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Military
One of Robert Dykeman’s Dog Tags on pages 6 and 9 of KU-2799 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/147897081 (NARA)
Page 48 of MACR 8212 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91049912 mentioning Robert “DIEKEMAN”/Dykeman was shot on 30 July 1944 while trying to escape. Note : The last pages of MACR 8212 mix names and data with the crew of 42-37655 (Pilot Morris E. Clark) shot down on the same day in the same area…
Page of MACR 7809 for the loss of 42-31537 on 29 July 1944 and mentioning the death of Robert “Diekeman”/Dykeman on 30 July 1944 in the district of Saale… “DNB” = Died Non-Battle
Robert Dykeman’s Distinguished Flying Cross card on page 694 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/133367483 (NARA)
Robert Dykeman’s 1949 Headstone Application - https://www.fold3.com/title/926/headstone-applications-1925-1963 Note : It had been decided not to put his middle name's initial ("L" for Lawrence) on his bronze marker.
Robert Dykeman was Co-Pilot on B-17G #42-31968 'Miss Irish'. On return from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France on 19 March 1944, the ship made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room. Returned to Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220.
On 29 July 1944, he baled out from B-17G #42-31537 and landed near Niedermöllern, about 2km NE of the crash location near Punschrau, Germany. Killed while prisoner of war by local policeman. Perpetrator sentenced to death and hanged at Landsberg on 10 June 1947. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 7809.
At NARA’s WWII POW records, he’s listed as “Robert DICKEMAN” – Died as a prisoner of War in Germany 30 July 1944 ( https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=466&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf... )
On the William T. Fitzroy page at https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=1648&... , Fitzroy states he saw 12 Americans hanged and shot by the Germans on 29 July 1944 after bailing out. Among them were Robert Dykeman, Ira Arnold and Floyd Douglas from his crew.
On page 48 of MACR 8212 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91049912, Dykeman is mentioned as shot on 30 July 1944 while trying to escape.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, Fance and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Shot down by Flak on the...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report -...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report -...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Bombardier / Togglier / Engineer | 100th Bomb Group
3 December 1943 crashed on base in B-17#42-39791 "Fletcher's Castoria" with Pilot Martin Tashjian. Then 27 December 1943 accident after landing B-17#42-37772 "Flying Jenny" (also Tashjian crew) during formation flight training. All returned. Shot down...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report -...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 100th Bomb Group
Was Pilot of B-17 #42-31537 on the 29 July 1944 mission to Merseburg, Germany. Shot down by Flak and crashed near Punschrau, Germany. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Colonel | Pilot / Squadron Commander | 100th Bomb Group
John Gibbons was Pilot of B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returning from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 100th Bomb Group
Floyd Hartman was Navigator on board B-17#42-39791 "Fletcher's Castoria" which crashed on take-off on a non-operational flight 3 December 1943, with Pilot Martin Tashjian. He and the 8 other men on board Returned To Duty (RTD).
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220.
Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 19/11/43; Kearney 2/12/43; Presque Is 10/12/43; Assigned 332BS/94BG [XM-B] Rougham 23/12/43 FRIDAY THE 13TH; transferred 350BS/100BG [LN-S] Thorpe Abbotts 24/12/43; 349BS [XR- ]; ran out of gas on Ruhland mission 21 June 1944 with Lt...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/1/44; Savannah 21/1/44; Morrison 2/2/44; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-D] Thorpe Abbotts 3/2/44. Battle-damaged by Flak South of Calais, France on the 19 March 1944 mission to Mimoyecques, France. 19/3/44 with Pilot John P. Gibbons, Co...
19 March 1944
V-Weapon sites in France are the targets for this mission. A combined force of 193 B-17s of 1st and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched. Mission Summary follows:
...
29 July 1944
Military site : airfield
Home of the 'Bloody Hundredth’, a Bomb Group with a reputation for high casualty rates, Thorpe Abbotts was under USAAF control from June 1943 to the end of the war. Some of the airfield survives today, and the control tower houses the 100th Bomb Group...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California, United States | 1 June 1921 |
| Lived in | Canoga Park, Los Angeles County, California | February 1942 |
| Enlisted | 11 June 1942 | |
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Los Angeles, California |
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| Bailed out | 29 July 1944 | |
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of B-17#42-31537 |
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| captured | 30 July 1944 | |
| Killed as a Prisoner of War | 30 July 1944 | |
| Buried | 30 July 1944 | |
|
cemetery of Hassenhausen, Germany |
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| Buried | 1950 | |
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after the war, his remains were brought back to the US. Robert Dykeman rests at the Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, Los Angeles County, California |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 11 October 2021 16:58:44 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 September 2020 08:30:57 | ED-BB | Changes to middlename, awards and events |
| Sources | ||
NARA WWII Enlistment records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 September 2020 14:41:47 | ED-BB | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
NARA WWII POW records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 September 2020 14:27:45 | ED-BB | Changes to nickname, service number, biography, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
MACR 7809 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 August 2020 14:28:15 | ED-BB | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Corrected typos and added details in Biography |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 December 2017 09:52:15 | Kauko56 | Changes to highest rank |
| Sources | ||
oops! |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 December 2017 09:51:45 | Kauko56 | Changes to service number and highest rank |
| Sources | ||
MACR 7809 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 December 2017 09:49:53 | Kauko56 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
US trial papers, case no. 12-485 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:22:51 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Combat Sup, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7809 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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