Military
Capt. Robert B Hermann 8th AAF, 306th BG, 367th BS navigator Sweet Pea
My father and friend at Stalag Luft VIIA after liberation 29 APR 1945
My father at Stalag Luft III 1943 to 1945
My father's grave at Arlington National Cemetery
My fathers MACR-15568
The story of naming my fathers plane
Robert B Hermann navigator B-17 Sweet Pea
Flew on John L. Ryan crew. From Sept 1942 until 6 March 1943. Shot down 6 March 1943 over Lorient, France in B-17F 42-5130 'Sweet Pea', 306BG/367BS while serving as Navigator Baled out and taken Prisoner of War (POW). Had flown 12 1/2 missions. His travels after immediate capture near Quimper was to Dulag Luft Frankfurt, Offlag XXI-B Schubin, Poland; and finally at Stalag Luft III North and South Compounds. Then to Stalag VII-A Moosberg. On 29 April 1945 he was liberated by Americans. He left camp on 06 May 1945 to head back to England for a time before being shipped back to the States on 1-Jun-1945.
Distinguished Flying Cross,Air Medal with 2 Oak leaf Clusters, Purple Heart with one with Oak Leaf Cluster,American Campaign with one Bronze Service Star,European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign with one Bronze Service Star,American Defense medal,World War II Victory
Prisoner of War
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-15-BO 42-5130 [GY:] "Sweet Pea" was delivered at Denver 29-Sep-42; Presque Isle, ME 20-Nov-42; Assigned 367BS/306BG [GY- ] Thurleigh 25-Nov-42; Missing in Action on mission of 6-Mar-43 to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient. Sustained damage from...
9 October 1942
Bombers are dispatched to bomb the steel and engineering works of the Compagnie de Fives at Lille, France and the locomotive and freight car works of Ateliers d'Hellemmes at Lille which are the Primary (P) targets. Other targets are Courtrai Airfield,...
7 November 1942
A combined bomber force of 56 B-17s are despatched by 91BG, 301BG and 306BG to bomb the U-Boat pens at Brest, France. This is the first mission flown by 91st Bomb Group. This element is joined by 12 B-24s from 93BG. To aide the attacking bomber force,...
8 November 1942
Two Primary (P) targets are the objects of this mission: the German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France and the Atclier d'Hellemmes locomotive works at Lille, France. 91BG despatches 15 B-17s to Abbeville and 301BG and 306BG despatch a combined...
9 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the target of this mission conducted by a combined force of 33 B-17s from 91BG and 306BG together with a combined force of 14 B-24s from 44BG and 93BG. The B-24 formation bombs from altitudes between 17,500 ft...
14 November 1942
The U-Boat pens of La Pallice, France are the Primary(P) target for a combined bomber force of 21 B-17s from 91BG (14) and 306BG (7); 93BG also joins the raid with 13 B-24s. However, La Pallice is completely clouded over, so instead, the bombers attack...
18 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed...
22 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the Primary (P) target of this mission. A combined force of 68 B-17s despatched from 91BG (18), 303BG (18) 305BG (23) and 306BG (9) against the target but a 10/10 could cover prevents all but 11 from 303BG from...
12 December 1942
This mission is composed of two elements. First element: The German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a force of 78 B-17s despatched from 91BG (19), 303BG (20), 305BG (21) and 306BG (18). However, the target is...
20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
...
27 January 1943
First successful attack by 8th Air Force into Germany. The 306th Bomb Group gets the distinction of being the first American Bomb Group to drop bombs on Germany. O Original target was Vegesack but clouded over. Col. Frank Armstrong lead the group. Two...
Military site : airfield
Built for RAF use in 1941-42, Thurleigh was initially used by RAF Bomber Command before being handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Its runways and hardstandings were improved, and the B-17s of the 306th Bomb Group began using the base. It was their...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Chillicothe, Ohio | 25 December 1918 |
| Prisoner of War | Zagan, Poland | 6 March 1943 – 1 June 1945 |
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Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland). Officially Returned to Military Contol (RMC) 1-Jun-45. |
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| Died | Elgin IL | 22 July 1990 |
| Buried | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2021 04:17:31 | Bombay | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
fix spelling-Metal>Medal |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 February 2017 20:56:57 | hermaba | Changes to biography |
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From the records of Robert B Hermann from son Robert A Hermann |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 February 2017 20:54:25 | hermaba | Changes to biography |
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From the history of Capt. Robert B Hermann by son Robert A Hermann using his war records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 July 2015 21:55:34 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography |
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Lee Cunningham 29-Jul-2015. Added crew position to Summary Bigraphy per MACR 15558. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 July 2015 21:40:49 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and events |
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Lee Cunningham 28-Jun-2015. Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database. The aircraft los was documented on MACR 939 and his name is recorded there as Herman (one "n"), but since this entry has been worked by others pretty well, I did not change the spelling. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 21:05:06 | hermaba | Changes to nickname and mission associations |
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Son - Robert A Hermann |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 20:59:29 | hermaba | Changes to mission associations |
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Son _ Robert A Hermann |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 20:58:16 | hermaba | Changes to mission associations |
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Son - Robert A Hermann |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 20:53:18 | hermaba | Changes to aircraft associations |
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Son - Robert A Hermann |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 19:45:13 | hermaba | Changes to awards |
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Son |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 19:37:46 | hermaba | Changes to mission associations |
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Son -From a letter dad wrote (missing 2 missions 11-22-42 Lorient, 12-24-42 Romilly-Sur-Seine |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 19:30:34 | hermaba | Changes to events |
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Son |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 19:27:13 | hermaba | Changes to place associations |
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Son |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 19:18:12 | hermaba | Changes to highest rank and biography |
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Son of Capt. Robert B Hermann |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:23:00 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15568/son, Robert |
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