Robert N McCune
Military ROLL OF HONOUR1-May-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Bosie, Idaho. 12-Oct-42 Re-assigned to B-17F 41-24569 [GN-V], "Memphis Tot" 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. 22-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Memphis Tot"
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24569 'Memphis Tot' while serving as Co-Pilot. The mission target was Osnabruck, Germany, but crew reported guns didn't work so crew turned back. Fighters attacked and Cpt Cole crash landed in the Waddenzee, Holland. Plane broke in two in contact with the water. McCune was shot and killed before the crash according to the 303rd web site mission report.
Participated in 7 Operations (4 were aborted) See Biography events
Air Medal, Purple Heart
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 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-421603
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Memphis Tot
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 4 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Boise, ID, USA | 1 May 1942 | Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. |
Other Re-assigned to Aircraft |
Bangor, ME, USA | 12 October 1942 | Re-assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. |
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 22 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Co-Pilot aboard B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS. |
Other Mission #1, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #2, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #3, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #4, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #5, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures force the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #6, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 2 February 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but severe cold weather caused Wing Command to recall the formation. RTB OK. |
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Waddenzee | 4 February 1943 | Killed when aircraft was shot down by German fighters and crash-landed in the Waddenzee, Holland. His remains have never been recovered. |
Other Mission #7, 2LT Robert N. McCune, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - KIA |
Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Osanbruck, Germany, but frozen guns forced the pilot to turn back and the aircraft was shot down by fighters over Holland and he was Killed in Action. KIA |
Born |
Daly City, California | ||
Other Commemorated |
Netherlands American Cemetery, 6269 NA Migraten, Netherlands | Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Correcting typo in Summary BIography,.
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 2-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Re-Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and re-assignment and arrival in UK infot to Summary Biography; Made connections to all missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2015. Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; Verified SN an KIA event per MACR 15348; Added crew position to Biography.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15348, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 73, ABMC web site , 303rd web site mission report