Richard Abercrombie Roper
MilitaryAssociated person and group.
The US Air Corps officer who switched off the lights and locked the gates of Aldermaston in 1945. Warrant Officer R A Roper trained in airplane mechanics and received specialised training in all mechanical and superstructure work of B-17 bomber aircraft and C-47 transport aircraft from Oct 1940 till Jan 1943. He was assigned as Aircraft Engineering Officer supervising 3rd echelon maintenance of C-47 transport airplanes, primarily at station 467 Aldermaston, Berkshire, England. He was also the Shop Superintendent of the collective maintenance shops equipped to assemble and maintain two types of gliders - Horsa and Hadrian, at Station 429 Crookham Common, in addition to the C-47s. He served with the 458th Service Squadron, 318th Service Group from Apr 1943 - Apr 1945. The group was initially based at Station 488 Fulbeck. It then transferred to Station 467 Aldermaston. R A Roper and a 3rd echelon crew also undertook some temporary duty mechanical work on B-26 bomber aircraft and P-47 fighter aircraft at Station 169 Stansted Mountfitchet. (The 318th Service Group was disbanded on 26th April 1945. R A Roper and his squadron was then absorbed into the 879th Air Service Squadron, 461st Air Service Group) By the middle of March 1945 the entire Air Service Group had transferred from Aldermaston to the French landing field A-80 at Mourmelon, leaving behind a rear echelon consisting of Warrant Officer R A Roper and 25 enlisted men. WO Roper supervised the complete clearing and dismantling of all temporary shops and equipment at Aldermaston in readiness of the formal handing back of control of the base to the RAF in June 1945.
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Other
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 318th Service Group 458th Service Squadron
- Service Numbers: W2 107 465
- Highest Rank: Warrant Officer
- Role/Job: Aircraft Engineering Officer 4823
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Fenton
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Stansted