¨POW)

17 May 1943 NARA's WWII POW Records have hims wrongly as made prisoner on 17 April 1943... They have him as "Returned to Military Control (RMC) 11 January 1946" and last interned at Stalag 17A in Moosburg. He had been detained at Stalag Luft 3 before and participated in the Death March from there, starting at the end of January 1945.

Died

22 May 1991

Buried

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 15539
Biographical details from http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7269

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 25-Nov-2014. CO data from: http://www.usaaf.com/8thaf/bomber/322bg.HTM; Mission info from: MACR 15156; POW data from National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 125, MACR 15539,ABMC