Robert Albert Blankenburg | American Air Museum in Britain

B-17 42-30371 - 9 missions - MIA on Gdynia 9-10-43 (pilot Nagorka), 560BS, 388BG. Rear L-R: Lester Baum, Francis Tierney, Gilbert Parker, Henry Nagorka. Front L-R: Jack Harris, Claude Whitehead, Francis Antalek, Robert Blankenburg, Edward Christensen, Edward Keisler.

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Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 16-Sep-43 in B-17 42-30030 'Old Ironsides'. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base.
Shot down 9-Oct-43 in B-17 42-30214 'Iza Angel II'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3141

Awards:

Service

People

Henry Nagorka

Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-30030 'Old Ironsides'. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 #42-30214 'Iza Angel II'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

Units served with

388th Bomb Group

Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
560th Bomb Squadron

Squadron

Aircraft

42-30030 Old Ironsides

B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 23/5/43; Assigned 544BS/384BG [BK-F] Grafton Underwood 29/5/43; transferred 2 SAD Lt Staughton 31/7/43 then 560BS/388BG. ...
42-30214 'IZA ANGEL II'

B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 8/5/43; Smoky Hill 10/6/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall [ -M] 26/6/43; Missing in Action Gdynia 9/10/43 with Henry Nagorka, John Leverone, Mike Mahoney, Francis Antalek, Bill Caruso, John...
42-30371

B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/43; Gr Isle 6/4/43; Dow Fd 25/6/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 26/6/43; Missing in Action Gdynia 9/10/43 with Henry Nagorka, Navigator: John Leverone, Bombardier: Mike Mahoney, Radio Operator: Francis Antalek, Waist gunner...

Associated Place

Goswick Bay

Crash site

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Chicago, IL	28 September 1915
Enlisted	Milwaukee, WI	25 June 1942
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Based	Knettishall	1943 – 9 October 1943
Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF.
Died	North Sea	9 October 1943
Shot down 9-Oct-43 in B-17 42-30214 'Iza Angel II'. Plane crashed into North Sea. KIA MACR 3141
Buried	Fort Snelling National Cemetery Minneapolis, Hennepin County, MN	24 February 1949
Re-Interred Fort Snelling National Cemetery Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Date	Contributor	Update
27 June 2021 17:19:57	Al_Skiff	Changes to middlename, service number, biography, events, person associations and unit associations
Sources
https://www.fold3.com/image/537993893 https://www.fold3.com/image/310952167 https://www.fold3.com/record/712036596/blankenburg-robert-a-us-veterans-... https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/375427/robert-a-blankenburg
Date	Contributor	Update
04 March 2020 03:58:26	jmoore43	Changes to biography
Sources
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Date	Contributor	Update
27 September 2014 18:22:56	AAM	AAM ingest
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3141 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor; MACR 3141