Richard H Cole
Military
Object Number - UPL 26666 - Lead crew of bombing mission to Lutzkendorf, Germany, pose in front of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 44-8137. 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group,...
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 44 x missions.
Lt. Col. Cole was assigned to the 303rd in the fall of 1943. At that time he held the rank of
Major, having been previously a Group Operations Officer with an anti-submarine command group stationed in Newfoundland.
Col. Cole was well qualified to take over the squadron and lost no time in getting into the swing of things. He is a fighting commander and has led his squadron on some of the most
outstanding of the 303rd's missions. He is well into his second operational tour and will continue until the war in this theater is concluded.
Col. Cole graduated from Rutgers University in 1938. He entered the Air Corps as a cadet and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in May, 1940.
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
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Units served with
People
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
New Jersey | 30 May 1916 | |
|
Enlisted |
10 May 1939 | ||
|
Other Discharged USAF |
1 May 1962 | ||
|
Died |
31 January 1982 | ||
|
Based |
Molesworth | 11 April 1945 | Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Information taken from the 303rd Bomb Group Unit History.
https://www.fold3.com/image/161280289/?terms=44-8137
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/209.pdf
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/195.pdf
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/199.pdf
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/354.pdf
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/309.pdf
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/214.pdf
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roster