Robert Lester Cole
Military
384th BG - 544th BS
Back L-R: Lt. John Fallon (N), Lt. Jack K. Larsen (P), Lt Warren Donovan (CP), Lt. Edward Murray (B)
Front L-R: Sgt. Robert Cole (RO), Sgt. John Moore (TG), Sgt. Karl Barnes (FE), Sgt. Edward Simon (WG), Sgt. Edward Holler (WG), Sgt. Alton Haverlah (BT)
Object Number - UPL 15095 - Jack K. Larsen Crew 384th BG - 544th BS Back L-R: Lt. John Fallon (N), Lt. Jack K. Larsen (P), Lt Warren Donovan (CP), Lt. Edward Murray...
B-17F #42-29717 'Mr. Five By Five' was last seen with one engine feathered and heading towards Switzerland on a mission to Stuttgart, GR on 25 Feb 1944. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Connections
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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: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-802583
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Little Audrey
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group Base Air Depot 1 368th Bomb Squadron 369th Bomb Squadron 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Mr Five by Five
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 94th Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Patches : The Spotted Cow
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 25 February 1944
- Date: 24 February 1944
- Date: 22 February 1944
- Date: 21 February 1944
- Date: 20 February 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Grafton Undermud
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Wilkes-Barre, PA | 13 July 1919 | |
|
Enlisted |
Wilkes-Barre, PA | 13 November 1942 | |
|
Other Honorably Discharged from Service |
Miami Beach, FL | 13 October 1945 | |
|
Died |
Clearwater, FL | 16 January 2013 | Robert Lester Cole 93, of Clearwater, Florida went to be with the Lord on January 16, 2013. Bob was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA, on July 13, 1919. He graduated from New Haven College of Physical Therapy and was a licensed physical therapist for 10 years. He worked in the hospital at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft, and later as supervisor of the state of CT food stamp office in Hartford, CT. Bob was a WWII veteran serving with the 8th air force as a B17 radio operator. His plane was shot down over Germany on their 10th mission and he was taken prisoner for 14 months. Following his discharge, he joined the Air Force Reserves, where he earned the rank of 1st Lt, by taking AFR correspondence courses. He was a member of VFW, DAV, and Ex-POW Gulf Coast Chapter. He retired in 1978 and moved to Clearwater. Bob volunteered 6 years at Mease Hospital in Dunedin and 6 years at RCS Food Pantry. He was a member of United Methodist Church of Clearwater and the United Methodist's Men's Club. His family includes wife of 65 years, Dorothy; daughter, Helen DeVere of Celebration, FL; grandchildren Paul and his wife, Gloria, of Austin, TX; and Brian and his wife, Brigette, of Santa Clara, CA . He is predeceased by his daughter, Lois. Bob loved his family and liked to travel, play golf and dance with Dottie. Services will be held at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home, 2853 Sunset Point Rd, Clearwater, FL, Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2pm. |
|
Buried |
Clearwater, FL | 26 January 2013 | Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida, USA |
|
Other Shot Down/Captured |
Bruschal, Germany | 25 February 1944 | Failed to Return Comments: 41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Feathered #2 engine at 1325 hrs but continued on towards target; at 1420, three minutes before target was reached, jettisoned bombs and peeled off from formation, perhaps heading for Switzerland; crash-landed near Bruchsal, Germany. MACR 2774 |
| Wilkes-Barre, PA |
Revisions
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to person associations. Changes to Role of Honour Picture. Changes to Role of Honour Picture
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to middlename, service number, highest rank, events, person associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2774 / MACR 2774, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=… / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
